Raptors moving

Lovely sunny weather yesterday with temperatures reaching 10C but an overnight frost means that the thaw is still going slowly, and northerly winds are also slowing down migration.

Thrushes are still yet to reach the Oslo area in any numbers, but flocks of Pink-footed Geese are going over, Twite and Cranes are on the move and raptors are definitely moving.

Today I visited Bygdøy, Fornebu and Maridalen and in addition to some good birds was also very excited about the flooding that is happening on the fields at Bygdøy which if we are lucky will remain for a week or so and could attract a lot of exciting (for Oslo) birds.

At Fornebu and later Maridalen there was an obvious movement of raptors. 2 hours at Fornebu gave 8 Common and 4 Rough-legged Buzzards moving NW alongside 13 Sparrowhawks, a Kestrel and a Peregrine. And one hour in Maridalen gave 7 Sparrowhawks and most excitingly an Osprey and a Hen Harrier thermalling together (at long range). I also had migrating Cranes at both locations with a nice flock of 17 in Maridalen flying in v-formation.

Chiffchaffs (gransanger) are the only warblers to have arrived but there are not many here yet

There were a couple of Ring Ouzels (ringtrost) at Fornebu

the raptors today were not at close range but I did manage this pic of a Rogh-legged Buzzard (fjellvåk)

Cranes (trane) over Maridalen

Twite (bergirisk) were present at all 3 sites I visited today