Great Oslo birding and sealing

With gorgeous weather (blue skies, little wind and temperatures down to -10C) over the last two days I have spent some time looking for the Kingfisher again. It did not show for me on Wednesday but more than made up for it on Thursday when it showed incredibly well and I got possibly my best ever views (over a long period) in Norway.

Even though the Kingfisher didn’t show on Wednesday a close Little Grebe was a good birding substitute but a Grey Seal (the same unidentified seal as in my previous post) catching a flat fish at very close range and then struggling to swallow it for many minutes was an absolute highlight. Grey Seal is also rarer in Oslo than Kingfisher and was my first sighting in the big smoke although I do see Common (Harbour) Seals fairly often (note that there is disagreement as to the ID of the seal but for me it is a young Grey Seal). I have recently seen pictures of a Grey Seal catching Red-throated Divers and it was interesting to see how the Little Grebe became very nervous when the seal suddenly surface close to it - it flew off about 15 metres and then when the seal dived the grebe stuck its head underwater as though trying to keep tabs on the seal.

Yesterday I did the city on foot (car was in for service) and covered 14km. I picked up some year ticks (still not too difficult just 6 days into the year) including a Peregrine atop Oslo’s tallest building the Plaza Hotel. It initially looked like the Kingfisher wouldn’t show again although the Little Grebe and Grey Seal were still present. The Kingfisher eventually turned up though and then showed very well on and off. It could disappear for long periods but I have a better idea of where it goes now including some hidden perches. It is a life and death struggle for Kingfishers to survive cold winters which explains why they are so scarce in Norway. This bird caught two fish whilst I watched and these waters will never freeze completely over but I think the greatest threat to them is surviving the cold whilst roosting at night (which is after all over 16 hours).

Kingfisher (isfugl)

a nearly completely black bill should mean a male. A pale tip should also mena a bird born last year although I don't know how much wear and tear the end of a Kingfishers bill suffers

but note how at this angle it looks to have a fair amount on red on the inner third of the lower mandible (this should still be OK for male though)

with a car above it - nice and urban

it was hunting high and low (as is appropriate for a Norwegian star performer)

and another fish

Little Grebe (dvergdykker) with food

here the Grebe had got very nervous due to the presence of the seal

they land like they are a skimming stone

Little Grebe in the docks

Seal which I have identified as a young Grey (havert) rather than an adult Common (steinkobbe)

it really did not know how to deal with this fish and spent a long time both on the surface and underwater trying to swallow it

the fish is apparantly a flounder (skrubbe)

this way of floating on the surface is in my (admittedly not that extensive) experience typical of Grey Seal but I have not seen it in Common

it doesn't look like the flounder enjoyed the experience

the eye brows are still visible

what it the point of such long eyebrows?