On 02 March I managed my usual round at Herdlevær. Some signs of spring with Oystarcatcher tjeld, Starling stær now back. A flock of 20 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt , White-tailed Eagles havørn and the usual also seen.
Best bird was a female Stonechat svartstrupe at Kollsnes - a bird that turned up whilst I was away.
A quick look at Hjelme in the afternoon produced the first local Jay nøtteskrike of the year along with a flocks of Fieldfare gråtrost, Brambling bjørkefink, Chaffinch bokfink and Starling stær.
Spring is well on the way, Crocuses at Herdlevær
Siskin grønnsisik have been common "all winter" but have suddenly started visiting my feeder.
With temperatures down to less than -23C it wasn't exactly warm, but the sun shone a lost of the time.
We arrived in the afternoon of 14.02 and in the evening heard a singing Tengmalm's Owl perleugle from the garden.
On 15.02 I did my usual round, some drumming woodpeckers but only Great-spotted Woodpecker flaggspett was the only species positively identified. Good numbers of Mallard stokkand on some open water on Engersjøen, a few flocks of Redpoll gråsisik, several Dipper fossekall and most of the usual suspects without anything special.
Dippers fossekall at Heggeriset
Redpoll gråsisik at the feeder in the garden
Whoopers sangsvane at Heggeriset
A long walk higher up on 16.02 produced none of the target species with just a Golden Eagle kongeørn of any interest. Some gamebird tracks but not as many as I usually see and no birds actually seen.
This Redpoll gråsisik looked rather pale and "snowball" like but was just a Common rather than the hoped-for Arctic
There was no meaningful time outside for the next couple of days but a Goshawk hønsehauk hunted over the garden on 17th February and I encountered a lovely flock of Long-tailed Tits stjertmeis during a trip to the shops.
Part of the Mallard stokkand flock hanging around on open water near the power station.
On 19th February I was out bright and early for my first skiing of the year - just brilliant with nobody else seen for kilometre after kilometre. Unfortunately it was almost the same birdwise although tracks in the snow showed that something could turn up at any time. A few Common Crossbill grankorsnebb, a single Willow Grouse lirype and the usual woodland suspects were seen.
A Sparrowhawk spurvehauk caught a Redpoll gråsisik in the garden in the afternoon.
Just wonderful to be out skiing in Engerdal:)
In the evening a singing Tengmalm's Owl perleugle was a highlight.
Tengmalm's Owl perleugle singing from the neighbour's garden:)
