Øygarden Birding: Three-toed Woodpecker

Showing posts with label Three-toed Woodpecker. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Oslo area 04-10 March 2020 - Early spring in the east

An afternoon trip out to Gressholm in Oslofjord was relatively exciting as there were good numbers of Redpoll gråsisik feeding on the ground - plenty of pale rumps to see and one bird especially looked very promising for Arctic Redpoll being pale, very lightly streaked and seemed to have a white rump. This prompted me to get the camera out of my bag but I never saw the bird again.

Common Redpoll gråsisik

Rump pale but very streaked on this one

Some of the Waxwing sidensvans present

At least 20 Waxwing sidensvans were also present on the island - feeding on rosehips and another more distant flock was seen on one of the neighbouring islands in the scope.

Otherwise several Shelduck gravand, a few Oystercatcher tjeld and the usual Velvet Scoter sjøorre etc.

I returned the following day and had a migrating Skylark sanglerke and a couple of Woodpigeon ringdue as newly returned migrants.

On 06 March I covered the now almost completely destroyed Fornebu. Amazingly a few singing Skylark sanglerke and a couple of Snow Bunting snøspurv amid the very worst of the destruction. Other species included Water Rail vannrikse, Hawfinch kjernebiter and a couple of Sparrowhawk spurvehauk.

Male Three-toed Woodpecker tretåspett

A long walk inland in decidedly more wintry conditions on 07 March produced a feeding Three-toed Woodpecker tretåspett as the undisputed highlight. What a mega this would be back home in the west! Fresh Hazel Grouse jerpe droppings were a sign that more eastern specialities were in the area.

Common Buzzard musvåk

Part of the Taiga Bean Goose sædgås flock

A day out with Oslo Birder on 09 March was quite productive with highlights being 124 Taiga Bean Geese sædgås, a singing Great Grey Shrike varsler, two Cranes trane, a few Stock Dove skogdue, a couple of Goshawk hønsehauk and several Common Buzzard musvåk. Skylarks sanglerke and Yellowhammer gulspurv were singing everywhere.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Engerdal 26.09 - 01.10 Heading East instead of West

In the last week of September most birders of a sound mind head to rarity islands off the west coast of Norway. I decided to do the opposite and leave my rarity island off the west coast and head inland instead. Largely to avoid having to write the inevitable rarity descriptions up 😊.

The destination was somewhat predicatably Engerdal in Hedmark, eastern Norway

I managed a fair bit of time out and about and enjoyed quite a bit of quality birding in what were, for the most part, fantastic conditions. Vast numbers of thrushes and finches were seen pretty much everywhere - obviously on the move and preparing to go. Waxwings sidensvans, a variety of wildfowl and some of the eastern specialities such as Siberian Jay lavskrike, Three-toed Woodpecker tretåspett and Black Woodpecker svartspett were also noted.

This Black Redstart svartrødstjert was the second record for Engerdal and arguably the best bird I saw up there. It turned up immediately after a brief flurry of snow and was still present the next day. It was incredibly restless and the flight shots were taken as it seemed to want to join some of the many flocks of passing thrushes and finches.

Siberian Jays lavskrike were as cooperative as they usually are - once one has actually found them!

This one is in the process of swallowing a blueberry.

This Three-toed Woodpecker tretåspett flew over the road in front of me seemingly with a flock of thrushes. Always a nice sighting for a birder from the west of Norway....

Adult Black-throated Diver storlom

First year Black-throated Diver storlom

Several lakes in the area still held Black-throated Divers storlom. Largely this was a case of a lone adult together with a young one. Many were vocal.