Incidental weekend

As usual the weekend involves family and birding is normally an incidental activity but walks around either Fornebu or Maridalen normally feature and then the rate oof incidence can be quite high. Today has been wet and windy and was a perfect day to stay in and try to finish a rather infuriating 2000 piece puzzle but yesterday was lovely. I aired the Beast and Mrs OB with a long walk around Fornebu. As expected there were quite a few long lenses pointed at the reedbed but as far as I know the Beardies did not show. I also received messages about photogenic Snow Buntings and a Long-tailed Duck. The buntings had disappeared by the time I looked for them but the duck was still present. It was right up against the beach and calling when I first saw it and I should have managed great pictures but a canoist and my incompetence meant that didn’t happen – but a nice bird it was.

We also bumped into a couple of tristis Chiffchaff and there seemed to be Blackbirds everywhere. My eBird checklist can be seen here.

 

As the family went to bed on Saturday I thought I would make use of the extra hour from the clocks range to search one more time for owls in Maridalen. And, for the fifth time I failed to find Tengmalm’s in the Dale so may have to give up on that quest just accept that they prefer to be a bit further into the forest.

a fearless Long-tailed Duck (havelle)

there are very few migrant/nomadic finches around this autumn. This Lesser Redpoll (brunsisik) was with a couple of its large and paler Common cousins

Lesser Redpoll

one of the Common Redpolls (gråsisik) - a larger paler bird

note that this has a quite extensive white rump which was noticeable in flight

Siberian (tristis) Chiffchaff

Tufted Duck (toppand) is common but this is the first time I can remember seeing them on one of the ornamental ponds on Fornebu and their presence was one of the many wonders of migration