Good end to the month

The last day of October was surprisingly good in Maridalen and I added 3 species to my Oslo 2025 year list. With 178 species so far 2025 is a completely average year (at least according to my eBird stats) but is way behind last years record haul.

First up was a flyover Parrot Crossbill. There are as good as no Common Crossbills left in Oslo’s forests so any crossbill is a good bird at the moment and get perhaps more attention than it would have last year.

Second up was a real Oslo rarity and one I didn’t see last year – Marsh Tit. A pair had been seen on Sunday so I have had them on my radar but it was first today that I heard their characteristic pitchuu call and then got to see them (they look very similar to the far commoner Willow Tits and call is by far the easiest way to tell the two species apart). They didn’t hang around for long as they continued on their travels looking for food but will hopefully be here all winter and maybe breed next year. Marsh Tit is a proper and surprising rarity in Oslo despite there being established populations only a few kilometres beyond the county line in for example Lørenskog. These are only my third record in Oslo after a bird at Østensjøvannet in October 2017 and then a bird that spent the winter of 2018/19 in Maridalen at the exact same spot where I saw today’s birds. It does look like the species was commoner in Oslo in the past although I can find only a single breeding record from 2000 but there is also a big problem interpreting the many undocumented reports many of which I would suggest should be accompanied by a helping of salt. On that note though I do have to admit that my attempt to document today’s sighting was extremely poor and is barely a record shot. My excuses are that I was walking the Beast and only had the superzoom but most embarrassingly I have now found out that the (good) video I thought I had taken which included the call does not exist because in time honoured fashion I clearly only pressed the record button when I was finished so have some useless video as the camera swung from shoulder….

The current birds could of course just have wandered from one of the close populations but given that all other species of tit are irrupting this year then it would be no surprise if Marsh Tits are also on the move so these could well have come from far away.

Last up and also an addition to my Norwegian 2025 lists was a female Grey-headed Woodpecker. I initially saw her quite close but had my usual series of camera problems so didn’t manage to do her justice but with luck she has already chosen to spend the winter in Maridalen and will turn up on some feeders.

the pictures I got of the Marsh Tits (løvmeis) probably do count as a record shot as the one that is in focus where the bird is looking at me does show the pale spot at the base of the upper mandible and that the back of the cheek is not white but rather creamy

my best pic of the Grey-headed 'pecker is a little bit better but hardly good

my flight shots are of their usual dismal quality but it is IDable

perched a long way away where it did also call

picture of a Jay (nøtteskrike) are much better and it is also a much smarter bird

Long-tailed Tits (stjertmeis)

autumnal reflections

the Pink-footed Goose (kortnebbgås) is still with the Whoopers (sangsvane) but is a master at disappearing in the stubble

and here some footage of a pod of at least 5 Harbour Porpoises that I saw in the fjord whilst auk watching on Wednesday

a Harbour Porpoise (nise)

and 5 of them that just floated on the surface for a few seconds

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Brunnich's Guillemot

On Wednesday I had that much anticipated and rarely occurring event that is an Oslo tick. Never-the-less it didn’t leave me feeling in an especially celebratory mood because the views were not that great and the photographic evidence leads much too be desired. The bird in question was my first Oslo Brunnich’s Guillemot. This is a species that breeds in the far north of Norway but is a very infrequent sighting anywhere in the country away from the breeding sites as its wintering areas are far out in the Arctic Ocean. On Wednesday the fjord was very calm off Huk, Bygdøy and lots of ice had formed. The result was that birds were easy to see on the sea and also concentrated in a smaller area than normal. The recent southerly winds had pushed in quite good numbers of Guillemots which were now easily outnumbering the Razorbills which had previously (and unusually) been the commonest auk this winter. Most of the auks were resting in small groups on the open water but a few were feeding on their own amongst the ice. One of these birds, and a relatively close one, immediately caught my eye as it had a lot of black in the face. I had already noted an adult Guillemot in summer plumage (most of the birds that get pushed in are immatures that do not acquire summer plumage) but this bird was different. It was a stubbier, more angular bird than a Common Guillemot and seemed to have cleaner, white flanks. This was interesting and my thoughts went immediately to Brunnich’s. I cranked up the magnification on the scope and immediately felt able to confirm that it was one even though range and lighting were not the best. I could just about make out the diagnostic white line over the short bill but in the only picture I managed that shows the bird in any way that might approach a record shot it is not visible. It started diving and swimming away from me and joined a small group of Common Guillemots on the open water. This group contained an adult in summer plumage and he Brunnich’s was clearly separable even at long range due to its different jizz with a shorter bill and more angular head. Also the white flanks (lacking obvious barring) were visible.

So, a tick but not of the “here look at my great picture of it” variety.

 

In Maridalen Brambling was a new bird for the year and the Grey-headed Woodpecker turned up again after an absence of 3 weeks or so and finally showed in nice sunlight. I also saw my first Green Woodpecker of the year (had previously only heard them calling) with a “singing” female. With all the snow I have been looking for mammal tracks in the snow. I have seen numerous Moose and Roe Deer, Red Squirrel, Beaver, presumed fox and Pine Marten. Pine Marten is a species I have only ever seen once but I think is a reasonably common species around Oslo and perhaps even in the city.

Brunnich's Guillemot (polarlomvi)...

Maridalen's female Grey-headed Woodpecker (gråspett) with the red feathers in the crown is still here

and a female Green Woodpecker (grønnspett)

my first Brambling (bjørkefink) of the year

and some Bullfinches (dompap) which seem to be very numerous this winter

tracks of Pine Marten (mår)

and droppings

and some random shots of Maridalen in the snow

Purple Sandpipers 2024

Today we have had a mini heat wave in Oslo which rather surprisingly arrived on the back of northerly winds. From temperatures in Maridalen of -27C less than a week ago the thermometer showed +5C today! Interestingly it was also warmer the higher up one came. We will return to below zero tomorrow and after forecast to once again have double digit minus next week.

I paid a visit to Huk, Bygdøy early in the morning and was entertained by the flock of overwintering Purple Sandpipers running around on the frozen rocks nearly at my feet. On the sea there was more variety than my last visit with Shag, Little Auk, Razorbill, Guillemot and both scoters.

Maridalen gave a duo with Pygmy Owl being the missing trio member.

Purple Sandpiper (fjæreplytt), 1 of 9 I saw

the rocks on the shore above the high water line were all covered in ice

I am seeing the Great Grey Shrike (varsler) in Maridalen far less often but when I do see it it is always in the same area. With all the snow it must be difficult for it to find food

Grey-headed Woodpecker (gråspett)

adult (female) Peregrine seen yesterday at is usual winter spot on the top of a mobile mast

Beardies

If you can withstand the cold then it is fantastic to be out at the moment with blue skies and no wind. It is slightly warmer now with temperatures staying above -20C and we are forecast to have a brief period with plus temperatures on Thursday before it gets cold again.

There are still very few birds to see though and a long walk in the forest today in perfect listening conditions was very poorly rewarded although I did hear my first Black Woodpecker and Hazel Grouse of 2024. I also finally had a Pygmy Owl in Maridalen and with both Great Grey Shrike and Grey-headed Woodpecker yesterday then the trio of interesting birds remains.

A visit to Fornebu yesterday gave fantastic views of the Bearded Tits but again Wrens were absent and it wouldn't surprise me now if I don't see or hear one until the spring,

the Bearded Tits (skjeggmeis) were feeding on the edge of the reedbed and often went into bushes

this female had darks stipes on its back

here she has been eating snow

Grey-headed Woodpecker (gråspett)

in addition to the red feathers there is a piece of peanut skin on her crown

Pygmy Owl (spurveugle) and an angry Coal Tit (svartmeis)

a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (dvergspett) was a welcome sight in Maridalen 

the setting sun reflecting off windows south of Maridalsvannet and a sky with a lot of pollution from wood burning stoves adding to the colours

the Pygmy Owl