Mandarin

Weekend dog and wife walking at Fornebu and Maridalen revealed a few birds although a long forest walk which I had hoped would reveal raptors and owls was fruitless. Yesterday evening OB Jr Jr and I had a trip together to Østensjøvannet which was quite productive – every year I am asked to provide six photos for the Facebook page of the Friends of Østensjøvannet and my deadline is approaching and I realised I had no pictures from this year. I have previously sent in pictures that Jr and Jr Jr have taken and was keen to do the same this year although could only persuade Jr Jr that it was a good idea. Both the kids have a much better eye than me and take far more interesting shots whereas I just want to get the bird as large as possible in the middle of the shot. An obvious subject for us was a male Mandarin that has just turned up. Although it was still moulting out of its eclipse plumage it is a smart bird and its owners must be kicking themselves for not having secured it better – although unringed it was the tamest duck present and showed an acute fondness for bread 😊

We have not yet chosen the 6 photos that we will use but I will publish them later.

A trip to Maridalen today revealed 30 Meadow Pipits which is a sure sign of the encroachment of autumn and there were noticeably fewer summer migrants with for example no Whinchats seen. I couldn’t locate any Kingfishers either but a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was a nice find.

male Mandarin at Østensjøvannet

Jr Jr with the bazooka

male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (dvergspett) in Maridalen today

I don't think I have ever noticed the pattern on the underside of the tail feathers before

young male Bluethroat (blåstrupe) at Fornebu

this Spotted Flycatcher (gråfluesnapper) at Fornebu is a fairly late observation

Moorhens (sivhøne) have really taken to the ponds that have been created at Fornebu

mating Migrants Hawkers (septemberlibelle). This is another species that has found the artificial ponds to its liking