Interesting Greylag

In recent years a large flock of Greylag Geese has used Maridalen in the autumn, feeding on stubble fields and resting on the lake. I have always assumed that these are local birds that congregate here but a bird with a neck collar today showed that isn’t the case or at least not for all of them. The bird was ringed on 7 July 2017 in the north of Norway and has since been seen in the Netherlands and Spain as well as other sightings in Norway. So, this is a very exciting record especially as I never notice any obvious arrival of Greylag Geese from the north in the autumn.

The flock also contains 3 hybrid geese. They are large birds and Canada x Greylag is the obvious parentage but they have dark breasts like a Barnacle and there is something about their look suggesting a farmyard goose.

A trip to Østensjøvannet today was productive with a grand total of 7 Shoveler, the female Gadwall, the returning Wigeon x Mallard hybrid and best of all a male Pochard which is a rare Oslo species and one that is still to be seen in Maridalen.

Greylag Goose UGV (and not GVU which I first reported it as and which was a goose that was last seen in 2004...)

www.geese.org is the place to report most neck collared geese and for your efforts you get a pdf with all the sightings as well as a map

theese hybrid geese are a bit confusing as they have dark breasts and a generally very dark plumage

here I think there is a farmyard goose jizz to the bird. Note also the white on the back of the neck of the right hand bird

male Pochard (taffeland)

and with one of the Shovelers (skjeand)

Wigeon (brunnakke), Gadwall (snadderand) and 2 Shovelers

The female Gadwall

the returning Wigeon x Mallard hybrid

one of two Black-throated Divers (storlom) still on Maridalsvannet. This one is now moulting into winter plumage

a Common Buzzard (musvåk) and Goshawk (hønsehauk) in the skies over Maridalen. I am still waiting for a Rough-legged Buzzard this autumn

Great Tit (kjøttmeis) helping herself to sunflower seeds

a Reed Bunting (sivspurv)