Avoiding the good stuff

Per Christian and I had a very early start with the intention of enjoying Great Grey Owl but the owls decided that they preferred the company of the deep forest rather than entertaining two birders.

After that we failed to find anything particularly exciting although yet again there were good birds being found with a Night Heron at Nordre Øyeren and a Sandwich Tern around the islands in Oslo both of which would have been Norwegian ticks for me.

A walk with Jr to Sognsvann gave a Greylag gosling, tree nesting Black-headed Gulls and a couple of Nutcrackers which is my first May record in the urban Oslo (failed breeders?).

This spring may well be the best ever for Oslo and Akershus with regards rare birds with Montagu’s and Pallid Harriers, Caspian Tern, Bee-eater, King Eider, Sandwich Tern, Golden Oriole, Dotterel, Broad-billed Sandpiper and Pomarine Skua found so far. Maybe there are some rare breeders out there waiting to be found? Red-breasted Flycatcher, Greenish Warbler or perhaps a Firecrest?

a young Greylag (grågås) gosling

adult male Marsh Harrier (sivhauk) seen on our travels

2 Nutcrackers close to the house - a very unusual and unexpected May sighting. I am certain they do not breed in urban Oslo and wonder if they are failed breeds from the forests that have come into Oslo looking for food?

tree nesting Black-headed Gulls (hettemåke) at Sognsvann. It would appear to be very unusual for them to nest in trees but a number of pairs were doing so with even more nesting on the ground beneath on a small island