Odd and ends

We are experiencing the usual late April lull at the moment although I must admit it surprises and disappoints me every year. Yesterday I walked out to the end of Årnestangen in sunny weather and had to contend with hear haze plus water levels that are far too high. There were still over 1000 Teal but it was only possible to grill a small minority of them and a single Gadwall and 4 Pintail were the best I could find. Lots of Ospreys are now back - I had at least 6 birds but migrating raptors were represented by a male Hen Harrier and two Peregrines.

In Maridalen it was frogs and adders that were the main excitement although a pair of Cranes on the deck and still there today might be the pair that last year looked like it was trying to establish itself in the area - maybe they will succeed this year. A male Red-breasted Merganser was also a rare (less than annual) sighting.

Today had no new birds to offer. At Fornebu the Water Rail was again actively singing and I had the superzoom ready to film. And I had a brilliant frame filling 10 second sequence if it singing but only when I went to stop the filming did I realise that I had not manage to press record.....! I did manage some other sequences but nothing like the one I didn't record.

Adder (hoggorm)

first frog of the year

Red-breasted Merganser (siland) - a common bird in Oslo but not in Maridaen

 

White Wagtail (linerle) - note the pale grey rump/upper tail coverts and compare to the Pied Wagtail candidates

nesting Black Woodpecker (svartspett) in Maridalen

this Lesser Whitethroat (møller) was a nice surprise in the garden when I was firing up the first BBQ of the year

Little Ringed Plover (dverglo) at Fornebu