Owl Road

The first owling trip of the year has been completed very successfully and will I think be the first of quite a few this year.

Last night was forecast to have no cloud, no wind, a nearly full moon and quite a few (indeed a few too many) zero degrees all of which mean a perfect night for being out and listening for owls. Early February is still very early in the season but Tengmalm’s Owl can start singing this early if there are good numbers of voles although I don’t think Great Grey Owls generally start singing until March. Jack joined me and we driven by Jr who was only in it for the driving and showed precious little interest in the owls. The destination was Akershus’s premier Owl Road aka Rakeievegen and Jr stopped at frequent intervals along a 20km stretch of the road so that Jack and I could brace the cold and listen for hooting. The temperature dropped to -13C and by the end of the evening by fingers and toes were complaining but it was all worth it. We heard a total of 11 Tengmalm’s and these were concentrated along just an 8km stretch which is a high density but also points to rodents being quite localised although this could well change as the spring progresses and snow melts. Most of the owls were quite distant but one sang only 20 metres from the road although refused to reveal itself to us. This video though allows you to hear it singing very well though.

 

Surprisingly we heard (or saw) nothing else other than dogs but it was magic being out under a very starry, and planety, sky although hoped for northern lights failed to materialise.

 

Maridalen during the weekend revealed my first Lesser Spotted Woodpecker of the year with a male “singing” and drumming. So now there is activity from Black, GS, LS and Three-toed but I am yet to have Green Woodpecker in the Dale this year although they surely start to make themselves known soon.

male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (dvergspett) -  always a joy to hear and see this scarce species. This male was both singing and drumming as can be heard in the video and was moving around in his search for a female

Hawkie trying out a new hunting ground. With Tengmalm's Owls already singing I expect that Hawk Owls will soon be seaking out suitable breeding areas (of which Maridalen is not one) so this bird will likely leave soon