OSLO BIRDER: Maridalen gets its chance

It was always going to be difficult for Maridalen to match up to the goodies that Sørkedalen served up yesterday and indeed although I was very happy with my couple of hours this morning it was not such a kick as yesterday.

I did see raptors which were missing yesterday but Goshawk, Sparrowhawk and Common Buzzard weren’t the most exciting species I could have hoped for. The Whooper Swan (sangsvane) pair had 4 youngsters in tow with one unhatched egg still in the nest so there clearly was another egg still to hatch when I saw them last week. Fingers crossed that the 3 month fledging period goes well – good luck parents!

I only had 2 Common Rosefinches (rosenfink) today but both were red males and showed well. A pair of Pied Flycatchers that have only just started breeding easily showed me to their nest unlike yesterdays Red-breasted Flys and a singing Goldcrest showed well. On the lake 3 pairs of Greylag Geese were together with broods of 5, 3 and 4. The first two broods were significantly larger and surely those I saw on 18 May where the brood of 4 were much younger.

the four young Whooper Swans with mum or dad

the one that didn't make it. Normally an egg out in the open would have been taken by a crow but I guess this is just much too large

the first male Common Rosefinch of the day

same bird as above

The second Rosefinch. This male has a much stronger red colour and a large bill than the first bird

Families of Nuthatches (spettmeis) were obvious yesterday in Sørkedalen and today in Maridalen - looks like they have fared better than the tits

female Pied Flycatcher (svarthvit fluesnapper)

the male Pied Fly

female again

a juvenile Siskin (grønnsisik) being fed by dad. Siskins seem to be everywhere this spring

a very tired looking female Starling (stær) with food for the ever hungry and begging youngters

my first young White Wagtail (linerle) of the year

Long-tailed Tit (stjertmeis)

Wood Warbler (bøksanger)

the three broods of Greylag Geese (grågås)

Common Buzzard (musvåk) - probably a local breeding bird

male Goldcrest (fuglekonge)

An interesting observation I had today was with a Mallard family and a female Goldeneye. I had noticed the Goldeneye and here behaviour suggested she had young nearby but I saw none. I then saw a female Mallard with 5 young visible in the grass. Later I saw the female Goldeneye sitting on a log with 9 young and thought how silly it was that I had noticed all these youngsters before realising that they were not Goldeneye young but Mallard young. I had to search for the female Mallard who was 10 metres away but she then suddenly took offence at the presence of the Goldeneye and swam over the scared her off.