The reedbeds at Fornebu receive attention in the winters
when they hold Bearded Tits but in the few winters, such as this one, when
there are none then they normally get little attention.
The local Birdlife Norway group has, in Norwegian terms, been incredibly
productive and raised money, and perhaps most impressively got permission from
the many government bodies that have a say, to carry out improvement work. The
money was used to dig some pools although I fear these will just have cosmetic
value but most importantly and independently of the pools the water level has
been raised and trees and bushes removed. This wetter and more open reedbed has
lots of potential. The stream that feeds the reedbed just appears out of the
ground and has always been a mystery due to the fact that it doesn’t freeze
over no matter how cold it is. This water source means that even in the winter
there is open water and with the raised water levels there is more water than
previously.
On Thursday when it was snowing and the wind blowing strongly I didn’t really
expect to find anything but how wrong could I be?
I heard a Kingfisher on getting out of the car and then got to see it well, a
Water Rail ran past and best of all I found first one bobbing Jack Snipe and
then two when the Water Rail flushed another. As soon as the Jacks were aware
of me they stopped bobbing despite me being a good 20m away but in usual style
they started again when I managed to hide from their view.
A visit the next day in much better weather only revealed the Water Rail but
today the Kingfisher was showing again. There would appear to be 4 Kingfishers
wintering in the Inner Oslofjord this winter plus at least one bird away from
the coast and the species seems now to be able survive out winters which
previously had always been the limiting factor for the species to really
establish itself in Norway.
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