Easter in Maridalen

After some days in England without bins but where Red Kites were so numerous that you nearly don’t notice them anymore it has been nice to return to winter in Oslo and the possibility of finding a Red Kite which really will be noticed.

Maridalen is still covered in snow but afternoon temperatures up to +7C mean that it is slowly melting and there are now a few areas of bare ground. Overnight frosts though means that it is still very wintery in the mornings and few birds are arriving. They are arriving though and I have been out every morning and recorded an increasing number of new species – Mistle Thrush, Merlin, Kestrel, Redwing, Song Thrush, Dunnock, Meadow Pipit, White Wagtail and Chiffchaff amongst others. Chaffinches and Skylarks are singing strongly ensuring there is lots of noise. I had hoped for some raptors movement and I have seen a few but not in the numbers of variety I hoped for.

Here are my eBird checklists from Maridalen the last three days:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S132827056

https://ebird.org/checklist/S132918627

https://ebird.org/checklist/S133020821

the fields at Nes on Friday

and the open water at Hammeren on Thursday. No Black-throated Divers yet but they will arrive soon

Mistle Thrushes (duetrost) whilst snow fell on Thursday

one of the pair of Whooper Swans (sangsvane) that breeds in the Dale. There have also been a pair with a youngster and 2-3 other adults

There have been a few Buzzards (musvåk)

I hav heard a few Dunnocks (jernspurv) but this was the only one I saw

3 Kestrels (tårnfalk) went north on Friday

as did this Merlin (dvergalk)

a useless picture but the first Chiffchaff (gransanger) of the year is worth recording

and my first Meadow Pipit (heipiplerke)

a few flocks of Pink-footed Geese (kortnebbgås) went over but the big movement happened whilst I was in England

a large female Sparrowhawk (spurvehauk) which was circling with 3 others