Got it wrong again

This year I really can't get seawatching right. I thought today should be equally as good for me as yesterday was for others but instead it was another complete fiasco. I couldn't get out until closer to 0930 but that doesn't have to be too late for species like skuas, Brent Geese (ringgås) or yesterday’s divers. I should perhaps though have given more weight to the message I got from Per Buertange who had been at Krokstrand since 0430 and only seen four migrating Tufted Duck. I put this down to the rain and thunderstorms he had had to endure and reckoned there would be a stream of birds flying north after the sun came out. I got it wrong again!

The only birds that I could truly say were migrating in 2 hours of sea gazing were a single Red-throated Diver (smålom) and 2 Common Terns (Makrellterne). I did have 5 divers that were disturbed by a boat and took to the air at great range but try as I might I couldn’t turn them into anything over than diver sp. (although I’m sure others could....).

Trying to salvage something from the day I thought I would stop in at Østensjøvannet and take some equally good photos of the scarce ducks that others have taken over the last few days. Well I only managed to find the Pochard (taffeland) pair and they were a bit distant but I did manage some pictures at least. Maridalen at 1pm was a very hot place with few birds to note. I hope spring is not over

This female Mallard (stokkand) had her young lined up as though she was giving them a school lesson

male Pochard (taffeland)

Pochard pair

First Rosefinch and more Long-eared Owl

I wasn’t quite sure where to go this morning but chaos on the roads going west in Oslo pushed me east. I decided to see if I could get views of the adult Long-eared Owls (hornugle). I did manage poor views of a perched bird whose location was given away by scolding Chaffinches but I can see that the best opportunity to view the birds would be in the late evening when the parents are bringing in food. There was only one youngster left in the nest, I saw the same youngster as yesterday which had moved just a few metres and heard two youngsters begging both of which were close to me but remained invisible.

In Maridalen I heard my first Common Rosefinch (rosenfink) of the year and even though it was singing from an isolated tree it took me a good while to actually find the bird which was rather disappointingly a brown 2cy male - the males don't gain their red colour until their 3rd year. I still can’t locate any Red-backed Shrikes (tornskate) but there have been very few records nationally so far – I hope this just represents a late arrival as with the Pied Flycatchers rather than a population crash. The water levels in the lake are falling quickly and for the first time this spring there is a margin of mud in the bay at Kirkeby which held a single Greenshank (gluttsnipe) and Wood Sandpiper (grønnstilk). It is getting to be a bit late but maybe there is still a chance of an interesting wader here.

Seawatching in the Oslofjord would have been a good idea today with eight White-billed Divers (gulnebblom) counted flying south at Brentetangen mid morning and two Pomarine Skuas (polarjo) heading north from Vestby in Akershus. Maybe I’ll give it a go tomorrow as the gentle southerly winds are forecast to continue.

adult Long-eared Owl

youngster

Osprey and fish in silhouette

2nd cy male Common Rosefinch

More Owls but not Tawny this time...

Thunderstorms yesterday evening and low dark clouds and some drizzle this morning made me very hopeful for something good at Nordre Øyeren. Svellet did deliver a fine adult Little Gull (dvergmåke) although it was at telescope range like most birds here. The long walk out to Årnestangen though did not deliver as hoped in fact there was nothing beyond breeding species to be seen. Quite disappointing it has to be said.

The day was salvaged though later when, following up on a tip, I found a Long-eared Owl (hornugle) nest. I first actually had an adult hunting in broad daylight and then heard the squeaky door call of a begging youngster. I located a youngster low down in a tree and then soon after found the nest: an old crow’s nest high up and quite exposed in a small spruce tree. It is incredible that they nest so openly! I sat down at a safe distance to observe and film. As you can see and hear at one point the young started begging and an unseen adult calls from right behind me. Exciting stuff but frustrating when you can't see the adult that is you know is so close.

Long-eared Owls are very anonymous and the species is probably far more numerous than the records suggest. Around Oslo there are hardly any records of singing birds but come early June when people are out listening for nocturnal birds there are numbers of records of calling/begging youngsters from small copses in farmland.

young Long-eared Owl - big enough to leave the nest but still far from fledging

the nest

adult out hunting in daylight

Raptors

Not unsurprisingly yesterday's goodies had moved on from Svellet and had not even been replaced by a scarce migrant like a Little Gull (dvergmåke) or Black Tern (svartterne) so I didn't extend my early morning visit there any longer than necessary. Water levels are so high now that a single Greenshank (gluttsnipe) was the only wader. How quickly things change!

With almost no wind and scattered clouds today looked like it could be good for raptors so I headed south east towards Hellesjøvannet which has proven to be good for raptors before. It took a while for the raptors to show but from 11:00 to 12:00 I had 4 Honey Buzzards vepsevåk) heading north - 3 of which followed exactly the same line at 10 minute intervals, at least 5 Hobbies (lerkefalk), 6 Buzzards (musvåk), an Osprey (fiskeørn) and 2 male Marsh Harriers (sivhauk). One of the harriers was carrying nesting material at Hellesjøvannet and the other was at nearby Hemnessjøvannet and engaging in its sky dancing display flight but I didn't see any females. Apart from Cranes (trane) - presumably non breeding birds - feeding at a number of locations I didn't have much else.

In Maridalen i hoped to find the first Red-backed Shrike (tornskate) and Rosefinch (rosenfink) of the year but will have to wait a bit longer. Pleasing to see though was that the two pairs of Lapwing (vipe) that hadn't started breeding appear to be now sitting on eggs - the sprouting crops are now high enough to give the females the cover they needed.

one of many Cranes today

a Honey Buzzard - honestly

the young male Marsh Harrier at Hellesjøvannet that was carrying nest material

artistic?

Oslo guiding

This morning I guided Tom and Emily from Boston, USA.

We had great sunny weather and cooperative birds. Østensjøvannet was overflowing with birds and Great Crested Grebes (toppdykker), Coots (sothøne) and Mute Swans (knoppsvane) all had newly hatched young. We saw two tiny baby grebes riding on a parent’s back and being fed small fish by the other parent. We also had some Oslo rarities in the form of a pair of Pochard (taffeland) and a male Garganey (knekkand) as well as the smart looking if plastic Ruddy Shelduck.

Maridalen was also on form. One of the baby Tawny Owls (kattugle) showed exceptionally well and an adult was being heavily scolded by Blackbirds (svarttrost) but only showed briefly as it tried to flee. A singing Wood Warbler (bøksanger) was a welcome site and both Pied (svarthvit fluesnapper) and Spotted Flycatchers (gråfluesnapper)  showed well. We also saw many commoner species and had a constant chorus of singing birds. I dropped off two very satisfied birders at their hotel in time for lunch and in time for me to take the family to Tusenfryd amusement park where I received my annual reminder that I am not really as brave as I would like to think I am....

Today has proven to be a good day for birds in SE Norway. Although the White-winged Black Tern (hvitvingesvarttern) invasion that is flooding Sweden and Denmark with these beautiful birds has yet to reach Norway today was the day when Svellet shined. First two Caspian Terns (rovterne) were found and then people twitching these found a Great White Egret (egrethegre). I felt a bit of that old jealousy thing again - after all the attention I've given Svellet this spring I had hoped to be the one rewarded with the rarities but there is always tomorrow....Down in Østfold a Citrine Wagtail was found. I feel that tomorrow, when I will be out and about, will be even better!

Taking photos was number 1 priority today so I shot from the hip and the good birds did not get the photos they deserved.

pair of Pochard only the second time I've seen this species in Oslo

plastic (Ruddy) Shelduck

male Garganey - again only my second Oslo sighting

pair of Great Crested Grebes - a baby is visible on the back of the bird to the left

baby Coots

Wood Warbler

that baby owl again