Cheating on Mari

Today I only managed one visit to Maridalen and that was dog walking after dark but even that turned up trumps with two Woodcock flushed from the side of the track where they were presumably feeding.

I did however visit both Østesjøvannet, Fornebu and Bygdøy earlier in the day even though I had not planned to do any birding. Østensjøvannet was full of activity. Hundreds of noisy Black-headed Gulls were back at their breeding colony and Great Crested Grebes and Coots were displaying. There were Wigeon, Teal, Goosander, Whooper and Mute Swans, 3 species of geese and best of all a female Smew and a male Pochard.

My visit to Fornebu was a quick twitch to see a Brent Goose which is a rare species in these parts and a quick stop at Bygdøy on the way home revealed a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.

I really did take rather a lot of photos today...

adult Dark-belled Brent Goose (ringgås) at Fornebu

getting down low for that award winning shot, or not

displaying Great Crested Grebes (toppdykker) are always a winner

the male Wigeon x Mallard hybrid seems settled

this territorial Mute Swan was attacking other Mute Swans and also a pair of Whooper Swans

distant shot of the male Pochard (taffeland) a less than annual visitor to Oslo

female Smew (lappfiskand) with male Wigeon

Tufted Ducks (toppand) 

Wigeon (brunnakke) pair

the male Wigeon from the pair above who has a lot of green in the head

another male Wigeon - this bird has been around Oslo all winter and is paired to a female Mallard so there may be more hybrids to come