Time for another good day in the Dale

Cold northerly winds both here and, I believe, further south in Europe mean that migration has nearly dried up and until today this week has been slow going. I have, however, added 5 species to my Oslo year list and with three from today being ones I would classify as not guaranteed. Best of all though Maridalen has recorded a new species thanks to Halvard’s keen eyes and I of course duly twitched it although it took a bit of finding. Water levels are also falling such that we may have a decent wader passage in Maridalen (everything is relative…) and also at Svellet (up there amongst the best in Europe) so the next couple of weeks look to be promising.

So the new Maridalen new species was Little Grebe (Maridalen’s 225 species and my 206^th there). Although a relatively common species I had not seen this coming as I never thought Maridalsvannet suitable for the species. Birds can of course turn up on migration but it was a real surprise that it has spent two days – it is clearly finding food but hugs the shoreline and hides behind stones instead of disappearing into thick vegetation which it would do elsewhere. Other common birds missing from the Maridalen list are Moorhen and Pochard and we need to be looking out for these now.

The Oslo year birds have been Willow Warbler #139, Common Sandpiper #140, Whimbrel #141, Little Ringed Plover #142 and Slavonian Grebe #143. The Slav Grebes were particularly pleasing to see and today was clearly the day that species was on the move as there were a number of other records around Oslo.

Of the little migration that has materialised then ducks have been the most obvious with the first Common Scoter, Wigeon and Red-breasted Merganser appearing on the lake.

My eBird checklist from Maridalen today is here.

The Mute Swan pair is nesting on an island in Maridalsvannet but have as in previous years attracted the attention of the Whooper Swans who spend there time beating up the Whoopers. The male Mute tries to stand up to the male Whooper but doesn’t seem to have a chance and I fear that the Mute Swans will fail but also that the Whoopers will not breed as they will spend all their time fighting the Mutes.

Close to the house a pair of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers have enlivened morning dog walks with drumming and “singing” and hopefully they will stay to breed although based on previous experiences they will move on.

 

I also took far too much video which I have yet to go through. If there is anything that evades the trash can then I will publish it later.

adult Little Grebe (dvergdykker) - not often I see them in this plumage in Norway

not often I see them in flight either and have never noticed this "speculum" before

Slavonian Grebes (horndykker) in breeding plumage are surely one of the best birds we have

here there was some display

dwarfed by a Whooper Swan (sangsvane)

part of a flock of 10 Curlew (storspove) that briefly landed on their way north

the swan drama. Here the male Mute Swan is getting a beating from the male Whooper

who then chased him around the island and then up onto it

my first Common Sandpiper (strandsnipe) of the year in Oslo

and a male Common Scoter (svartand) - I have never appreciated their impressive tail before

male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

this young male Marsh Harrier (sivhauk) headed north today and had me hoping for a good raptor day. But of course it didn't happen

2 males Adders (hoggorm)

Black Red

After my heard only, and a very early, Tree Pipit on Friday it was satisfying to hear another one in Maridalen yesterday and then locate it and also manage some more than adequate “record shots”. I did not find my predicted Willow Warbler although Halvard did and that will grace the record books as Maridalen’s earliest ever. I did add to my Oslo year list though with Black Redstart being #138. This was a twitch involving a 20 minute drive from Maridalen to the dump in Alna where Stig had reported a male. In my mind it was going to be a glorious adult male so I was a tad disappointed to get there and see it was a dowdy 1^st summer male. Still, it was great to hear it singing and it is a good species to get on the list so early.

My predictions for this week are to add Willow Warbler, Wryneck and Red Kite (it never leaves my mind) to my Oslo 2024 list.

1st summer Black Redstart (svartrødstjert)

Tree Pipit (trepiplerke)

I wonder if it has stood in snow before

Snow and a Lapland Bunting

This week has continued in the doldrums with very few birds (as is quite typical for mid-April) and the reason was made clear today. Mid-April is still early in the spring and birds know this through thousands of years of evolution and the weather can turn quickly very wintery as it did this morning with 10cm of snow in Maridalen. Whether we will now get a rush of birds or whether they still think it is too early will we find out in the coming days but we should at least get a mini rush tomorrow of returning birds who temporarily fled back south.

The doldrums does not mean no new Oslo birds though and I have had four in four days although Tuesday and Wednesday were blanks. Yesterday gave me some 7 species of raptor in Maridalen and Marsh Harrier #134 and Hen Harrier #135 were new for the year. These species never feel guaranteed although some prolonged sky gazing in mid or late April should produce them. Today I quickly abandoned Maridalen when I saw that the snow had left the fields empty of birds and headed for Østensjøvannet. There was nothing of interest on the lake although the stubble fields held quite a few Meadow Pipits and White Wagtails. I had a hope that this might produce a Lapland Bunting and sure enough it did with me picking up one singing! #136 and then seeing it very well. Biggest surprise though was clearly hearing a Tree Pipit #137. This is by far my earliest record but this year is seeing a lot of early migrants (edit it is not my earliest as I have previously had a bird on the same date which remains the 4th earliest bird documented with a photo in Norway). It would not surprise me if my next new species will be my earliest ever Willow Warbler.

I have paid a couple of visits to Nordre Øyeren in the hope that there would be more to see there which there was although not much more. Bar-tailed Godwit and Little Ringed Plovers on flooded fields were my first in 2024 but water levels are now so high that there are no mudflats exposed.

the field at Nes in Maridalen today

and driving in with Skjerven farm in the middle

male Lapland Bunting (lappspurv) at Østensjøvannet

and when it was singing from a tree

the Greylag Goose (grågås) nest from my last post covered in snow. The water level has also fallen considerably this week

Maridalen's Lapwings (vipe) had problems finding food in the snow

there were not many thrushes to see but here are some Mistles (duetrost)

and a Song Thrush (måltrost)

and a comparison of both species from behind with Mistle having broad white edges to the tertials

one of three Twite (bergirisk) today. The main migration of this species is behind us now

on Thursday three Cranes (trane) flew over and one seemed to have a broken leg. I would have liked to see it on the deck but they did not land

a flock of Curlew (storspove) also arrived

first resting on the edge of the lake

and then feeding in a stubble field

an Adder (hoggorm) 

male Brambling (bjørkefink)

a Marsh Harrier (sivhauk) and Hooded Crow at Årnestangen

Buzzard (musvåk) in Maridalen

this pair of Canada Geese in Maridalen show an marked size difference

a trip to Fornebu produced a Slavonian Grebe (horndykker) and hopefully they will turn up in Maridalen the coming week

A Lapwing nest at Årnestangen which looked to be in an area where it will be safe from farming activities. In Maridalen I think we only have six birds and it looked like they were two on nests on Wednesday but in the snow today I saw none that seemed to be sitting

a simple nest