Another Stonechat & Pink-feet on the move

Pink-footed Geese came today with 9 flocks containing over 1600 birds heading north over Maridalen. Although an impressive sight this is not the big migration day and that may well come tomorrow as the southerly winds are forecast to continue. As is often the case on days when Pink-feet move there was precious little else in the air. In fact a couple of hundred Wood Pigeons that headed north in dribs and drabs was the only other viz mig I witnessed. There was in increase in wildfowl on the lake with a few more Greylag Geese and now two pairs of Whooper Swans. Lapwings had increased to six but there were fewer passerines on the fields although I did have my first Meadow Pipit of the year and four Mistle Thrushes in total.

As I ate breakfast my phone had plinged with a message of a Stonechat at Fornebu. This had geared me up for finding another one in Maridalen but as the morning drew on and I realised that was unlikely to happen I decided I would twitch. It ended up being a nice twitch as I had the bird mostly to myself and it showed really well which is exactly how twitches should be in my book. Clearly a different bird to the one that had been in Maridalen I reckon it to be an adult (3cy+) male whereas the Maridalen bird was a 2cy male.

A Lesser Black-backed Gull was new for the year and I am now up to a paltry 101 species in 2021. I have previously seen 100 species by the end of January and the slowness of my species accumulation this year is primarily due to very little travel outside of Oslo (trying to abide by Covid recommendations to avoid unnecessary travel although clearly some birders still view long distance twitching with friends as very necessary). Although a lack of focus is also to blame as a few more minutes at Fornebu today would have easily given me another 3 species...

Male Stonechat (svartstrupe) at Fornebu

The fight feathers look to all be of the same generation which should make this bird a 3cy+. I also reckon it to be of he race hibernans although this early in the season it is perhaps not possible to tell

the (or one of the) wintering Great Grey Shrikes (varsler) in Maridalen is still often to be seen atop its favourite tree. Some migrant birds may well also appear soon

2 of 4 Mistle Thrushes (duetrost) seen in Maridalen. Redwing and Song Thrush will also arrive soon

over 1600 Pink-footed Geese (kortnebbgjess) passed Maridalen today

whooping Whooper Swans (sangsvane), Canada and Greylag Geese