The Return of the Taigas

We are now having the last days with sunshine and overnight frosts for what looks to be at least the next ten days and temperatures are forecast to rise over +10C next week so it looks like we may have a very early spring.

The Taiga Bean Geese have already arrived and their arrival date of 26 February is the second earliest arrival date after 22 Feb in 2023. Jack and I caught up with them on the 27^th and counted only 54 which included the GPS tagged bird 05 and her mate V8 along with Y7 who has lost its neck collar but retains a colour leg ring. Hopefully there are more to come as 54 will be by far and away the lowest number we have recorded. There were very few other birds to be found yet on already snow free fields but down in Aurskog-Høland we found a large gathering of over 300 Whooper Swans and with them were another 2 Taiga Beans but I am certain these are not “our” birds but from a different population.

The White-fronted Geese remain on Bygdøy and I caught up with the wintering 1^st winter male Pintail who has gone through a complete transformation from juvenile (female like) plumage so now almost full adult male breeding plumage. He was displaying to a female Mallard so we may have a brood of Pintards to look forward too next autumn and winter. There is a female Pintail at Østenjøvannet so there is also a chance these two may meet up.

The every melting snow in Maridalen allowed the Hawk Owl to spend all of yesterday hunting from roadside telegraph wires and was ridiculously easy to see – if only it was like that on Tuesday when guiding…

The course the Taigas took from Denmark. It is amazing how they set off in exactly the right direction before veering a bit off course when they hit the coast of Norway before correcting again presumably when they had some landmarks to use

here it can be seen that they actually flew over Oslo

The Taigas were along the back of the feed with a few Whoopers which are just about visible in this picture. This field was first used last spring so the birds clearly have fond memories

some of the flock

GPS tag "05" with her mate V8

the two other birds we found which to my mind have a slightly different look

this was the gander

where the 2 extra Taigas were together with Whooper Swans (sangsvane)

The swans were making loads of noise:

Jack getting his roadside does of Hawkie

1st winter male Pintail (stjertand)

he had his eyes set on this female Mallard and followed her around and displayed to her

a male Goldeneye (kvinand)

my first Kestrel (tårnfalk) of the year was this notably pale male

Three Teal (krikkand) at Hengsenga, Bygdøy. These may be early migrants or perhaps some of the small flock that winters at Frognerparken spreading their wings

they went in to land but pulled up when they realised it was ice