First signs of spring

Last week was the half term holiday in Norway and birding took a real back seat.  The onward march of spring was slowed down by a return to overnight frosts and even though most of the snow has disappeared from lower areas, the lakes are still frozen and the fields are not yet that inviting. Birds are of course coming though and in Maridalen today there was a flock of 40 Fieldfare and 13 Starlings plus Skylark migrating north and a pair of Whooper Swans on one of the fields. Hopefully Snow Buntings will also arrive soon.

I have had a number of evening trips to listen for owls in Maridalen which have been successful in that I have heard more Tawny Owls than I have ever had before but surprisingly I have not heard any other species. There are still a couple of Hawk Owls being seen but a lack of song from them suggests they are not even considering breeding here which isn’t really a surprise as summer temperatures will I assume be unbearable for this species.

I have heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming close to home but in the forest they are still quiet although that will all change soon. A female Lesser Spot in Maridalen today was a nice sighting and with luck we will have breeding in the Dale this year (this species is getting scarce now).

It won’t be long before the Scottish Taiga Bean Geese migrate to Norway (the tagged birds are still in Denmark although a neck ringed bird was just seen in Mid-Norway and there has been an influx of this species in south western Norway) and I can partake in my annual wild goose chase 😊

Starling (stær)

the plumage of male Starlings is really quite beautiful even without a head

even though a few Fieldfares (gråtrost) winter in gardens in Oslo, a flock of 40 in Maridalen today were clearly migrants

Beavers are clearly active again

and here is a new lodge I have discovered

this Buzzard (musvåk) has made it through the winter and will have a chance of bagging the best territory before the other birds return

female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (dvergspett)

this must be the breeding pair of Whooper Swans (sangsvane) who have already ditched last years young. It will be interesting to see how many other Whooper and Mute Swans try to breed in the area this year and whether any others will be allowed to succeed by this very territorial pair