Maridalen’s special birds this winter (so far..)

Monday and Tuesday were spent exclusively in Maridalen and were very successful. The variety of birds is not enormous with only 37 species chalked up but when they include great views of Grey-headed Woodpecker, Pygmy Owl and Great Grey Shrike then I at least am not complaining.

I had both the Grey-headed ‘peckers and one was seen feeding on fat balls and the other on apples highlighting again that they are not your run of the mill woodpecker.

I also had Pygmy Owls at 2 different which showed ridiculously closely and looking at my photos I think it was the same bird that had moved nearly a kilometre. I finally saw one with a mouse and I am sure this is a first for me despite having watched the species for many tens of hours over the years. Thinking about it, the only times I have previously witnessed any owls capturing food are a couple of times with both Great Grey Owl and Hawk Owl.

The mouse today was deposited in an old Great Spotted Woodpecker hole (most recently used by nesting Starlings) and the owl was straight out hunting again.

The Great Grey Shrike is easily the most trusting individual of the species I have seen and perched in the sunshine preening whilst I stood underneath it. The bird is an adult and could therefore quite likely be a bird that has wintered in the Dale before and therefore got used to being close to people.

Be warned that there are quite a few pictures 😀👇

not the closest picture I took of one of the Grey-headed Woodpeckers (gråspett) but my favourite

here looking for insects in cavities in a telegraph pole

the red feathers visible on the crown

and inspecting cavities in a tree

using its tongue

again on a barn. You will see this same barn in my Pygmy Owl pictures lower down

eating an apple

and eating fat balls

Pygmy Owl (spurveugle) with a mouse!

searching for food from the same barn that the pecker also visited

a selfie with a Pygmy

and from another angle (photo Glenn Martin)

on the roof top. The hearing is amazing. At one point it flew 30m after hearing a mouse behind it and immediately went into hunt mode low down in a bush

as you see here. It was leaning so far forward ready to drop down on a mouse that it looked as though it would lose its balance

this was the second owl I found which was hunting in a more natural terrain

heard something

look at those claws

all fluffed up

with an angry Nuthatch (spettmeis)

and some angry Yellowhammers (gulspurv)

decorating a christmas tree Norwegian style

the owl suddenly adopted this alert posture when a flock of Redpolls started mobbing it. Note the ears and how thin it looks

Great Grey Shrike (varsler) preening in the sun

there were some other birds such as this Black Woodpecker (svartspett)

and the long staying Common Scoter (svartand)

and a Treecreeper (trekryper) feeding on the same fat balls as the G-h pecker

every now and again I am inspired to take a photo that isn't of birds