Good Guiding

I was guiding for GGs again today. Carol and Derek from Vancouver had a few days in Oslo on their way to Svalbard and fancied filling some holes on their world list. I was only too happy to oblige and was able to produce Marsh Warbler and Black-throated Diver in Maridalen and then we drove up to Hedmark where we added Ortolan Bunting, Black Woodpecker and GG Owl. In addition, we saw Hawk Owls, Rough-legged Buzzard and Red-backed Shrike amongst others on another successful day.

It was particularly pleasing to see the Ortolans this time and we had two singing males plus a female which hopefully means a good chance of successful breeding for this endangered species. The Great Grey Owls (the surviving nest) had two growing young in the nest and the five Hawk Owl young were still going strong and had moved 400m from where I saw them last.

The next two days I am off guiding in Beitøstølen and hope to see leking Great Snipe, Long-tailed Skuas and Dotterel amongst others – it will be fun 😊

Great Grey Owl with 2 young

2 young Hawk Owls

5 (2,2,1) young Hawk Owls

a 2cy male Ortolan, a much more brightly coloured 3cy+ male and a female who looked to be paired to the younger and duller male. There are under 20 singing males left in Norway and far fewer females so this is a signficant part of the remaining population

male Red-backed Shrike

Crested Tit