Colourful autumn

The last two days I have visited both Maridalen and Bygdøy. Bygdøy on Thursday gave me both Slavonian and Little Grebe which is a pretty good combo in Oslo (and with the Red-necked Grebe also being reported and Great Crested Grebes at Østensjøvannet then Oslo must have had a record day for grebes).

In Maridalen there is now evidence that ducks are moving with both Goldeneyes and Tufted Duck appearing and the Long-tailed Duck showed well on Thursday although I couldn’t find it on Friday. On Friday the water was dead calm and I was able to pick up 6 Guillemots which must be left overs from the influx last week (even though I haven’t noticed them since). Passerines were also most noticeable with quite a few finches and Yellowhammers on the deck and flyover White and Grey Wagtails and Skylark which are getting on the late side.

On both Thursday and Friday I saw a 1^st winter commic tern feeding along the north side of Nakkholmen. I really struggled to ID the bird with the distance making it very difficult to observe features properly (despite the light being OK and me using the scope). On Thursday I saw if from Huk where the distance was 1km and on Friday I saw it from Bygdøynes (also 1km) and Bygdøylund which was “only” 600m. I have it on good authority that a distance of 1.4km is no problem for identifying difficult terns so I really need to up my game if I struggle at 600m….. 😉 The tern had the jizz of a Common Tern although its feeding action was more like an Arctic or marsh Tern and plumage wise it did not have a dark bar on the secondaries but neither were the secondaries bright white as they sometimes are. This bird is probably the same as one seen on Bygdøy on 6 October which caused debate amongst those who saw it even when they had good photos to review. After reporting it as a commic tern (probably Common) on Thursday I have now concluded it is a butch Arctic Tern.

fantastic autumn colours in Maridalen. It was widely reported that the hot, dry summer would result in trees losing their leaves early and without a splash of colour but that has definitely not happened.

Goldcrest (fuglekonge) from Maridalen today

Guillemot (lomvi) from Bygdøy today

and Razorbill (alke) same place

the Guillmot diving (note streaked flanks)

and the Razorbill diving (white flanks)

the tern at 1km range yesterday with a Common Seal. With these views I only ID'd it as a Commic Tern. My field views had led me to believe it was a Common but this picture seems to show very pale secondaries which is an Arctic Tern feature

and today at 600m range when I became reasonably comfortable with it being an Arctic Tern (rødnebbterne)

Little Grebe (dvergdykker)

Slavonian Grebe (horndykker). The striped head shows this to be a 1cy bird and it just this pluamge that frequently causes confusion with Red-necked Grebe

Maridalen's long staying Long-tailed Duck (havelle)

5 Long-tailed Tits (stjertmeis) tried to migrate over the fjord from Huk, Bygdøy but chickened out and returned. They then fed in bushed by the beach and showed really well

this Twite (bergirisk) was in the same area