Buzzards

Yesterday was a good but still cold and wintery day. I joined up with Conor C for a trip to Aurskog Høland with a little detour into Østfold. I had thought that there would be large flocks of thrushes on the fields but it was still too wintery and whilst we did have the odd small concentration and had lots of Mistle Thrushes we must still wait for the large arrival with for example Redwings nearly completely absent today. With lakes still freezing over again at night there were also very few waterfowl with just small groups of Whooper Swans, Greylag and Canada Geese although Cranes have arrived in large numbers with us seeing in excess of 300 birds in the day.

A few Teal have turned up including 9 at Kjelle on a very small area of open water and in a week or so I reckon it will be absolutely fantastic conditions here with hopefully loads of ducks.

It was raptors that provided the fun today with 5 Rough-legged Buzzards, a few Common Buzzards, Peregrine, 3 Merlin, 4 Kestrel, male Hen Harrier, Sparrowhawks and a Goshawk. Four of the Rough-legged Buzzards showed really well and seemed to have found an area rich in food where they may hang around for a while.

I borrowed a Canon 7D mkII from Conor and had fun taking flight photos with it where the quick auto focusing and much better exposure metering where a joy to use and highlighted the weaknesses of my current set up.

Rought-legged Buzzard (fjellvåk) #1. This individual looks to be a juvenile based on the underwing but has it 2 generations of secondaries when you look t the upperwing?

#2 also a juvenile I believe

#3 this must be an adult male based on the multiple bands on the tail

 

#4 I am unsure about this individual and it may be a juvenile but  I believe is more likely an adult female

a comparison of #2 (juv) and #4 (ad fem?). Note the broader black border on the wing on the bird on the right, smaller dark belly patch and better marked underwing coverts

the same 2 birds from above

#4

#2

#2

#2 perched ad #3 hovering

a Common Buzzard (musvåk) - an adult bird

 my first Akershus Curlew (storspove) of the year together with Cranes and Whooper Swans. Much later than normal

one of two Great Grey Shrikes (varsler)

a male KEestrel (tårnfalk) having a preen

adult Peregrine that caused chaos as it unsuccesfuly hunted Lapwings

Whooper Swan (sangsvane) taken with the 7D mkII - I don't think I could have managed a picture like this with my 550D