A week of two halves

I had company today and we gingerly walked over the frozen Maridalsvannet

This week has been a week of two halves and the second half has felt far more spring like than the first and that despite it being much colder now.

Up until Wednesday morning it was foggy and although temperatures were above zero there was very little avian activity. From Wednesday onwards though it has been sunny, little wind and despite temperatures being down to -8C there has been loads of activity. Great Spotted and Black Woodpeckers are now drumming and calling all over the place (I had not registered a Black this year before Wednesday and today I had three together making loads of noise). Yellowhammers, Bullfinches, Treecreepers and various tits are singing and Goshawks are displaying. Even Goldcrests were chasing each other around and making lots of noise today although were not yet singing. I have also had my first Stock Doves of the year – a species that seems to arrive earlier and earlier but my first Starling and Moorhen were probably overwintering birds.

Crossbills which have been singing for a long time are now nest building and will have young in less than a month!

The Hawk Owl survives although is still moving around a lot without being seen to catch anything.

female Common Crossbill (grankorsnebb) collecting bark for the nest

collecting moss

and collecting grass

the female does all the work whilst the male just holds watch, sings a bit and mates when when he gets the chance. This is the male and he looks very much like a female which is because he is probably not even year old yet - born in early spring 2024 and will only get the brick red plumage after his next moult

a new species for the year was this very distant Great Grey Shrike (varsler)

Stock Dove (skogdue) which return directly to their breeding sites

Black Woodpecker (svartspett) - the extensive red on the crown shows this is a male

whilst this bird visiting a nest hole used for the last couple of years is a female

Hawk Owl. Whenever it is sunny then (s)he always chooses to perch high up

a Redpoll (gråsisik) and thankfully I can leave it there and not give myself a headache working out if it is a Lesser or a Common due to their now subspecies status. Redpolls have been very scarce this winter but there has been a noticeable increase this week although just single birds or small groups