Kick starting 2018

New Years day is usually spent in Blighty but this year I was at home. Birding was not a priority though and I could only note 13 species with a Nutcracker seen whilst downhill skiing the most notable.

Today I hoped to add the Firecrest to my 2018 list. It was last seen on 27 December and many have searched since without finding it and I added my own name to that list. Most of the other birds that were to be found at Fornebu in December were still present though with Bearded Tits, Water Rail, Long-tailed Tit and the two Goldcrests still surviving so we can hope that the Firecrest will turn up again.

In Maridalen I finally got to see the Yellowhammer flock well (70 birds) but couldn’t find any rarer buntings amongst them. A couple of Waxwings were the highlight in the dale.

The two Collared Doves were in the garden today and at this rate I am expecting them to stay in the area and breed – perhaps in one of the conifers in the garden.

Waxwing (sidensvans) in Maridalen

Yellowhammers (gulspurv) in the snow in Maridalen

the two Collared Doves (tyrkerdue) that have visited the garden on and off since mid October