Ice is coming

We have now had a few nights of frost and with very little wind and daytime temperatures also staying cold I visited Østensjøvannet expecting it to be mostly covered in ice. In fact the lake was ice free with just some ice on the edges although the wrongly named Wader Pond (just Pond would suffice) was frozen. I was a bit surprised that the first bird I saw was a Scaup as the bird I found on 3 Nov has not been reported since the 8^th. This bird looked to be a 1cy male (a grey feather on the back and hint of green on the head) whereas the previous bird whilst being a 1cy had nothing in its plumage to suggest it was a male but upon looking at pictures I believe it is the same bird but that just come further in its post juvenile moult over the course of a week.

I had been hoping for ice as I hoped this would have concentrated what ever birds were left (and also any new arrivals) but that should come some time next week as temperatures are still forecast to get colder. This will hopefully also push out some snipe which I was unable to find today.

 

Yesterday I enjoyed close views of Red-throated Diver and a feeding Eider at Fornebu. The diver was showing unusually well and was in the same area on Sunday. Rather than being ill I think it is exploiting a food source. The Eider had caught a crab and I was able to watch it remove the legs by holding one leg at a time and shaking the crab until the leg was detached and the body fell into the water. This was done with each leg until there was just the body left which was swallowed after some careful manoeuvring to allow it to slide down. It impressive to think of the stomach acids it must have that will allow it process the crab.

the female Eider (ærfugl) preparing a crab for lunch

the video shows it removing the remaining legs and then eventually swallowing the body

a confiding 1st winter juvenile/1st winter Red-throated Diver (smålom)

a Razorbill (alke) getting ready to dive

and the RtD with a Guillemot (lomvi) when the diver looks surprisingly small

a young Scaup (bergand). The dark green colours coming through on the head plus a grey feather on the mantle show it to be a male

And a video of the Treecreeper in Maridalen that likes searching for food on/in spruce cones

and a comparison of the Maridalen Marsh Tit (løvmeis) and a Willow Tit (granmeis) in sunlight. Notice how the Marsh Tit seems to have a very pale wing panel... a feature that is commonly said to mean Willow