I spent 17-18 October up in Engerdal municipality in Hedmark in the east of Norway.
As usual there was not a lot of proper birding and as usual the huge potential of this area was obvious. The undoubted highlight were a number of Pine Grosbeaks konglebit. These birds were all seen and heard flying over but I suspect they were not really moving. I have not seen this species here before but am a little uncertain of their status.
Rather more certain there were several flocks of Waxwing sidensvans and I definitely got the impression that these birds were heading west. As with the Pine Grosbeaks I saw them more or less everywhere I went.
Strangely all the rowan berries in the lowlands and valleys were gone so I initially presumed the thrushes had also moved on. This proved to be very, very wrong as there were flocks of up to several hundred Fieldfare gråtrost at a time gorging themselves on the vast quantities of berries on the slopes above the tree line. Some Waxwing sidensvans also took advantage of this bounty. No boubt these birds will not move on until these berries are covered by snow.
Mealy Redpolls gråsisik and Common Crossbills grankorsnebb were also very obvious pretty much everywhere.
Other birds included small numbers of Scaup bergand, the usual Goosander laksand and Whooper Swan sangsvane.
For more about birding in Engerdal, Hedmark see this page
As usual there was not a lot of proper birding and as usual the huge potential of this area was obvious. The undoubted highlight were a number of Pine Grosbeaks konglebit. These birds were all seen and heard flying over but I suspect they were not really moving. I have not seen this species here before but am a little uncertain of their status.
Waxwing sidensvans
Rather more certain there were several flocks of Waxwing sidensvans and I definitely got the impression that these birds were heading west. As with the Pine Grosbeaks I saw them more or less everywhere I went.
Strangely all the rowan berries in the lowlands and valleys were gone so I initially presumed the thrushes had also moved on. This proved to be very, very wrong as there were flocks of up to several hundred Fieldfare gråtrost at a time gorging themselves on the vast quantities of berries on the slopes above the tree line. Some Waxwing sidensvans also took advantage of this bounty. No boubt these birds will not move on until these berries are covered by snow.
Mealy Redpolls gråsisik and Common Crossbills grankorsnebb were also very obvious pretty much everywhere.
Scaup bergand
Other birds included small numbers of Scaup bergand, the usual Goosander laksand and Whooper Swan sangsvane.
Galtsjøen
Vurrusjøen
For more about birding in Engerdal, Hedmark see this page
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