OSLO BIRDER: Unexpected Bewick's Swans

Monday 7 November 2016

Unexpected Bewick's Swans

It is still cold and is forecast to continue with day round freezing temperatures for the next week at least. Today we woke up to -8C and if it wasn’t for the continued fresh northerly wind then lakes and even sheltered bays on the (salt water) fjord would be freezing over.

I paid a visit to Fornebu to see if I could localise any Bearded Tits. I quite quickly heard some but despite a lot of waiting failed to see any although did have a late White Wagtail. Whilst waiting I heard some birds that were clearly swans but their call was clearly different (although similar) to Whooper. It is a long time since I have heard Bewick’s but this seemed the natural alternative and I then located the source of the calls. Two adult swans flying towards the SW right over me but quite high up. I struggled with the camera and the exposure but did manage a photo which just about captures the bill pattern of the birds. Also their smaller size (without there being anything to actually compare it to…) can be discerned. They were calling nearly constantly which is not something I associate with Whoopers and is probably because they were lost (Bewick’s has become so scarce in Norway in recent years that it could almost qualify to be a national rarity).

I tried Sørkedalen for Hawk Owls et al without seeing any but in Maridalen the 5 Scaup were still present with 3 Tufted for company. All the other sea duck seem to have moved on. A flock of Long-tailed Tits buzzed around me and I fired off loads of pictures and was lucky that one bird briefly perched where a sun beam was shining through the trees.