Each August Nutcrackers descend on Oslo from the surrounding forests (where they are very anonymous in the breeding season) in the search of easy food and hazel nuts are much sought after. We have a few hazel trees in the garden which always attract Nutcrackers although they can be very secretive. This evening there were […]
Tag: norway
Black-throated Divers back in the Dale
It’s all getting a bit too busy for blogging! The end of April is always my favourite time and at the moment it is the movement of Teal and other dabbling ducks that is occupying me with the never-ending searching for something rare in their midst. Yesterday I was at Nordre Øyeren. At this time […]
Finally in the (Norwegian) bag – White-backed Pecker
Before today White-backed Woodpecker was one of three species of regular breeder on the Norwegian mainland that I had not seen in Norway with the other 2 being Stonechat and Leaches Petrel. Norway has a very important population of White-backed Pecker but these birds are all in the west of Norway and have eluded me […]
Breeding Black Redstarts
My posts all refer to the previous day at the moment – a good sign as I am obviously being kept busy. I am really knackered by long trips and survey work so had no big ambitions for yesterday (and left early for Hedmark this morning). I ended up cycling into town to see if […]
Some eye candy and a polar brute
After yesterday’s fiasco I had to do penance to both the environment and my body and hope to regain some credit with the Bird Gods. As I had a lunchtime appointment in town with some nice cheese (courtesy of Egil Ween, one of Norway‘s top birders, Værøy regular and importer of exclusive foods) it was […]
Pintail on ice
A new day and a new weather system. Overnight rain, clouds and a fresh southerly wind were not the best birding conditions and wasn’t eve sure I would bother but eventually decided that it might be worth checking the sea off Fornebu. Not much to write down in the notebook here except for a few […]
More Scaup
As usual with weather forecasts the actual weather today wasn’t quite as expected. The snow has yet to come although temperatures are below zero and ice has formed on puddles. In Maridalen there was a change in the sea duck population. Scaup were down to 5 which were actively feeding in the same area as […]
Jump To It…
After a short break of playing with his brothers and sisters, this young Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus) is summoned by his mother to partake in a mid-day meal. Alkehornet, Svalbard Norway