Årnestangen

No real change in the weather but there were more migrants today although the choice of Årnestangen over Maridalen played also a big role.

Dabbling ducks are starting to arrive with ca.140 Teal (krikkand) a good number for such an early date. A couple of male Pochards (taffeland) were first seen at the weekend but when I found them they were feeding by upending with a flock a Teal and it took me a while to work out what I was looking at.

Two different Great Grey Shrikes were both singing but neither had attracted a mate. The song is quite a strange affair and includes mimicry and before I saw the first bird I thought there was a calling Snow Bunting before I managed to connect call and bird.

No Jack Snipes (kvartbekkasin) yet but I did have a Common Snipe. The marshy areas are still frozen in places so it is not yet ideal for snipe but give it a week or so.

In Maridalen there was two new birds with my first Mistle Thrush (duetrost) of the year in Oslo and my first Goosander (laksand) in the valley. Four Lapwings were sharing the field at Skjerven with 6 Whooper Swans and a Greylag Goose and one of the Lapwings looked very much as though it was making a nest scrape.

Still no raptors which I hope means they are building up somewhere to the south and will suddenly go through in a big and exciting rush (dream one).

Picking up jr. jr. from school I had the local Stock Dove feeding in a garden. I really need to try to find out where and if they are breeding although I have never seen more than one or heard singing.

singing Great Grey Shrike

male Goosander in Maridalen