Three-toed Woodpeckers

Friday’s guiding did not go entirely to plan (as is unfortunately sometimes the case with my feathered friends) and the Pygmy Owls which had been anything other than shy last week decided to play hard to get. A good time was of course had though and an easy to get Water Rail rather saved the day.

Today on the family walk in Maridalen I had a hope of finding Hawk Owls still present but that was not the case and a lack of recent records suggests they have moved off now. In the neighbouring valley of Nittedal, to the east, though it looks like Hawk Owl will breed with song and mating recorded. Three Common Buzzards in the air together suggests that migrants are back and yesterday I also heard my first Chaffinch of the year singing away. As is often the case when I first hear a new species for the year it takes a little bit of time to register what I am actually hearing but very soon I will be hearing them everywhere. A couple of Three-toed Woodpeckers were a pleasant sighting.

In this video of the peckers you see the female feeding and then can hear her calling and drumming and then hear the male calling before seeing him (he only appeared very briefly).

female Three-toed Woodpecker (tretåspett)

adult Water Rail (vannrikse)

it was very good at hiding in vegetation

Starlings (Stær) and Fieldfares (gråtrost) in the snow