Yesterday I visited the Holmenkollen – Tryvann area for the
first time in a couple of weeks at it was literally buzzing with Grozzas. I had
at least 166 birds and this only from paths and the road whilst driving so the
real number is probably at least 10 times as high. I also had 16 in Maridalen
and the first birds have arrived at Ekeberg so I would not be surprised if
there are 10000+ in the Oslo area. This then begs the question as to what
percentage of the fenno Scandinavian population that represents. There are
still loads of berries for the Grosbeaks (and Fieldfares) to eat but they are
also often to be found in Spruce eating the buds.
I did not see Hawkie yesterday (or Wednesday) but he was
very visible on Thursday when he hunted from wires and a barn roof.
An observation yesterday that wouldn’t normally be
remembered was a small flock of Redpolls feeding on birch catkins. This species
is pretty much absent this autumn and I have previously only registered single
flyovers. It is interesting how different species occur in such varying numbers.
Redpolls would normally be an easy species to see even if numbers can vary
greatly from year to year whereas Pine Grosbeak is a species that most winters
would be impossible to see around Oslo but right now is perhaps the commonest
finch species.
First a video and some pictures from Ekeberg
this adult male was feeding on his own by the path when I heard another bird. I picked it up flying over quite high up and on its was westwards over the town. The male then started calling and the other bird turned and then dropped out of the sky. It landed and continued calling although the male soon fell quiet and it took a long time for them to find each other.
the other bird with the city in the background
a bit closer for some arty shots
and some shots from the Holmenkollen area
3 adult males together on a frosty morning
Long-tailed Tit (stjertmeis)
Hawkie on Thursday with the Tryvann tele tower in the background
The weather is now far more autumnal than wintery with
temperatures up to 8C in the day and no overnight frosts. On Sunday snow gave
way to rain and it’s all quite gloomy and grey.
Fieldfares are around in enormous numbers with up to 2000
stripping rowan trees and also feeding again on the fields. Amongst them have
been at least 20 Redwing, 2 Starling and an exceptionally late Mistle Thrush. The
Mistle Thrush is actually the latest ever recorded in Oslo as was a Meadow
Pipit today which really show how mild it is at the moment. There are also very
good numbers of Goldfinch (>250), Brambling (>110) and Yellowhammer
(>120) so it is all very birdy.
A trip to Huk in fresh southerly winds yesterday revealed no
sea birds but three Long-tailed Ducks were without doubt in Oslo waters 😊
Pine Grosbeaks continue to entertain and I have had up to 47
in a day in. Hawkie continues to entertain the masses although in the poor
weather we are having now it is in fact to possible to have him all to myself.
I witnessed him fly into an overhead cable yesterday as he powered down from a
tree top towards something on the ground about 30m away. He seemed unharmed but
it goes to show how focused he was on a possible prey item that the unnatural
obstacle that the wire is did not register with him.
Oslo's latest ever Meadow Pipit (heipiplerke)
and Oslo's latest ever Mistle Thrush (duetrost)
Goldfinches (stillits) are still around in exceptional numbers
and there are still lots of Redwing (rødvingetrost)
and Brambling (bjørkefink)
and thousands of Fieldfare (gråtrost) which strip rowan trees of their berries in just minutes
photographic evidence that I have seen Long-tailed Duck (havelle) in Oslo waters
there is very little to see on Maridalsvannet at the moment except for a handfull of Goldeneye (kvinand) and this Common Scoter (Svartand)
a shaky video of a Cormorant (storskarv) swallowing a Perch (abbor) on Maridalsvannet
filming Hawkie
here reacting to a Sparrowhawk (spurvehauk) that landed closeby
and this is how he reacts to a Goshawk (hønsehauk) flying by
on Saturday morning when it was still crisp and wintery
Magpies (skjære) giving him a hard time
a video of Pine Grosbeaks taken on my phone at a couple of metres range today
this male was a noticeably more scarlet rather than claret colour red
