Easter over

 Easter birding in Maridalen saw the number of species increase each day and on Sunday morning I recorded 60 species https://ebird.org/checklist/S133145962

With no overnight frosts and some rain the snow is disappearing although surprisingly slowly and the lake will remain frozen for a number more weeks. A number of new species have turned up including Teal, Green Sandpiper, Ring Ouzel and Twite and I have exceptionally (and therefore unrealistically) high expectations for tomorrow and feel certain a Red Kite will turn up…

In addition to Maridalen I have also headed east and visited the Taiga Bean Geese who had the company of 5 White-fronted Geese. There were also lots of Cranes and Whooper Swans in the area but raptors were much scarce than I expected. Two Marsh Harriers were my first of the year though.

Cranes (trane) and Whooper Swans (sangsvane)

Great Grey Shrike (varsler) in Maridalen which I believe to be the wintering bird rather than a spring migrant

my first Green Sandpiper (skogsnipe) for 2023 found only icy margins in Maridalen

open water where the Dausjøelva river enters Maridalsvanet

Moose

I have seen a number of flocks of Pink-footed Geese (kortnebbgås) migrating over Maridalen but this was the first bird on the lake. Together with a couple of Greylags (grågås)

female Sparrowhawk (spurvehauk)

Taiga Bean Geese (taiga sædgås) with a couple of Pink-feet

Twite (bergirisk) in Maridalen

White fronted Geese (tundragås) . 3 adults with extensive black belly barring and 2 young birds

my first Golden Plovers (heilo) of the year deserve a photo no matter how bad it is

male Marsh Harrier (sivhauk). He was calling although I never saw him together with the female

female

first Ring Ouzel (ringtrost)..

male Smew (lappfiskand) at Kallaksjøen

the Whtie-fronted Geese again