Walking the Beast

I might not be particularly enamoured with the addition of the Beast to the family but I have nothing against a walk and have now worked out a good route for his afternoon walk which takes in all the good gardens in the area. Armed with the superzoom I can also document what I see and dog discipline is advancing satisfyingly fast such that he stands still when I want to take a photo. He also makes it easier to stand outside a garden and stare into it as the presence of a sniffing canine makes everything explainable.

There is one particular garden which attracts enormous numbers of birds. There are upto 27 Wood Pigeon which is an enormous winter flock for Oslo (some winters none are reported at all), 60 Tree Sparrows, 20 House Sparrows, 15 each of Yellowhammer and Goldfinch, 10 or so Greenfinches, a couple of Hawfinches and Redpolls, a Robin, a Fieldfare, Blue Tits, Great Tits and Nuthatches and best of all today an Arctic Redpoll. In other gardens I have also discovered two Blackcaps eating apples that are still hanging on trees.

I also had a quick trip to the Drøbak area today and managed White-tailed Eagle, Great Grey Shrike and Pygmy Owl which was pretty good although I think that both Kingfisher and Bearded Tits have now left the building.

Arctic Redpoll (polarsisik) with a Common Redpoll (gråsisik). The pink wash to the breast shows this to be a male 

male Blackcap (munk)

Tree Sparrow (pilfink)

male Yellowhammer (gulspurv). If am really lucky I'll unearth a Pine Bunting 

Wood Pigeons (ringdue)

the Beast and Jr Jr

Great Grey Shrike (varsler)

White-tailed Eagle (havørn). This bird looked to be an adult and therefore one of the local breeding birds

a pants picture of a Pygmy Owl (spurveugle)...but the shape is still so distinctive