Confusion

Constantly falling snow today caused a re-influx of hungry Blackbirds (svarttrost) into the garden and provided me with some interest today. In the half-light a good hour before dawn I could see from the kitchen window 7 individuals waiting in the snow but after I put some apples out there were never as many birds at one time however I did identify a minimum of 11 different individuals during the day including at least two new ones bringing the total now to at least 14 birds. Today there were a minimum of 8 males: 2 lacking black on the bill including the partially leucistic bird, 4 with some black and 2 2cy males plus at least three females including the tailless individual. The new birds were one of the 2cy males (I’ve only ever recorded one before) plus one of the females (two birds with black bills and tails today but of normal colouration).

This means in total I have identified a minimum of 14 Blackbirds in the last week: 2 adult males without black on the bill, 5 (presumed) adult males with varying amounts of black on an otherwise orange bill, 2 cy males and 5 females. It’s all getting a bit complicated now keeping track of them. I’ve tried googling to see what I can find out about the varying amounts of black on the bill and there seem to be three reasons: age, physical form (affecting carotenoid levels which causes the bill colour) plus also a reference on the BTO website to males acquiring a brighter bill when breeding. The 2cy males are quite easy to identify but the 5 other birds with varying amounts of black may be very advanced 2cy birds, 3cy birds, not in top form or quite simply in non-breeding plumage (it could be they are immigrants whereas the two with no black are local birds who still consider themselves to be in their breeding territories)



one of the two 2cy male Blackbirds. Yellow just at the tip. Whilst looking at this picture I now wonder if this is actually an old female that has an almost male like plumage - does a young male in January have paler edges to the breast and belly feathers? As I said this is starting to get confusing

the other 2cy male. Yellow at the base of the bill. The picture was taken through the window but this bird was without doubt a 2cy male.

I did manage a quick trip looking for gulls but could hardly anywhere almost as though there had been an exodus. At Kongshavn the Pintail (stjertand) which is usually at Østensjøvannet was seeking refuge as it often seems to do at the outset of snowy or very cold weather before it returns to Østensjøvannet again after a few days. Quite a few Goldeneye (kvinand) including an array of plumages which reminded me that my Blackbird problems are probably just down to individual variation.

 

Three 2cy (1st winter) male Goldeneyes all showing different development of the white spot on the face

an adult male on the left with the least developed of the three 2cy birds from the first photo

Three females. The bird closest uson the right is an adult female due to it bright golden eye and the yellow on the bill. The bird behind it has a dark eye and dark bill and is therefore a 2cy (1st winter). The bird on the left has a black bill but a pale eye so what age is it? I assume that is also a 2cy but one that has already developed a pale eye

The male Pintail

 

Israel VII - flycatchers

We stayed at Kibbutz Lotan in the desert north of Eilat and in the old days this was famed as an oasis that attracted large numbers of birds. With the continued "greening" of the desert through irrigation schemes plus the fact that spring 2014 was a very wet spring which caused the desert to bloom we experienced very few migrant birds in the kibbutz grounds.

Two very smart birds though were singles each of male Semi-collared Flycatcher (balkanfluesnapper) and Collard Flycatcher (halsbåndfluesnapper). Both were 2cy males so not as smart as they could be. We did have a very smart adult male Collared Fly though in Eilat.

Semi-collared Flycatcher

here there is little to distinguish this bird from a Pied Flycatcher (svarthvit fluesnapper). Note the brown wash to the primaries indicating a young (2cy) male



this show the extent of the collar which is greater than on a Pied but still not complete as on a Collared. Note also a lot of white in the outer tail feathers

this photo shows the white tips to the median covets which is a characteristic feature but not always easy to see

the white tips to the median coverts again visible

overexposed in bright sunlight it looks like a different bird

here we can see that the white tips to the median coverts are quite broad and there is also a fairly broad white basis to the inner primaries

 



Collard Flycatcher

 



this bird was at the Birding Centre in Eilat and is an adult make. Note the full collar, the conspicuous white rump and the very broad white basis to the primaries

same bird as above, note the large white patch above the bill

This bird was a Lotan and the thin white basis to the primaries, brown primaries and indistinct white rump (obscured by an out of focus leaf) show this to be a 2cy

Skating

With yesterdays snow turning into rain, temperatures today at around +3C and the forecast for tomorrow of a return to freezing temperatures Oslo is starting to resemble one enormous ice rink.

I did get out briefly today to Bygdøy where I was hoping that southerly storms further down the Oslo Fjord would have pushed something interesting up. A single adult Kittiwake (krykke) was definitely a result of the winds but I only had one Little Auk (alkekonge) today when I was expecting an increase in numbers. The wintering Oystercatcher (tjeld) was still present but highlight was a group of 4 Long-tailed Ducks (havelle) including one male although they were a bit distant. This species seems to have become a regular overwinterer in the inner fjord in recent winters at the same time as its total population is apparently declining.

In the garden the warmer temperatures and probably most importantly lack of falling snow caused a serious reduction in the number of Blackbirds (svarttrost) with only 3 males and a female noted. Rather than them having left the area I think they feed in other gardens when ever possible.

Blackbirds

Sindre M managed to read the ring number of the probable Glaucous x Herring Gull hybrid on 5 Jan and has received the ringing details from Moscow. The bird was ringed as a nestling Herring Gull on 22 June 2104 in Eastern Russia 1360km away. It is a shame that the ringing record does not confirm it as a hybrid but normally in these cases the ringer doesn’t know the ID of both the parents so this doesn’t have to mean it isn’t a hybrid. The ringing location is also not within the mapped breeding range of Glaucous Gull.

Today was a day it was best to be inside. Temparatures are hovering just over zero, footpaths and car parks are turning into ice rinks and from noon wet snow started falling which is forecast to turn into rain this evening. I did take a short trip down to the Opera in the morning and used 20 metres to stop the car whilst braking from only around 20km/h as there was sheet ice on the ground. As expected there were no rare or even scarce gulls to make the trip worthwhile.

Whilst working on the computer at home I regularly checked out of the window and could note a minimum of 11 Blackbirds and a Fieldfare which are now feeding without too many territorial squabbles. I had a minimum of seven males all of which I believe are aged 3cy+ with five seen together plus another bird with some white feathers on its head (leucistic) and another identified from photos. I managed to take photos of six of these birds. Five had varying amounts of black on upper mandible (but less than I believe a 2cy would show) and two without black on upper mandible including the leucistic bird. Previously I have recorded 3 non-leucistic males without black on the bill but I didn’t study them as close as I did today so will not record those as extra birds at this stage – the bird I identified from photos has a small amount of black on the bill but through the window I put it down as having none.

Four females seen today which is a doubling from my previous max of two. One was the regular bird without its tail and three were physically whole: one very red, one with yellow on bill and one with dark bill.

Obviously if all the birds were colour ringed then I would know for sure how many inidividuals are using the gardens but I reckon that if I take pictures of the bill then I could individually identify definitely the males and probably also the females.

So a minimum of eleven birds today (perhaps more as I basing this on identifiable birds plus max numbers seen together) plus I have also recorded a 2cy male previously. This minimum of twelve birds is far more than I have ever noted before but Blackbirds are generally far more noticeable this winter presumably due to it being so mild. It will be interesting to see how they react if there comes a sustained cold spell.

Male 1. Male Blackbird with no black on upper mandible

Male 2. the partially leucistic bird also with a completely orange bill. I originally thought that some snow had settled on this birds face and it took a while for me to realise that it was actually white feathers

same bird as above. Note the long white "hairs" sticking out on the nape. The white hairs that are appearing on my own head also seem to grow longer than the others and noticeably stick out. Maybe I am partially leucistic?

another shot showing the "hairs" sticking out including one over the bill

Male 3: a bird I took to be without black until I took pictures and saw it has a very small amount at the base of the upper mandible



Male 4: a bird with a lot more black on the upper mandible but this one has none along the cutting edge which the next two birds have.

Male 5: The same bird from both sides. Note the black mark along the cutting edge

Male 6: less black on the top of the bill but more on the cutting edge and also dark on the lower mandible. The bill is less orange than the other birds but I still believe this bird to be a 3cy+ rather than a bird in its 1st winter.

Female 1: without tail. Note dark bill

Femae 2: orange lower mandible is a sign of this being an older female

Female 3: dark bill

Female 4: a very distinctive bird with a red tinge on the underparts

another thrush species: Fieldfare

 

Little Auks

The storms that have been battering southern and western Norway had clearly caused Little Auks (alkekonge) to flee as a number of records from south of Oslo yesterday showed. I therefore thought I would check out the Oslo fjord this morning. In good light and on a calm sea I had 9 Little Auks from one location, 2 from another and 4 from another. There were birds flying around so it is difficult to know how many there were in total but that there has been a good arrival was clear. The strong winds did not come close to Oslo so it was surprising that so many were on the run especially considering that I failed to see Little Auk in Oslo at al in 2014.

At Huk also caught up with the overwintering Oystercatcher (tjeld) which was feeding on mussels when I saw it and seemed to be in good form. Mid winter records around Oslo are very rare but maybe if we continue with mild winters it will be regular with wintering Oystercatchers?

An interesting record in Oslo today (but not by me) was of a Short-eared Owl (jordugle) seen in flight high over the Botanical Gardens. This is the third record in Oslo since I had one in the neighbours garden in the middle of October and one can wonder whether there is a bird overwintering in the city and finding rodents in gardens and waste areas.

 

The closest of today's Little Auks

There was incredible light today. Here we see a snow covered Maridalsvannet with a thin layer of mist hanging over it

The Oystercatcher at Huk

the four seals hauled out on rock

 

Caspo

I’ve settled into a daily rhythm which strangely enough revolves around gulls. Today I also succeeded in seeing an interesting one with the Caspian Gull turning up at Langvannet again after it has become less predictable the last week. It was sitting waiting for bread when I arrived at 0935 and showed well during a couple of spells when the gulls sat on the ice but twice they were scared by Goshawks and then took quite a while before they returned. I had two adult male Goshawks together at one stage (one chasing the other) and last week there was a 2cy there so this is clearly a popular take-away for this raptor.

I managed to quite easily pick out the Caspian Gull in flight which raises the possibility of IDing one on a seawatch in the future.

Moving back into Oslo I failed to find any interesting gulls which I had hoped the recent storm “Nina” may have pushed up into the inner Oslofjord. Water had been pushed in though and the sea was a good 2 metres higher than normal. The Botanical Gardens were also devoid of interest with a single Hawfinch and a singing Goldfinch the highlights (the fact it was singing rather than the species).

First a video of the Caspian Gull where it calls a couple of times. Some say they can pick out this species just on call. I lack the experience to do that. Here it is giving a short call rather than the “long call” when they throw there head back but I definitely wouldn’t be able to pick one out just on this call.

1st winter (2cy) Caspian Gull

2nd winter (3cy) Herring Gull left and 1st winter (2cy) Caspian right. 1st winter Caspian Gulls differ from Herring Gulls of the same age in that they have already moulted a number of grey mantle feathers which can be seen on the back. A potential trap for the unwary though is a 2nd winter Herring Gull though as can be seen here which has also moulted a lot of grey mantle feathers and can be quite white on the head. Note the rounded tips to the feathers of the Herring Gull which is typical of older birds which have moulted their juvenile primaries but that the same feathers are pointed in the younger bird as they are still the juvenile primaries.

lots of contrast in flight

and even more from above

 

the Caspo coming into land

the two adult male Goshawks

some colour in Botanisk Hagen. Tree Sparrow (pilfink) and Greenfinch (grønnfink)

Herons

I made an honest attempt to find the Caspian Gull today first at its original site and then at various gull friendly localities in Oslo but to no avail and with no other unusual gulls to find either. The day’s birding was very quiet in all respects with only three herons in Frognerparken livening things up. I only remember seeing them using the lake and the stream here in the last couple of years and three birds suggests they have really taken a liking to it and that there is a good supply of fish. One of the birds was a very fine adult whereas the other two were immature birds.

In the garden the Blackbirds have realised that they cannot waste energy chasing each other off and four were feeding peacefully side-by-side in the afternoon.

adult Grey Heron. I took this picture with a shutter speed of 1/5second resting the lens on my knee. I was trying to get a blurred background from the moving water and only partially succeeded. I tried at lower shutter speeds but the n the bird also became blurred

here at 1/15 second shutter speed and the water is far less blurred

one of the two other Herons. This is in immature plumage and is I believe a 2cy rather than a 3cy.

still four Hawfinches (kjernebiter)  in the Botanical Gardens although no 2BCs