The Birder (and no Beauty or Beast)

It is not often that I blog on consecutive days at the moment and especially after having just posted under the title “A day to remember” but today was equally good, if not better. I repeated yesterday’s walk in the forest but without the company of either Beauty or Beast and that paid dividends.

It was a touch warmer today – only -11C when I got out of the car – and with no wind it was perfect conditions for discovering what was hiding away in the forest. It is especially woodpeckers that give themselves away in these conditions as you can here them tapping as they look for food. I discovered two Three-toed Woodpeckers, a Black Woodpecker and the male Grey-headed Woodpecker in this way although amazingly enough had no Great Spotted Peckers today. All the birds showed well but the Three-toeds were their usual unafraid selves and allowed very close approach.

A Pygmy Owl again sang although was quite a way from yesterday’s bird and I am inclined to believe is a different bird. The owl attracted the attention of the Grey-headed Woodpecker and at one point I had them chasing each other around – I think it was the owl doing the chasing and then had the woodpecker drumming with the owl singing nearby!

I had both male and female Three-toeds in different locations and the female also drummed a bit.

The two male Hazel Grouse were still singing in the same place and without the Beast I was able to see one of them and get a picture that not too long ago I would have been very pleased with for this hard to see species.

All the species I have mentioned so far are what I would rate as good birds so what was the supporting cast of commoner, easier species? Well not a lot really. Three Willow Tits and heard Goldcrests and a Bullfinch was it!

A short video with drumming Grey-headed Woodpecker and singing Pygmy Owl - not many people can have heard these two together!

Pygmy Owl (spurveugle)

male Grey-headed Woodpecker (gråspett) pulling a grub out of the tree

the owl and the pecker in the same shot

male Three-toed Woodpecker (tretåspett)

and a female who can be heard drumming in the video

male Black Woodpecker (svartspett)

male Hazel Grouse (jerpe)

and finally Maridalen's Great Grey Shrike (varsler) is still going strong