Woodlark

Woodlarks are an early if very scarce migrant and I had thought of looking for them yesterday but decided there was still too much snow. Zak tried though and had a bird so I went looking this morning hoping to hear the magical flutey song. That I did not hear but I eventually heard a bird calling, picked it up in flight and saw it briefly on the deck. In a few weeks I expect there will be a lot of song but for the now the bird gave the impression it was just interested in surviving.

I confirmed the presence of at least 152 Beans (which is probably just a more accurate count rather than a real increase from yesterday) plus 3 Pink feet although there could have been more. I again heard but did not see a Crane and a lively flock of 60 Whooper was on the same fields.

Wood Pigeons were more conspicuous today with small groups heading north.

The valley in Aurskog Høland held a couple of Lapwing today but still no waterfowl or Cranes. Maridalen however did have something new with the pair of Whooper Swans back on a small area of open water.

my first Woodlark (trelerke) of the year at the only known breeding site in Akershus

This Lapwing (vipe) showed very well. Note the colours on the wing - like an oil sheen on water

this Willow Tit (granmeis) was singing at the Woodlark site

as was this Yellowhammer (gulspurv)

and close by a moose nonchalantly crossed the road

and now for some obligatory Taiga (fabalis) Bean Goose shots

there was a lot of movement by the Bean Geese but always within the same field and in two hours of waiting they did not fly down to the river which would have allowed me to make an accurate count

here a single Pink-footed Goose (kortnebbgås) with two Beans. The differences in structure, size, bill colour and more subtle plumage differences can be seen

and here another two Pink-foots together with 7P

here a Pink-foot is flying together with 3 Beans including 10

in flight the orange legs can be very obvious

here is 10 gain in flight with his green leg ring visisble

60 odd Whooper Swans were on the same field

although the field looks flat there is a large depression that runs across the middle of it where many geese were feeding out of sight