Moose

We are back to proper winter weather now with temperatures in Maridalen on Thursday falling to -12C although down at Fornebu they were only -2C. We have also had some more snow which has been just enough to cover up the ice and fool you into thinking it is safe to walk quickly and confidently, until you slip and fall…

In Maridalen Moose have become more evident and two showed very well for me including one which crossed the road and dwarfed a car that had stopped to respectfully admire it. I also had two Pygmy Owls and a Grey Grey Shrike scouting for prey from high trees. Based on sightings I believe there are at least 4 Pygmy Owls in Maridalen but as I wrote last time they are far from easy to find. A Great Grey Owl has apparently been sighted (although not long enough to be photographed) and I keep on scanning the now many forestry clearings hoping to spot it.

just look how large they are! It just walks over a fence around a field that has horses in in the summer and makes the car looks small

another animal that was grazing on branches on birch saplings

Great Grey Shrike (varlser)

and at distance

Pygmy Owl (spurveugle) #1

and #2 which was even further away

I finally managed to see the Water Rail (vannrikse) that is at Østensjøvannet after a number of fruitless trips earlier this winter. There is only a single bird this winter compared with up to 3 in previous winters.