Great Egrets

Great (White) Egrets have become an expected autumn sight in the last few years but this weekend something unprecedented happened when flocks of 14, 5 & 4 turned up in south-east Norway. Clearly this species is in expansion and if we get a similar upturn in early spring records then it will surely become an addition to the list of Norwegian breeding birds in the next few years.

I caught up with some of this invasion yesterday when I saw three birds together at Nordre Øyeren. After first seeing two of them at long distance I was able to see all three well at Merkja. It was a good day out with a close Kingfisher, 26 Black-tailed Godwits (a huge number locally), 2 Marsh Harriers, Hobby, Cranes, Little Stints and may others spicing up the day. 

During the weekend I visited the Hobbies in Maridalen again on Saturday and Sunday and they really put on a show. I never saw the adults but the young definitely gave the impression they were waiting to be fed and I assume the adults were just out hunting every time I was there. By Sunday evening they seemed to have moved on and I was unable to locate them either then or on Monday.

Great (White) Egrets (egretthegre)

An unexpected and close sighting of a Kingfisher (isfugl) 

one of 2 Marsh Harriers (sivhauk). One bird was a clear juvenile whereas two generations of flight feathers show this to be an older bird. An adult female I think

same bird

Osprey (fiskeørn)

Black-tailed Godwits (svarthalespove) in Svellet

juvenile and adult Crane (trane). The other adult was flying just in front but they were so close that I could not fit all three in the frame

Two of the juvenile Hobbies (lerkefalk) playing together

and then perched