There was some footage worth keeping so here are three videos of Wednesday and Thursdays happenings in the Dale. I can also add that an evening trip that day added Shelduck to the list. This is a rare and way less than annual species here.
OSLO BIRDER
The sightings and occasional thoughts of an English birder in Oslo
Saturday 27 April 2024
Videos
Thursday 25 April 2024
Time for another good day in the Dale
Cold northerly winds both here and, I believe, further south in Europe mean that migration has nearly dried up and until today this week has been slow going. I have, however, added 5 species to my Oslo year list and with three from today being ones I would classify as not guaranteed. Best of all though Maridalen has recorded a new species thanks to Halvard’s keen eyes and I of course duly twitched it although it took a bit of finding. Water levels are also falling such that we may have a decent wader passage in Maridalen (everything is relative…) and also at Svellet (up there amongst the best in Europe) so the next couple of weeks look to be promising.
So the new Maridalen new species was Little Grebe (Maridalen’s
225 species and my 206th there). Although a relatively common
species I had not seen this coming as I never thought Maridalsvannet suitable
for the species. Birds can of course turn up on migration but it was a real
surprise that it has spent two days – it is clearly finding food but hugs the
shoreline and hides behind stones instead of disappearing into thick vegetation
which it would do elsewhere. Other common birds missing from the Maridalen list
are Moorhen and Pochard and we need to be looking out for these now.
The Oslo year birds have been Willow Warbler #139, Common
Sandpiper #140, Whimbrel #141, Little Ringed Plover #142 and Slavonian Grebe
#143. The Slav Grebes were particularly pleasing to see and today was clearly
the day that species was on the move as there were a number of other records
around Oslo.
Of the little migration that has materialised then ducks
have been the most obvious with the first Common Scoter, Wigeon and
Red-breasted Merganser appearing on the lake.
My eBird checklist from Maridalen today is here.
The Mute Swan pair is nesting on an island in Maridalsvannet
but have as in previous years attracted the attention of the Whooper Swans who
spend there time beating up the Whoopers. The male Mute tries to stand up to
the male Whooper but doesn’t seem to have a chance and I fear that the Mute
Swans will fail but also that the Whoopers will not breed as they will spend
all their time fighting the Mutes.
Close to the house a pair of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers have
enlivened morning dog walks with drumming and “singing” and hopefully they will
stay to breed although based on previous experiences they will move on.
I also took far too much video which I have yet to go
through. If there is anything that evades the trash can then I will publish it
later.
adult Little Grebe (dvergdykker) - not often I see them in this plumage in Norway |
not often I see them in flight either and have never noticed this "speculum" before |
Slavonian Grebes (horndykker) in breeding plumage are surely one of the best birds we have |
here there was some display |
dwarfed by a Whooper Swan (sangsvane) |
part of a flock of 10 Curlew (storspove) that briefly landed on their way north |
the swan drama. Here the male Mute Swan is getting a beating from the male Whooper |
who then chased him around the island and then up onto it |
my first Common Sandpiper (strandsnipe) of the year in Oslo |
and a male Common Scoter (svartand) - I have never appreciated their impressive tail before |
male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker |
this young male Marsh Harrier (sivhauk) headed north today and had me hoping for a good raptor day. But of course it didn't happen |
Sunday 21 April 2024
Black Red
After my heard only, and a very early, Tree Pipit on Friday it was satisfying to hear another one in Maridalen yesterday and then locate it and also manage some more than adequate “record shots”. I did not find my predicted Willow Warbler although Halvard did and that will grace the record books as Maridalen’s earliest ever. I did add to my Oslo year list though with Black Redstart being #138. This was a twitch involving a 20 minute drive from Maridalen to the dump in Alna where Stig had reported a male. In my mind it was going to be a glorious adult male so I was a tad disappointed to get there and see it was a dowdy 1st summer male. Still, it was great to hear it singing and it is a good species to get on the list so early.
My predictions for this week are to add Willow Warbler,
Wryneck and Red Kite (it never leaves my mind) to my Oslo 2024 list.
1st summer Black Redstart (svartrødstjert) |
Tree Pipit (trepiplerke) |
I wonder if it has stood in snow before |
Friday 19 April 2024
Snow and a Lapland Bunting
This week has continued in the doldrums with very few birds (as is quite typical for mid-April) and the reason was made clear today. Mid-April is still early in the spring and birds know this through thousands of years of evolution and the weather can turn quickly very wintery as it did this morning with 10cm of snow in Maridalen. Whether we will now get a rush of birds or whether they still think it is too early will we find out in the coming days but we should at least get a mini rush tomorrow of returning birds who temporarily fled back south.
The doldrums does not mean no new Oslo birds though and I
have had four in four days although Tuesday and Wednesday were blanks.
Yesterday gave me some 7 species of raptor in Maridalen and Marsh Harrier #134
and Hen Harrier #135 were new for the year. These species never feel guaranteed
although some prolonged sky gazing in mid or late April should produce them.
Today I quickly abandoned Maridalen when I saw that the snow had left the
fields empty of birds and headed for Østensjøvannet. There was nothing of
interest on the lake although the stubble fields held quite a few Meadow Pipits
and White Wagtails. I had a hope that this might produce a Lapland Bunting and
sure enough it did with me picking up one singing! #136 and then seeing it very
well. Biggest surprise though was clearly hearing a Tree Pipit #137. This is by
far my earliest record but this year is seeing a lot of early migrants (edit it is not my earliest as I have previously had a bird on the same date which remains the 4th earliest bird documented with a photo in Norway). It
would not surprise me if my next new species will be my earliest ever Willow Warbler.
I have paid a couple of visits to Nordre Øyeren in the hope
that there would be more to see there which there was although not much more.
Bar-tailed Godwit and Little Ringed Plovers on flooded fields were my first in
2024 but water levels are now so high that there are no mudflats exposed.
the field at Nes in Maridalen today |
and driving in with Skjerven farm in the middle |
male Lapland Bunting (lappspurv) at Østensjøvannet |
and when it was singing from a tree |
the Greylag Goose (grågås) nest from my last post covered in snow. The water level has also fallen considerably this week |
Maridalen's Lapwings (vipe) had problems finding food in the snow |
there were not many thrushes to see but here are some Mistles (duetrost) |
and a Song Thrush (måltrost) |
and a comparison of both species from behind with Mistle having broad white edges to the tertials |
one of three Twite (bergirisk) today. The main migration of this species is behind us now |
on Thursday three Cranes (trane) flew over and one seemed to have a broken leg. I would have liked to see it on the deck but they did not land |
a flock of Curlew (storspove) also arrived |
first resting on the edge of the lake |
and then feeding in a stubble field |
an Adder (hoggorm) |
male Brambling (bjørkefink) |
a Marsh Harrier (sivhauk) and Hooded Crow at Årnestangen |
Buzzard (musvåk) in Maridalen |
this pair of Canada Geese in Maridalen show an marked size difference |
a trip to Fornebu produced a Slavonian Grebe (horndykker) and hopefully they will turn up in Maridalen the coming week |