Pygmy Owl

Yesterday evening saw my fourth owling trip of the autumn and my number of species encountered has now increased to three although the target owl – Tengmalm’s – continues to elude me.

#3 was a Pygmy Owl which showed itself after sunset but before it got dark as is usual for the species. It came to me and then proceeded to hunt close to me when I also picked up a Three-toed Woodpecker which to my surprise was active so late. A Tawny Owl made quite a lot of noise in the area and twice I heard another noise which sounded owl like but I could not place to species. It is still early days so I haven’t given up on pulling in a Tengmalm’s or two in the coming couple of weeks.

A trip to Fornebu yesterday was with Yellow-browed Warbler as a specific target. Not that one had been seen there but on Sunday there had been a couple of inland records north of Oslo which had me hoping there were birds around. There were good numbers of Chiffchaff including one that looked very tristisy (but did not call) but I saw no wing bars nor heard any swiist calls.

Atempts to find more Jack Snipe have turned up blanks at both localities I had them last week suggesting birds have been moving through although birds should also turn up that will hang around at least until the first cold period.

a Pygmy Owl (spurveugle) on almost the exact same branch that I have previously photographed Tengmalm's on

see it?

an autumnal Chiffchaff (gransanger)

flocks of Pink-footed Geese (kortnebbgås) continue to head south of Oslo when the winds are favourable

this Slavonian Grebe (horndykker) has been at Fornebu for a long time now and is now in winter plumage after having arrived still in summer plumage

a flock of 5 Twite (bergirisk) in Maridalen were my first of the autumn and a quite good record of a species that is more more regular on spring passage

this juvenile Whooper Swan (sangsvane) at Fornebu is most likely the same bird that was first seen at Frognerkilen on 27th September. Normally young birds would still be with their parents and also still close to the nest site so for a lone juvenile to turn up away from a nest site so early is very unusual

Tawny Owls 2025

Despite hearing singing Tawny Owl’s (kattugle) on pretty much every nocturnal spring trip in Maridalen I had not managed to find any occupied nest boxes (I have never come across a natural nest hole in Maridalen). I still expected that nocturnal trips in June would reveal the presence of begging young but it is nice when one has a nest to follow. Just in the nick of time I did find a nest and it was purely by chance. One day I heard the sound of a begging young from a place where Tawny Owls were the absolute last thing on my mind. I knew there was a Goldeneye nest box in the tree next to me and looking at I could see a crack in the side and through the crack I could see the white fluffy feathers of baby owls!! They were clearly close to leaving the box and soon one, then two and finally three appeared at the opening 😊

I was able to follow them as over the next few days they one by one left the box and then perched in bushes and trees nearby. At night they made a heck of noise to let their parents know they were hungry but also called during the day. Very surprisingly I never saw an adult during the day even once the young were out of the box when the adults are normally close by and give warning calls when a threat (me) gets too close. I also didn’t see or hear an adult when I spent close to half an hour by the young one night. I had hoped to witness a food delivery in the thermal imager.

The nest box was on the edge of water and I had worried that a young could end up in the water on one of its maiden and uncontrolled flights but I didn’t expect to witness it. On a visit the day the last young left the box what I believe was the youngest reacted to our presence by flying out of its chosen tree (this has never happened with such small young before). It flew, although flapped is a better description, over the water and splash landed about 3m out. We were ready to wade out to save it but it had everything under control and using its wings as paddles made it back to land quickly. It then walked under some bushes and a few hours later was 2 metres up in the same bush begging for food so no harm seems to have been done.

The position of the nest in an isolated line of small trees was probably the reason I never saw the adult as they would have been in larger trees further away but presumably with a view of the area where the nest box was. I had hoped that this would also mean that the young would stay close to the box for quite a long time allowing me to easily find them and observe their development aswell as my hope of witnessing the adults bringing food. However they quickly moved away. Within a couple of nights they had moved close to 50m to the north and come to the end of the line of trees. Another couple of nights later though they had moved the other direction and were 100m from the box having crossed at least 60m of open land (or perhaps water depending on the route they took). It surprised me how quickly and far they moved and makes me wonder why they move and how they keep together. Do the adults encourage them or is it instinct?

They then moved a further 100m to an area of larger trees and perched higher up than before. There were now only 2 young that I could find and when they call at night it is easy to find them. I still failed to witness a food delivery or see an adult but may have heard one, the noises of which are audible in the final video. The young settled down in this area and were easy to find in the daytime.

By 11 days after they had all left the nest box they had moved another 300m which involved another long stretch over open land or water. It was in this new area which was more open woodland that I finally got to see an adult fly in with food and to also hear the young receiving the food. We could also see the young practising their flying skills.

Subsequent visits revealed no owls suggesting they had moved at least another 300 metres into a more extensive area of woodland.

the day I found them after hearing them calling and not quite believing my ears

out of the nest on a wet day

the oldest of the young on a wet day and most of the white downy feathers have been lost

after the unfortunate and unintended swim

in the thermal

me and a baby Tawny

having moved to larger trees 5 days after all the young had left the nest box

it was beyond cute to find them huddled up like this

this was in the evening of the 11th day after all the young had left the nest box

12 days after all the young had left the nestbox

13 days after leaving nest box

three videos from the evening of day 13 the first being the adult arriving with food:

when you are out at night you meet other creatures too

Nightjar becoming «common» and some terns

Male Nightjar (nattravn)

The Nightjar pair I mentioned in my previous post were not to be seen at the same site again although I did have a pair nearby and believe they were moving around and prospecting for a nest site although it is rather late in the season now. Nightjars proved to be rather common in the area with at least 4 territories along a 1.5km stretch which is in start contrast to up until 5 years ago when I had none on my nocturnal trips from the cabin and it is only 2 years ago that I first recorded a bird along this particular stretch. This is a species which along with Great Grey Owl seems to directly benefit for the surge in forestry work this last decade or so.

I have engaged in some sea gazing whilst having my morning coffee and usually saw nothing but yesterday two Sandwich Terns went south - this will presumably now become a species I bump into «all» the time after having waited 24 years for my first in Norway - and today a Caspian Tern went north😊. Apart from these three quality terns I only had 3 Common Terns in total during the week so definitely a case of quality over quantity.

Sea gazing from the cabin is a very comfortable affair but the area of sea that can be viewed is very narrow however I am building up a good list of birds now with these two scarce terns adding to Pomarine Skua, White-billed Diver and Surf Scoter.

Butterflies have again taken up more time than birds although I have also read a book and gone for walks and spent time with my family☺️. After a couple of days with rain it was sunny on Wednesday and it was noticeable that new species were emerging for the first time with especially Ringlet (gullringvinge) appearing in the area for the first time this trip and being numerous overnight.

Sea gazing with coffee, OJ, The Beast and a minute before 2 Sandwich Terns (splitterne) which I did not manage any photos of.

The Caspian Tern (rovterne) did however allow itself to be recorded for prosperity

A Linnet (tornirisk) flying out of this conifer by the cabin had me suspecting a nest

And sure enough there was one. The parents were very secretive when visiting the nest although the male would be perched nearby singing when the female entered with food

Bigger and better Hooters!

As I said in my last post I had some owl action last week 😊

A trip to Owl Rd with Jr after I had been informed of a new site to try for GG paid off big time. It was once again a “perfect” night with no clouds and no wind although this time there was no moon either. At a barmy -2C it was also warm…

On the drive down Owl Rd we heard nothing of the GG. We (or more accurately me as Jr doesn’t get out of the car to just hear owls)  did hear a single Tengmalm’s and then of much more interest a hooting male Ural Owl. Although it was at looong range it was a special bird for me as it represents a self found tick, an Akershus county tick and the first time I heard song (my previous records have either been nesting or winter birds).

The forests here are a southerly extension of the deep forests of Hedmark where Norway's ca.25 pairs of Ural Owls breed and there are a couple of previous records of singing birds on the Akershus side of the county line. It has therefore always been a species I have hoped to hear on my visits to the area so was very satisfying when it finally happened.

On the way back the desired Great Grey sang and was right by the road meaning Jr also got out of the car to enjoy him. It was in  the same area as the bird I filmed last year so could well be the same individual. There was nothing to suggest a pair but I will follow up.

 

As if that wasn’t enough, I then had the pleasure of reacquainting myself with Hawkie in Maridalen who is now hunting from low perches in open woodland which would explain why it has not been seen for a while. I was lucky enough to see it catch a mouse/vole and then eat it.

As it that wasn’t enough a bit later an alarm calling Crossbill alerted me to a Tawny Owl at is daytime roost high in a spruce. It was close to a Goldeneye nestbox and I will have to follow up to see if there are Tawnies nesting here although the hole looked a tad small.

Great Grey Owl (lappugle)

this video sht by Jr has me taking pictures of the owl. You can hear how slow the shutter speed - I was using 1/15 second and a tripod

Hawk Owl (haukugle)

he then flew down and caught a rodent as seen in this video:

before dismembering and eating it:

here he has just landed on the other side of the road with his prey

by the time I had got a bit closer the head had been removed and swallowed

then the inners get eaten

before the rest is just swallowed

ever get the feeling you are being watched? Tawny Owl (kattugle)

A trip yesterday in very similar conditions revealed just one distant hooting Tengmalm's so it clearly isn't a great owl year any more. I have read that if the snow melts too quckly then this can cause a collapse in rodent populations that had been thriving under the snow and the snow did definitely melt quickly here  at the end of February. Even if owls don't always play ball though there can be plenty of other things to see on a cloudless night in the forest. I have seen meteors burning through the sky and last night Jr and I saw this very strange sight which was apparently a string of US Starshield satellites launched by Space X from Californian the day before (Friday) and which are moving themselves into orbit. They moved through the sky in a straightline and were a definite a UFO until we heard about them on the radio a bit later (clearly lots of people had contacted the press about them).

we also had a good show of Northern Lights

and a couple of still white Hares running along the road