"Around" 23 March - 03 April - Away from home

A relatively hectic period saw me anywhere but home, including a few days in Dubai (at work with no birding - unfortunately) and then a week up in Engerdal, Hedmark where there were a few opportunities to get out birding a little bit.

Pallas's Gull steppemåke, Dubai

Dubai was the usual airport - hotel - harbour - airport routine with no chance to get out and about. Best birds were a couple of Pallas's Gulls steppemåke in the port area. Otherwise just Black-headed Gulls hettemåke, House Crows etc.

This Pygmy Owl spurveugle had me screeching to a halt and sverving off the road

Beavers bever are obviously very active now....

Typical view of Hazel Grouse jerpe (it actually showed very well before I managed to get my point and pray superzoom out of my bag)

Hazel Grouse jerpe feeding in next door's garden late in the evening....

Back in Norway I headed up to Engerdal and managed to get out for a short period most days. Quite a number of the usual eastern Norwegian specialities were seen during this period including Black Woodpeckers svartspett, Hazel Grouse jerpe, Capercaille tiur, Siberian Jay lavskrike, Pygmy Owl spurveugle and more.

Engerdal Late March - Early April - Eastern Easter

I spent Easter in eastern Norway. The contrast between migration and flowers in bloom at my house to metres of snow and temperatures down to -20 C could not have been greater.

Hazel Grouse jerpe - a typical view

Some wonderful skiing in fantastic weather did not produce the usual specialities - although there were plenty of tracks of various game birds and a distant flock of large finches which were very likely to have been Pine Grosbeak konglebit.  I did connect with Hazel Grouse jerpe a few times at a regular site I have for this species, had drumming Black Woodpecker svartspett from the garden and saw some small signs of spring migration in the form of Whoopers sangsvane arriving to a completely frozen lake and a Blackbird svarttrost.

Pygmy Owl spurveugle

A stopover at Hamar produced a cracking Pygmy Owl spurveugle being mobbed by a flock of tits.