Monday, October 14, 2024

Oslo 19.09-23.09.2024 - Urban/Eastern Birding

After being stuck inside for a couple of weeks even Oslo delivered:)

A walk close to the city centre on 19 September gave a few nice species including Nutcracker nøttekråke, several Hawfinch kjernebiter, a Grey Wagtail vintererle, Blackcap munk and Treecreeper trekryper.


Grey Wagtail vintererle in downtown Oslo

On 21 September I made it out to Gressholmen where the best bird was a Lapland Bunting lappsurv. A decent  variety of other species were seen either on the island or migrating over. Frustratingly a White-tailed Eagle havørn headed south over Nesodden and did not pass over the islands:)

A late-ish Greenshank gluttsnipe and a Goosander laksand at Lindøya were among the other sightings.

The next day a walk from Snippen and into Maridalen was typically rather dead but a huge flock of finches near Sander Gård contained several species - impossible to count but there were in total at least several hundred birds. A Black-throated Diver storlom on the lake and a Black Woodpecker svartspett at Hammaren were the two birds that saved the day. Interestingly I had six Common Crossbill grankorsebb feeding on pine cones in a lone tree in the city centre early in the day.

On 23 September migrants over downtown Oslo included a flock of 150 Pinkfeet kortnebbgås and a few Meadow Pipits heipiplerke.

No comments: