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.
Several days spent bucking the trend by heading east instead of staying put lost me a few good birds on the home front but at the same time put me in touch with a number of species that are impossible to see in Øygarden. I saw around 50 species there, several of which had not been reported thus far this year in Engerdal. I managed to get out for a few mornings in this magical area where I always have the feeling something can turn up:)
Partly due to low cloud and poor visibility it was hard going for some of the time but obviously still plenty of birds about and the first hints of some interesting stuff on the move - for example small numbers of Waxwings sidensvans starting to show and a single Pine Grosbeak konglebit seen and heard at Isterfossen.
On 18th October I started with my usual Engerdal round - checking a few of the lakes and surrounding areas to get a feel for what was about. Best bird was a female Scaup bergand at Vurrusjøen where there was also a decent flock of Goosander laksand. Otherwise it was just the usual species including several Whooper Swan sangsvane, a couple of Black-throated Diver storlom, Dippers fossekall and so on.
Scaup bergand at the Drevsjø end of Vurrusjøen
The following morning I headed a bit higher up to Hyllsjøen but low cloud and poor visibility up here meant things were a bit hard going. Nothing special at all, just small numbers of thrushes and a few Waxwings sidensvans. Back down in the valley a flock of six Waxwing sidensvans at Heggeriset and some good flocks of Redwing rødvingetrost, Fieldfare gråstrost and Starling stær in downtown Engerdal.
Part of a flock of at least 32 Starling stær in downtown Engerdal - probably the biggest flock I've seen of this species in the area
Waxwings sidensvans at Heggeriset
Sunday 20.10 was spent mostly at the house but a flock of 57 Pinkfeet kortnebbgåas heading south was a good sighting and later in the afternoon I connected with a late Robin rødstrupe and a Wren gjerdesmett along with a nice flock of charming Long-tailed Tits stjertmeis.
Long-tailed Tit stjertmeis at Heggeriset
No birding the next day but on Tuesday 22.10, another cloudy day, I kept in the lowlands again. The Scaup bergand remained at Drevsjø where I also heard Waxwing sidensvans and had a distant flock of around 150 geese heading south - presumably Pinkfeet kortnebbgås. I also managed to pick up Treecreeper trekryper and Crested Tit toppmeis in the Drevsjø area - neither of which I see every time I am in the area.
I then tried some promising areas on the edge of the Kvisleflået nature reserve where I was rewarded with good views of a female Capercaille storfugl from the car. A walk in the woods produced almost no birds at all but, just as I returned to the car feeling a bit disappointed a couple of Siberian Jays lavskrike turned up and put on a real show - saving the day by a long way:)
Typical view of Capercaille storfugl
Siberian Jay lavskrike - just love this species, what a character and the places in which it resides are just wonderful.
The morning of my last full day was spent doing pretty much the same as I did on my first day - a "goodbye" round. This was quite a productive trip with singing (!) Black Grouse orrfugl at Volbrenna, a roadside Willow Grouse lirype near Galten, more Waxwings sidensvans, a flyover Pine Grosbeak konglebit at Isterfossen where I also had a Mistle Thrush duetrost, a small flock of Parrot Crossbills furukorsnebb (the only positively identified crossbills this time around), a couple of Goldfinch stillits at Drevsjø where I also had a flock of 28 Goosander laksand.
Dipper fossekall at Galten
Goldfinch stillits at Drevsjø
Goosander laksand at Galten
Roadside Willow Grouse lirype moulting into winter plumage
On the way home downtown Engerdal produced a late Blackcap munk and good numbers of thrushes and finches.
Fieldfare gråtrost
Redwings rødvingetrost
The last morning was spent in and around Heggeriset, a distant aythya duck proved too far off to identify conclusively but was either Tufted Duck toppand or Scaup bergand. Plenty of Brambling bjørkefink still around, along with Whooper sangsvane, Goldeneye kvinand, Mallard stokkand and a Wigeon brunnakke on the lake.
For yet another week it was calm and sunny with light easterly winds. Very frustrating to not be out and about!
Half an hour at Breivik on 06 November was very pleasant but not much other than a few Snipe enkeltbekkasin, a few Bullfinch dompap and a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk. The two Scaup bergand were on Rotevatnet along with a couple of Wigeon brunnakke, a Tufted Duck toppand and the usual Mallard stokkand and Goldeneye kvinand. Back in the garden a Crested Tit toppmeis actually came into the garden - a common enough species but not often they come so close to the house, a Carrion Crow svartkråke flew over and several Common Crossbill grankorsnebb paused nearby.
Snipe enkeltbekkasin hiding in plain view at Breivik
The next day was similar with a female Blackcap munk turning up in the garden. Rotevatnet was the same but a family group of Whooper Swans sangsvane were new in - two adults with three young:)
Two Scaup bergand and a Tufted Duck toppand (left hand bird)
On 08 Wednesday I was in a meeting in Bergen most of the day but picked up a Little Auk alkekonge swimming past my house before I left.
On Thursday I stopped for at least 30 seconds at Husvatnet where a late flock of four Teal krikkand were present. I saw some roadside Waxwings sidensvans near Nautnes but didn't have time to stop.
I took a couple of hours free on the 10 November - and there is obviously still plenty to see. First bird I saw from the garden was a Goshawk hønsehauk having a good go at a Herring Gull gråmåke but it decided to call off the attack. Brambling bjørkefink and a Chiff-chaff gransanger that may have been tristis but did not call were also seen in the garden and a Snipe enkeltbekkasin posed nicely also at Nautnes.
I had a quick look at Hellesøy where migrants were a female Blackcap munk and a few Bullfinch dompap. Stopping briefly at Sæle I was rewarded with cracking views of five Waxwing sidensvans. Now all the rowan berries have gone they have moved onto other things. Introduced bushes are the only thing keeping them hanging around now:) The Scaup bergand / Tufty toppand combo remained at Tjeldstø where one young Whooper sangsvane was going it alone. Two Woodpigeon ringdue here too.
Potentially the bird of the day with a very tristis feel to it. Unfortunately no call so difficult to claim
Roadside Snipe enkeltbekkasin at Nautnes. For once a picture that isn't cropped at all:)
And now for a bunch of gratuitous Waxwing sidensvans shots:
