In the capital again, this time to include a Stage Dolls concert at the Rockefeller:)
On 3rd February a walk in the woods behind the radium hospital produced a nice Black Woodpecker svartspett busy working away on a tree:)
Black Woodpecker svartspett
I was confined to barracks with work for the rest of the week but the morning after the Stage Dolls concert I was out and about for the afternoon picking up Oslo scarcities such as Water Rail vannrikse and Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin. I also picked up my first Yellowhammers gulspurv and Redpoll gråsisik of the year.
Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin
Redpoll gråsisik
In the pre-lump days we'd have called this a Mealy....
Water Rail vannrikse
On 8th February I visited Gressholmen briefly where a Peregrine vandrefalk and a Red-throated Diver smålom were the highlights. Generally quiet but Common Scoter svartand numbers were well up on my previous visit there with 18 feeding actively among good numbers of Herring Gulls gråmåke. Still a few auks present in Oslofjord too:)
After a couple of days working in Bergen I was out for a couple hours on 28th in calm and sunny weather. Night time temperatures are still well below freezing and almost all fresh water is now frozen.
At Hellesøy most of the birds were at long range but a Merlin dvergfalk flew overhead to hunt over the islands to the north. A lone Red-throated Diver smålom was on the sea and, as it was so calm, it was easy to spot the Black Guillemot teist - at least eight were present. Also around 20 Long-tailed Ducks havelle and of course a couple of White-tailed Eagles havørn.
After this I found the first Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin of the year - an anticipated species given the conditions. The last few winters I've seen less of this species than previously - this could be for a number of reasons, some sites which didn't freeze over have been drained and built on, some have become more inaccessible (fences etc) and some are just too time consuming to visit. A couple of other regular sites have just failed to produce.
Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin
I had to head into Bergen again on 29th January but did a few drive-bys on the way just as the sun was coming up. This resulted in a few Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin and a Water Rail vannriske.
An Oriental Turtle Dove mongolturtelduewas reported half an hour south of where I live on 29th January, so right on the limits for what I am prepared to drive to see a bird. With a few hours to spare I gave it a go - and amazingly heard it singing together with another birder. At first we thought it was some reckless twitchers using playback but this was not the case. Despite spending some time in the area I never actually saw it - but it was seen flying out of where we heard it. Woodpigeon ringdue, Willow Tit granmeis and a variety of other species were seen in this area too. I didn't bother trying for the Rook kornkråke that was close by, more will surely turn up later in the year:).
On the way home I popped in at Dåvøy where a Little Grebe dvergdykker was still present along with Woodcock rugde, Great Northern Diver islom, a roost of 25 Grey Heron gråhegre and a Tree Sparrow pilfink which was the first I've seen locally this year - some of the usual feeders they turn up on are just not in use this year for some reason. Other localities gave a few Snipe enkeltbekkasin and a Water Rail vannrikse.
On Saturday 31st January I spent most of the day out and about. Hellesøy was rather quiet but did produce my first Starling stær of the year, a Woodcock rugde and good numbers of Blackbirds svarttrost.
A flock of five Redwing rødvingetrost at Hjelme fed in the frozen fields together with several Blackbirds svarttrost. Goodness knows what they are finding to eat under these hard frozen conditions. There seem to be plenty of ripe juniper berries but I almost never see any birds feeding on them.
Otherwise several Woodcock rugde, a couple each of Water Rail vannrikse and Snipe enkeltbekkasin seen here and there well off the beaten track at various places.
The first Greylags grågås of the year turned up at Tjeldstø where a (the?) second year Black-headed Gull hettemåke was also present.
Black-headed Gull hettemåke at Tjeldstø
Greylag grågås at Tjeldstø
Robin rødstrupe - although many have moved into gardens with feeders there are still some "out there" and seemingly coping with the far from ideal conditions
Sunday 2nd February was a fantastic day. It started with superb views of a Water Rail vannriskse I have been feeding and moved on from there. Snipe enkeltbekkasin and Woodcock rugde featured once again. A walk at Solberg proved very quiet with almost nothing to see other than a White-tailed Eagle havørn, though there was one of the first signs of spring - numbers of Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak had started to increase.
...just the most amazing feet:)
Water Rail vannrikse
Snipe enkeltbekkasin
Woodcock rugde
At Tjeldstø a Turnstone steinvender joined a couple of Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt on one of the offshore islands but the highlight was a pod of Orcas feeding on what I presume must have been Herring sild.
Orcas at Tjeldstø
On the way home a couple of Tufted Duck toppand turned up on Skjoldepollen. The male was straightforward but the female made me wonder for a bit as it showed some pro-Scaup bergand features - most notably the hint of pale in the cheek and a rather rounded head. The bill pattern and contrast between the back and sides swing it to Tufty for me.
