Long-eared Owl fail

I’ve had a few local evening outings already this spring hoping to find singing Long-eared Owls. This isn’t an easy task as their song does not carry far but I have seen there are signs of good numbers of voles in areas where I have previously found nests later in the spring. My first two attempts drew blanks but last night I was successful with a singing male that showed well in the head torch although with temperatures close to +10C he was surprisingly difficult see in the thermal. His song, in typical fashion, was very difficult to hear and even at only 20 metres range was strangely quiet.

this is the video I managed, it should've been SO much better...

I thought I had recorded some good video with both my phone and camera but I did not at all. I had gone out of the car without my glasses and clearly had my usual problem that I was not actually filming when I thought I was and was unable to see that the red light was not on. This is no longer a joke!!

Other than this good but annoying encounter I have recorded the first Twite and Linnet in Maridalen where Lapwings are now up to three bird but surprisingly no Chaffinch or Mistle Thrush yet.

A male Smew on the river near Lillestrøm was a nice little semi twitch.

male Smew (lappfiskand)

the first Twite (bergirisk) of the year in Maridalen

and the first Linnet (tornirisk)

the White-fronted Geese (tundragås) are still at Bygdøy

the gander to the left has a darket bead

the gander has a very well marked belly

6 White-fronts at Årnestangen togther with Canadas

newly arrived Øystercatchers (tjeld) at Huk, Bygdøy

this colour ringed bird was ringed as a breeding bird in May 2014 on an island 6km away and has only been reported a few times since and always around Oslo

a photogenic male Yellowhammer (gulspurv)