Half-term non birding

This week has been the autumn half-term holiday. A trip to the mountains at Beitostølen was called off when winter suddenly came early and we didn’t feel ready for it. The start of the week was warm and sunny in Oslo but we have also had rain, wind and the first snow flakes in the air.

My birding has all been incidental whilst airing either beast, children or both. This doesn’t mean it has been fruitless though with a heard only Yellow-browed Warbler at Fornebu, a very distant Shag at Bygdøy and some nice encoutners with commoner birds.

this Wigeon (brunnakke) showed very well on a small ornamental pod at Fonebu

which also hosted a Tufted Duck (toppand) of the "I want to look like a Scaup" variant

both ducks

the beast 

it is autumn

Cormorant (storskarv) dwarfing a Dunlin (myrsnipe) at Bygdøy

 

Shag (toppskarv) off Bygdøy - I reckon this warrants as a record shot

Greenfinch (grønnfink)

male House Saprrow (gråspurv)

and female

an young Moorhen but from an early brood such that it in adult plumage but still with the duller bill of a youngster

and a youngster from a much later brood