Birds in the mist

Yesterday started very foggy and I was loathe to go out but eventually got off the sofa (I had fallen asleep watching the Japanese F1 GP) and headed out for what was only going to be a short trip. Maridalen was covered in fog and the fields still covered in snow although temperatures were +5C so it was melting quite quickly. I heard my first Green Sandpiper of the year, Oslo #118 and just about made out a Ring Ouzel plus some Woodcock tracks in the snow but quickly decided to head for Fornebu where I hoped I would be below the fog. I was but only just and there would be no chance of seeing viz mig (if there was any).

Friday’s Wheatear was still present so had survived the snow and at Storøykilen I picked out some Common Snipe with the thermal, had a couple of Green Sands fly over and noted there were quite a few thrushes flying around. At around 1130 the fog lifted a bit and as if by magic flocks of Pink-footed Geese appeared one after the other and then I could also see migrating Wood Pigeons, gulls and thrushes. I always feel torn in these circumstances and after half an hour I had to go up to Maridalen. This turned out to be the right move. The fog was just lifting and flocks of geese soon appeared but with there still being fog further north they ended up flying in all directions and many landed. My eBird checklist can be seen here but in summary I had a whopping 69 species with an adult White-tailed Eagle the highlight but also Curlew, Oslo #119, Grey Heron, Oslo #120 and a very early Wheatear, Oslo #122.

There were lots of thrushes and finches flying over and as the afternoon wore on and the sun came out and a fresh southerly wind started blowing there were suddenly Meadow Pipits and White Wagtails flying over. Skylarks were also back after a few days absence and in record numbers.

a flock of Pink-fooed Geese (kortnebbgås) coming into land at Maridalsvannet

Oslo's first Wheatear (steinskvett) of the year, a male in Maridalen

and Akershus's, a female which survived the snow

snipe thermalling season is upon us but so far only Common (enkeltbekkasin) to be found

an adult Peregine (vandrefalk) over Maridalen

and a distant adult White-tailed Eagle (havørn)

this Chiffchaff (gransanger) was feeding on the ground in a sign of how little food there is just now for them

Cormorants (storskarv) ssp carbo heading north over land, a sight that seems to be scarcer and scarcer every year whereas the sinensis are getting more and more numerous