Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

This week it has clouded over and has snowed most days. Birding has been much less productive and walks in the forest have revealed little. In Maridalen I have sighted both Buzzards which was a welcome surprise although I am sure they are really struggling to find food now. The Great Grey Shrike is also hanging on.

From next week the weather is supposed to change big time with temperatures forecast to be above zero and without even overnight frosts. Combined with southerly winds I wouldn’t be surprised if the first spring migrants turn up.

I have also visited Østensjøvannet a few times where the birdlife doesn’t change much from day to day but it has never the less been exciting.

A dog walk today resulted in a new species for the year list in the form of a female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker ( I have subsequently remembered it is my second for the year as I saw one flying along by the car in Maridalen a couple of weeks ago). She showed well hammering away on thin branches on an old spruce tree and allowed herself to be filmed on the superzoom which always accompanies me. I have now seen six species of woodpecker in Oslo so far this year which is a full sweep in so far that White-backed is unrealistic here and Wryneck won’t turn up for a couple of months.

female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (dvergspett). Note that its tongue is out.

Water Rail (vannrikse) in the snow today at Østenjøvannet. There are still two birds present but they have become very shy. This one did venture out to search for food that was under the snow

the white background is straight off the camera - no photoshopping

Dipper (fossekall)

ca.300 Mallard (stokkand) hang out at Østensjøvannet where they live off bread and oats. They could well fly out to the fjord at night at find food there too

the male Wigeon x Mallard hybrid has laid claim to a female Mallard and is aggressive towards male Mallards despite being smaller than them

the hybrid is in the middle

a Coot (sothøne) and two Moorhens (sivhøne) - note their very different feet. 15 Coots have spent the winter at Østensjøvannet and there are now 3 Moorhens left after one recently disappeared

these two Moorhens are clearly 1st winters but note how the bill on the left hand bird has more colour

whereas this bird I am unsure about. Although the bill is red and the plumage blacker than the other two birds I would expect a larger "shield" on an adult and wonder is this is also a 1st winter but from a very early clutch whereas the other two were born late in the summer

the less marked 1st winter

these two Coots were engaged in pair bonding which in BWP is described as "bowing-and-nibbling ceremony"

if these birds are playing by the book then it is the female on the left who has adopted a submissive bowing posture and the male who is nibbling

the paler Common Buzzard (musvåk) in wintery conditions in Maridalen

and the darker/intermediate plumaged bird