OSLO BIRDER: Finally more Beans

I had a good outing with Conor again today. No wind and overcast conditions coupled with fog in the morning made it a quieter day than I had hoped and a single Osprey was the only raptor we noted. We did have other good birds. We started at Akershus’s only known breeding site for Woodlark and had good views of a singing male. After this we visited the traditional Taiga Bean Goose staging site as both the transmitting birds were now here (one returning on the 14^th and other on the 15^th). Conditions were very improved from when I was here with Angus and Denise on the 9^th but there was still some snow on the fields.

When we first went to the fields the fog was too thick to see anything so we went down to the river. Here the fog was patchier and eventually lifted. Two Beans were on the river when we arrived and a group of 7 and then a group of 6 plus a Pink-foot flew in whilst we watched. None of these had collars and we waited patiently for the whole flock to fly in (as they would usually due but nothing is usual this spring). When no more birds flew after over half an hour of waiting in we returned to the fields and 10 minutes later could see that the fog had lifted. The birds were spread out over two adjoining fields with lots of undulating ground. I made four counts and had 80,94,112 & 102 birds showing just how difficult they are to count (much easier when the whole flock is in the air or on the river). I am pretty certain that these were in addition to the 15 on the river so have a minimum count of 127 birds which is up from previously this autumn but still lower than expected. I spotted all the collared birds that I have previously seen this spring but two new birds: the pair 6X and 6Z.

After this we visited the river at Lillestrøm where 8 Little Ringed Plovers were displaying and a high count of 28 Green Sandpipers feeding. An Osprey was also here and exactly as on Sunday caught a fish so large that it could not fly off with it.

A quick foray into Maridalen revealed little life but a Swallow was a most welcome surprise although heaven knows what it will find to eat as winter has not yet loosened its grip on the Dale.