Sea gazing

Good news from Maridalen where the Whooper Swan family is reunited with the other adult having rejoined the fold and after having seen all five of them in flight it looks like all are healthy so I have no solution to why the one parent wasn’t keeping company with the rest of the family for a week or so. There is also another Whooper in Maridalen which has spent the whole summer on its own by Skjerven Gård and could well be a youngster from an earlier year that has yet to find a mate.

Today I thought that some sea gazing would be worthwhile as southerly winds were forecast to approach storm force in the fjord to the south. Well it was all calm at Krokstrand with hardly any white caps to the waves and two Kittiwakes the only reward from an hours watching. Further south there were reports of 2 Sabines Gulls but I must admit to being sceptical to the rush of Sabine’s Gulls we have had over the last few weeks. None are photo documented and I also expect a number of them to never be sent in with a description so that in a years time there may only be a couple of these records remaining (if that). It is rather telling that a number of 1cy birds have been reported whereas off the USA where the species is regularly seen they are reporting that it must have been a failed breeding season for the species as hardly any juveniles have been noted. Documenting seabirds is never easy but it is really noticeable that the rarer birds (also shearwaters) are hardy ever photo documented even when the bird is reported as being at good range and seen well (and despite everyone having a camera at their side) and that invariably when photos are taken of a reported rare seabird they show a much commoner species (usually a young Gannet)....

the reunited Whooper Swan (sangsvane) family in Maridalen although one of the adults was still a but distant

I had this silent pipit in the middle of the forest whilst we were picking mushrooms on Sunday. In the summer I would have assumed Tree Pipit without bothering to look closer but it is now too late for Tree Pipit and this is a Meadow Pipit in a rather unexpected habitat