Pygmy Owl

After the success of Tuesday nights owling trip I thought that a trip to the same area in the daytime might pay dividends in the form of a Hawk Owl or two.

That was not to be the case and I also failed to find Hawkie at any of three sites that held birds on Saturday which goes to show what a chance game birding can sometimes be. The day was saved on the Hawkie front though when I received an email about a bird very close to Oslo which I was able to admire on the way home.

My trip into the forest though was not entirely in vain. Woodpeckers are responding to the lengthening days and I heard drumming Three-toed, Black and Great Spotted. Black Woodpecker were unusually vocal with birds at 4 sites (with all these Black Woodpeckers and the holes they make then there shouldn’t be any problems for Tengmalm’s Owls to find nest holes). I did have a single Pygmy Owl which showed well but in true Hawkie fashion it chose the tallest tree in the neighbourhood and just stared down at me although I did glimpse it lower down after seeing it dive after some food (probably a tit). I also had a fly over male Capercaille and 5 Common Crossbills (I also had a small flock in Maridalen on Wednesday) so there are still some of them around although they were not singing and are probably just birds on the move.

this Blue Tit (blåmeis) is playing a risky game as it tries to give the Pygmy Owl (spurveugle) so much grief that it moves away 

a much better angle of the Pygmy Owl but branches in the way and camera settings not correct

Crested Tit (toppmeis)

the 2cy male Pintail (stjertand) that is overwintering in Oslo

Some pics of Hawkie too in case you are not tired of it :-)

Hawk Owl 

one often notices that owls move there entire heard when they ahve become alert and are curios about something. This is presumably because they cannot move their eyes