Snow Buntings

Every day is bring different weather at the moment. After yesterday’s blue skies we woke up to rain and sleet, low cloud and temperatures just over zero today. I headed down to Huk, Bygdøy just after sunrise (not that I could see the sun) hoping that there would be some signs of migration and grounded birds. Well that was most definitely not the case!
Heading over to Fornebu there was still a nice flock of seedeaters although a lot less than 2 days ago. Still 6 Snow Buntings (snøspurv) though and new for me were a few Linnets (tornirisk) amongst the Twite (bergirisk).

A quick stop at Smestaddammen, a small and very urban lake, showed that as usual at this time of the year it was full of birds with 9 Goosander and 3 Teal the best.

In Maridalen the sleet was turning to snow and the fields looked very dead. However there was a single Lapwing that clearly does not want to risk losing its territory and at Kirkeby a flock of 10 Snow Buntings. These showed a lot better than the ones at Fornebu although pictures are poor due to the appalling light early today. Snow Bunting seem to me to be becoming commoner or at least more obvious on spring migration around Oslo and whereas a few years ago I would not see any I now expect to find them at this time of year. They are still a great bird though everytime I see them.


Snow Buntings in Maridalen

the whole flock

this male was coming into breeding plumage



 

one of the Snow Buntings at Fornebu

my first Linnets of the year



one of the 6 Whooper Swans in Maridalen