I played away from home again on
Friday but managed an extra time visit to the Dale.
My
plan was to find a Red-footed Falcon which has arrived in southern Sweden in
large numbers and with strong southerly winds today it felt reasonable to
expect there to be flocks in Norway too. I thought the Tuen area of Nordre
Øyeren would offer my best chance and I did have raptors by not the wished for
one unfortunately. Highlight was a juvenile Honey Buzzard that showed very
well, if far too briefly. It is not often that this age class is documented in
Norway so it was very satisfying to get some OK shots. Other raptors were 3 juv
Marsh Harriers, 2 Osprey, 2 Common Buzzard, a Peregrine and a distant Hobby.
The two Great White Egrets showed well
in flight and then I was able to watch one fishing at relatively close range.
Water levels had risen overnight after
yesterday's downpourd but the slither of mud still showing had 29 Dunlin on it
suggesting that a walk out to Årnestangen may have been rewarded on the wader
front (and who knows a flock of Rf Falcons sitting on the viewing
platfrom 😉)
Dropping in at the Dale revealed even
more raptors. I had 5 Honey Buzzards heading south in the course of 15 minutes
with three of them seen together. They were heading into the wind and took
their time and also had company of a couple of Common Buzzards. At least 2 were
juveniles but the distance and light did not allow me to work out the age of
all of them. A Peregrine also enjoyed the wind and a Sparrowhawk gave me 7
species of raptor for the day.
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| juvenile (1cy) Honey Buzzard (vepsevåk) - this plumage an the structure of the bird differs from adults and they are much easier to confuse with Common Buzzard (musvåk) |
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| perhaps easier to recognise as Honey from some distance although when it was flying straight towards me then it gave a Black Kite impression |
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| good views of the Great White Egret (egretthegre) |
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| both the birds are moulting primary feathers making them older (2cy+) birds |
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| bird #2 |
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| I was able to sneak up to the feeding bird due to lots of high vegetation between us but it made focussing very difficult |
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| their necks re incredibly long and thin |
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| Common Buzzard (musvåk) and Marsh Harrier (sivhauk). Both are young birds |
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| A 2cy Peregrine (vandrefalk) moulting into adult plumage |
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| not often you see moose (elg) in the middle of the day in the summer but Nordre Øyeren has a large population of these beasts |
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