Tracking

An overnight dusting of snow was threatened by rising temperatures and rain this morning so I went early (well 10am when it was light enough to see anything) to Fornebu hoping to find some tracks in the snow to see what might be out there but that normally goes unseen.

At the reedbed at Storøykilen I had tracks of humans and dogs but more interesting was Roe Deer which are fairly common here and a couple of birds. One was I believe a thrush sp. and the other something bigger. It led out of the reedbed followed a tiny stream of open water and then went up a bank into a shrubby area. Checking my available literature and the interweb I’ve concluded with Water Rail although must admit that I find this difficult and also had to look at Pheasant, Woodcock and Common Snipe (Jack Snipe would be much smaller).

At Koksa I heard Bearded Tits and Reed Buntings but despite a lot of patience was only rewarded with a sighting of a single Reed Bunting in flight. A Water Rail made a lot of noise around the only area of running water and I managed a picture of sorts as it ran through a relatively open area of reeds. I had hoped to find tracks of this individual to use as a reference but found none that matched. I did find some tracks along the edge of the water but believe these were of Blackbird a few of which were also in the area.

I had some mammal tracks which crossed a frozen bay and concluded with Mink without being 100% sure although cannot imagine what else would be in this area.

what I've concluded are Water Rail (tracks)

and a picture of a Water Rail.......

What I  believe are Blackbird (svarttrost) tracks - note the long back toe

tracks of a mammal - Mink is my conclusion