I’ve long been itching for a seagaze. It didn’t need to be a
particularly good one just as long as there were a steady passage of birds.
Over 10 years ago I had for a few years the habit of driving the hour to
Brentetangen, just south of Moss in Østfold and seawatching from there before
visiting nearby Kurefjorden. I cut some of my Norwegian birding teeth doing
this and had some good birds and company doing so. Brentetangen used to attract
quite a gang on good days but these days seems to get little attention. Serious
birders are become a scarce species not just in Oslo but it would seem all over
Norway.
I’d been looking at Windy.com for a few days and had highish
hopes that yesterday would deliver some north bound passage over the sea. After
a long period of northerly winds they were finally going to swing south on
Thursday afternoon so by Friday there should be loads of birds. The winds did
not end up being quite so southerly as initially forecast and it was quite cold
but I still think that I should have seen more than I did which in terms of
migration was pretty much nothing. Gannet and Kittiwake were good birds for me
and are both species that usually need a real southern storm to end up Akershus
waters but just 20km further south are fairly regular no matter the weather.
| the view from Brentetangen looking 10km across the fjord to Vestfold |
Kurefjorden was also disappointing with 18 Dunlin being the
only calidris waders although I was sure I heard a BbS.
| and Kurefjorden. I was expecting waders to be dropping out of the skies |
Question now is how many years will it be before I try the
Østfold combo again?
Thursday was another of those religious public holidays that
Norway loves «celebrating» but for which 90% of the population have no idea why
- it was of course Ascension Day and if you also don’t know what that
represents then I recommend Google…
The winds may have been from the north in the morning but
finally it was raining and the clouds heavy and low. Surely this would draw all
the remaining serious Oslo birders out of their warm beds? Fat chance but as
there seemed to be little to find maybe they were just birding smart.
I decided to keep it local. Maridalen early doors was just
wet but Østensjøvannet had ca.300 Swallows and martins. I promise I looked at
every single one but a red rump was not to be seen. Such a large congregation
was a joy to see as the last couple of years have not seen scenes like this and
means the lake again must have good numbers of insects.
| just a small fraction of the Swallows (låvesvale) and a single Sand Martin (sandsvale) |
Back in the Dale around 11am there was a very brief period
when the rain stopped and waders flew over: a flock of Wood Sands, a couple of
Greenshank, 3 Whimbrel then 160 Golden Plovers. And then it was over.
| most of the Golden Plover flock (heilo) |
I allowed Jr Jr to have some driving practice and drive me
to Svellet but despite water levels not having risen and rain having fallen
there were hardly any waders. This is strange given the passage I had over Maridalen and also a fall of arctic bound waders reported at Øra but I have noted this before that when other places experience fall like numbers of waders that Svellet can be nearly empty of birds.
Maridalen has had some exceptional days in late April and
May always when there is rain and heavy, low cloud but they are not happening
with the regularity I remember although I am sure that they didn’t happen quite
as much as rose tinted memory tells me. Looking at the numbers it is actually
seven years since the last big day which was 10th May 2019 but that will
perhaps be a day never to be repeated.
This morning’s pre breakfast Maridalen visit was no less
uninspiring that the last few days except for one bird that was totally not on
my radar - a Taiga Bean Goose. This was my first record in the Dale although there is a previous record (but I remember seeing that bird and choosing not to put it on my list as such).
I finally found nesting Black Woodpeckers although they were
still excavating which is very late. Three Great Spots were also drumming which
again is late - both these species should be on eggs by now. Two Wryneck
singing in the same area were to be more expected at this time of the year but
no less exciting for that.
| I nearly didn't pay these geese any attention but with the nakes eye thought that the bird second left looked a bit like a young White-fronted Goose (tundragås) one of which was found yesterday at Østensjøvannet. Through the bins it proved to be a Greylag but I continued looking at the other geese and the one of the top was a Taiga Bean!! |
| here the head and bill shape leave me in no doubt |
| just based on this picture though I am sure you could rgue for both Tundra and Taiga although I think the bill shape can only match Taiga and the extensive orange is also a very pro Taiga feature |
| It was also a large bird with a swan like stature |
| I would not say this bird is a classic Taiga but believe that most features are pro Taiga. I also must say that I do hate single Bean Geese and it would be much more convenient if the two species were lumped again |
| in the river it was also upending which I also view as pro Taiga |
| I had been hearing Black Woodpeckers (svartspett) and was sure they were nesting so went looking for a suitable tree and hole. These huge splinters on the road! gave away where they were. |