2016 The Year That Was IV

October, November and December and usually quite quiet but can host some good species especially if there are arrivals of taiga species.

October

The Whooper Swan family succesfully fledged and moved from their tiny breeding lake to the large Maridalsvannet

the invasion of Hawk Owls continued but rodents weren't always easy to find as this frog eating bird demonstrates

a most welcome Østfold Little Bunting was good compensation for a lack of Russian Dunnocks

Tundra Bean Geese with Pink-feet

and a very unexpected Brent Goose

rarest bird of the year in Akershus an Isabelline Shrike at Fornebu

November

a huge arrival of Scaup included a record 18 on Maridalsvannet (here with Tufted and Common Scoter)

Hazel Grouse

4 1cy male Scaup on Bogstadvannet

unexpcted flyover Bewick Swans at Fornebu

Long-tailed Tits also arrived in very large numbers

another Hawkie

and Bearded Tits once again arrived at Fornebu

my second Norwegian Turtle Dove was this bird in Akershus found by Zak

Pintail at Bogstadvannet

Long-tailed Ducks also arrived in unusually large numbers although were never photogenic

after the succesful breeding it was not surprising that a few Kingfishers were hanging around

Pygmy Ows have been surprisingly difficult to find this year although this bird showed ridiculously well in Maridalen

and a few Pine Grosbeaks turned up close to Oslo including this ringed male

December

Three-toed Woodpeckers can be a bugger to find but when you do find one they can show ridiculously well

Hawk Owl can also be very confiding although seeing them in sunlight and low down is normally a challenge

a single Scaup and Tufted Duck remained on Maridalsvannet until the ice came in mid December

last birds of the year - very confiding White-fronted Geese and Tundra Bean Goose escaping cold weather somewhere further south in Europe