Oslo 05-09 January 2026 - Urban Birding continues

 Not the best week for various reasons so it was especially good to be rewarded by the bird gods in some way or another almost every time I was out of the house:) Not quite the Azure Tit asurmeis currently present further north but worthwhile anyway:)

The cold and snowy weather continued throughout.

On 5th January a short walk in the Botanic Gardens followed by a quick stroll along the river in rapidly fading light gave some nice results - a 2nd year Goshawk hønsehauk hunting thrushes (it even had a go at the Nutcracker nøttekråke) was the best sighting and gave some nice photo opportunities, other things included a couple of Hawfinch kjernebiter, a Treecreeper trekryper and a Wren gjerdesmett that was feeding under the snow.

Goshawk hønsehauk in the Botanic Gardens

The river produced a female Goosander laksand and a nice flock of Long-tailed Tits stjertmeis.

Female Goosander laksand on the river close to the city centre

The following day I was in another of the city parks briefly without much of interest but a couple of Common Gulls fiskemåke, two Long-tailed Tits stjertmeis and two Treecreeper trekryper were nice to see.

Long-tailed Tit stjertmeis in Frognerparken

Treecreepers trekryper in Frognerparken

On 8th January the sun was shining and we took a walk in the Botanic Gardens. Highlight was watching a male Sparrowhawk spurvehauk eating a Robin rødstrupe. A small flock of Siskin grønnsisik were the first I've seen this year. Otherwise two nice Hawfinch kjernebiter and smaller numbers of thrushes.

Male Sparrowhawk spurvehauk eating a Robin rødstrupe

Siskin grønnsisik in the Botanic Gardens

We covered a slightly longer stretch of the river and saw a total of four Goosanders laksand.

On 9th January it was time to head to Gressholm again. It was not as good as my previous visit but there were still some birds to see. Common Scoter svartand and a few Guillemots lomvi were the first I've seen in 2026. Thrushes obviously struggling more and more in this prolonged cold spell. Most of the Blackbirds svarttrost seen were feeding on the shore.

Oslo 12.01-18.01.2025 - A week in the east

My first birding in Oslo was predictably to Gressholmen. Highlight here were a few Waxwing sidensvans feeding on rowan berries. To take some pictures I had to take off my gloves and rucksack which were immediately inspected closely by a Great Tit kjøttmeis before it joined the Waxwings.

Otherwise good numbers of Goldeneye kvinand and Herring Gulls gråmåke feeding in the area and a flock of 50 Velvet Scoter sjøorre off Nakkholmen.

Great Tit kjøttmeis

Waxwing sidensvans

A quick stroll in the Botanic Gardens on the way home produced the usual suspects including a Hawfinch kjernebiter and a flyover Goshawk hønsehauk.

I was working and/or ill the rest of the week without getting out of the house at all. A Sparrowhawk spurvehauk almost caught the Blackbird svarttrost that lives in the back yard and would probably have caught it had it not been for a Magpie skjære that intervened.

Here showing the "fake eyes" on the back of the head

Sparrowhawk spurvehauk

Feeling rather better on 18.01 we took a walk in downtown Oslo finding a singing Dipper fossekall, a Wigeon brunnakke and a Cormorant storskarv. Walking home through the Botanic Gardens produced a Brambling bjørkefink among the usual species there. 

Cormorant storskarv

Dipper fossekall

Wigeon brunnakke

Øygarden 03-04 February - A windy weekend

On Saturday, in howling onshore winds, I did part of my usual Herldevær round for purposes other than birding. Just a few White-tailed Eagles havørn, a wind-blown Kittiwake krykkje and a Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt of any interest. 

Although Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt are common enough in Øygarden I have often wondered how they cope when water levels are high and waves crash over the feeding areas. Today's bird fed in short grass - something I have rarely seen this species do - whatever the weather.

Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt feeds in an alternative area due to high water levels and large waves.

A few Oystercatcher tjeld on the rocks at Tjeldstø on the way home and a (the) female Velvet Scoter sjøorre at Nautnes were other sightings of note.

On Sunday I had intended on an early start but wintery showers made me delay a little and I checked out a few drive-by localities on my way to Skogsøy. The most surprising find was not even a bird - an Oceaneering ROV (Magnum 190) had floated in at Dåvøy - even managing to negotiate the narrow bridge. I know ROVs sometimes get lost and it isn't surprising that one ends up in Øygarden given the amount of offshore activity nearby but for one to end up at Dåvøy is remarkable.

Oceaneering Magnum ROV at Dåvøy (being inspected by a curious Grey Heron gråhegre)

A second year male Common Scoter svartand was also at Dåvøy  - not often they visit this particular area.

2cy male Common Scoter svartand at Dåvøy

Skogsøy was even windier although I managed to find a place out of the worst of things - 13 adult Kittiwakes krykkje headed north along with singles of Gannet havsule, Guillemot lomvi and Razorbill alke.

Back home at Nautnes a Black Guillemot teist fed on the sea in front of my house. I grabbed my camera to photograph it and a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk promptly flew in and landed in the garden.

Second year Black Guillemot teist forced close inshore by the strong onshore winds

Sparrowhawk spurvehauk in my garden

Nautnes 13 February 2023 - Home Office advantages

Fantastic weather, calm and mild. It was criminal not to be out under such conditions but a couple of coffee breaks on the terrace made things just about bearable.

Clocked up another couple of new species for the garden this year in the form of a fly-over Red-breasted Merganser siland and a Great-spotted Woodpecker flaggspett. More unusually a Collared Dove tyrkerdue turned up again. Only saw one White-tailed Eagle havørn today but a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk put on a decent show and the usual Otter fed on the shore.

Sparrowhawk spurvehauk takes a break

Collared Dove tyrkerdue

Otter

Sparrowhawk spurvehauk - not a bad flight shot for a point and pray:)

Sparrowhauk spurvehauk

Nautnes/ Tjeldstø / Dåvøy 10 July 2018 - The usual tradgey

Warm and sunny again.

Sparrowhawk spurvehauk being attacked by Common Tern makrellterne

Another decent raptor shot taken from my terrace....

A cup of coffee on my terrace gave the best sighting of the day with a Common Tern makrellterne seeing off a female Sparrowhawk spurvehauk. Just as they manage to chase off all the larger gulls, Hooded Crows kråke and anything else they don't like.

Inspired by this I took a detour to Dåvøy on my way to the shops to check out the Common Tern makrellterne colony there. There was no colony. There were no terns at all! Not a trace of them. This happens all over the place every summer - they arrive, seem to be doing well and then suddenly they are gone. I would love to know why - it certainly did not look like food issues - the pictures I took a few days ago show them coming in with prey constantly in the short time I was there. Mink, human disturbance and other possibilities spring to mind. A colony of that size should have been able to see off Great Black Backed Gulls svartbak much easier than the two-three pairs currently at Nautnes do....so it must have been something scarier than that.

Redshank rødstilk, Lapwing vipe, Curlew storspove and Oystercatcher tjeld all seem to still have young on the go at Husvatnet.