Some nice pictures of colourful common birds..

I am writing this as it is raining outside turning what were already icy conditions into deadly conditions. Winters in Oslo are becoming far more variable and this type of weather which will end up leaving a layer of ice on the ground is what doesn’t suit voles and then ends up leading to a lack of food for owls and a poor breeding year for them. I am planning on an owling trip soon to the deep, dark forests and am unsure whether I will hear a single bird.

The last week has seen some OK birding and we did have a day with really nice weather when I actually managed some OK pictures too.

There has been little change in the species on offer although the first Goldeneye has returned to a tiny area of open water on Maridalsvannet – a male I assume he will breed there and is keen to assert his rights. Other sightings of note in Maridalen include the Great Grey Shrike becoming more reliable and a couple of Waxwings (scarce this winter) which have been feeding on some red berries that no other birds have touched. I witnessed for the first time foxes mating although they were on the ice in the middle of the lake so it was very long range. A couple of Moose have also given me some very close views.

At Fornebu the number of Starlings has risen to eight but there are no other new birds to speak of. The Bearded Tits are still going strong and I had at least 9 birds at the favoured site feeding at point blank range on the ground and birds are still making their presence heard in two other reedbeds so I remain confident for the chances of breeding. The male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker that has been there all winter showed incredibly well one day and was feeding too close for the camera at times

male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (dvergspett)

look at the shape of the bill

Long-tailed Tit (stjertmeis)

Waxwing (sidensvans)

they spent long periods just sitting still and I assume that these berries require a lot of time to be processed

Goldcrests (fuglekonge) are still very obvious at Fornebu and are often on the ground and have now started singing

Treecreepers (trekryper) are less obvious but their calls often give them away

Short-toed Treecreeper has yet to be recorded in Norway but analysis of a picture like this taken of one at a coastal site may well reveal one as they breed in southern Sweden and Denmark

Dipper (fossekal)

Parrots Crossbills (furukorsnebb) are still around and in pairs but I have seen no evidence of nesting yet

8 Starlings (stær) in a tree does not a spring make

Great Grey Shrike (varsler)

adult (female?) Goshawk

Moose

winter food is tough

the Bearded Tits (skjeggmeis) seem to find lots of seeds that have dropped onto the snow

the only time I saw them up in the reeds was when they had a good old preen