A pink day!

Today was THE big Pink-footed Goose day over Oslo. A new record was set with Anders noting over 16,000 from Fornebu. I was in Maridalen and did not accurately count the flocks I saw but had in excess of 10,000 in the morning and then had more from the house in the afternoon.

Even though winds over Oslo were not particularly favourable for northward migration they had apparently been from the south in Denmark which was enough to send the geese on their way.

As is often the case on these big PfG days remarkably little else is noted migrating despite so many people gazing skywards for so long. I had 17 Barnacle Geese which I heard migrating with the Pink feet but did not see in the field. Pictures I took of the flock after hearing them though revealed the Barnacles. A Snow Goose also turned up with resting PfG further north in the afternoon so that escaped me and I would bet good money there were also a few Tundra Beans and White-fronted Geese mixed in. I had a single flock of 7 Greylags but they may have been local birds.

No Cranes, no Cormorant and 2 Sparrowhawk were the only raptors!!

these birds were part of a much larger "flock" that I estimated to be 1000 birds and was too large to fit into one shot

this airplane although a lot higher than the birds seemed to spook the flock which turned round

this flock of 14 Barnacle Geese was flying with a large flock of Pink-feets

whereas these 3 Barnacles were mixed in with the Pink-feet

I found this Great Grey Owl feather today. I hope it had been lost naturally and that were not a carcass nearby.