Siberian Jay 5 - Siberian Tit 0

The last day of the VENT trip saw us looking unsuccesfully for White-backed Woodpeckers (hvitryggspett) near Eidfjord. We did have a few commoner woodpand birds though including Marsh Tits (løvmeis).
Yesterday saw me searching for Siberian Tits (lappmeis) near Alvdal. This is the fourth time i have searched for birds in this isolated southerly population and for the fourth time I failed. They occur at very low densisty with Willow Tits (granmeis) being more widespread and Willow Tits were the only tits I found. The preferred habitat is a very special being highland pine forest over a lichen covered floor. Siberian Jays (lavskrike) were more obliging and I had a family party of 5 birds although due to the rain they did not show too well even though they came close.

bedragled Siberian Jay

Awesome Hardangervidda

The penultimate day of the VENT Southern Norway your was spent on the majestic Hardangervidda visiting the lake at Tinnhølen, a place I first visited 30 years ago when I was not yet a fully fledged birder. This is a magical place in the heart of the vidda and if it is kind to you can reveal some marvellous mountain species and if it is not so kind-hearted can be a frustrating place for a birder.

Today was unfortunately one of those days. It was a bit too windy for the birds and we struggled. Dotterel (boltit) was confined to a close calling bird that we just could not locate. Shore Larks (fjellerke) showed well though with 2 pairs collecting food and one had this fledged youngster sitting still just yards from the path.

recently fledged Shore Lark

adult Shore Lark with a beak full of food

Lapland Bunting (lappspurv), Bluethroat (blåstrupe) and Golden Plover (heilo) were represented by just a single specimen of each when I would normally expect to see many. On the raptor front not a single Rough-legged Buzzard but a single Peregrine (vandrefalk) was a good record although I would have preferred the more likely Gyr Falcon (jaktfalk). Of waders, a total of 6 Temminck’s Stints was good although only one allowed itself to be examined and there were a couple of Ringed Plovers (sandlo) and half a dozen Redshank (rødstilk). On the water we had a pair of Scaup (bergand) and a male Common Scoter (svartand) amongst a few Tufted Duck (toppand).

spot the Temminck's Stint

Some great scenery was to be admired today

The Hardanger Glacier

perfect reflections on Ustevannet near Geilo

Vøringfossen waterfall

The gorge below the waterfall

 

Arriving in the mountains

searching for forest birds

Today we made our way from Drammen up to Geilo along the scenic Rv.40 with stops at suitable looking places along the way. Best birds were Crane (trane), Black-throated Diver (storlom), 4 Merlin (dvergfalk) including a pair breeding in an old crow’s nest, Bluethroat (blåstrupe), Arctic Tern (rødnebbterne), Crested Tit (toppmeis), Wryneck (vendehals), Green Woodpecker (grønnspett) and Mistle Thrush (duetrost).

Unfortunately hoped for birds such as Siberian Jay (lavskrike), Three-toed Woodpecker (tretåspett) and Red-necked Phalarope (svømmensipe) did not show today.

Today’s comedy moment was when the 50 seater bus proved, as long feared, to be unsuitable for this trip when the chosen road became first a gravel track and then too narrow and then too steep. As we drove past a farmhouse we realised that they were not waving at us but signalising STOP which we very soon had to. A guy then came out taking pictures of us to post on Facebook – they have had crazy tourists driving up here before but never a coach! With his help our accomplished driver was able to turn the bus but we had to admit that we could not get to Budalen. As luck would have it though our Facebook friend was the driver of a minibus and he drove us (for a very moderate price) up to the lake and proved to be a very entertaining tour guide!

female Grey-headed (Yellow Wagtail race thunbergi) in Burdalen

recently fledged Willow Tit

On the road

Why have Google stopped supporting Firefox and Windows Explorer for their blogs?! They want you to start using Chrome but they are just being ridiculous. I am forced to do everything in HTML and have far less options available to me. Rant over... Yesterday and today we have been in Vestfold staying in Horten and Stavern. Sites visited have been Borrevannet, Møringa, Presterødkilen, Mølen, Gjennestadvannet and Linnesstranda (we are now staying in Drammen). Some good birding has been had with brilliant views of 2 Honey Buzzards today at Gjennestadvannet. I, of course, had left my camera in the coach but the clients took some brilliant pictures. Also Cranes, Slavonian Grebe, Whooper Swans, Hobby, Marsh Harrier, Thrush Nightingale, Marsh Warbler amongst others.

Here are some of the pictures I didn't take

Honey Buzzard, Brian Gibbons

Thrush Nightingale, Ronan O'Malley

Honey Buzzard, Ronan O'Malley

Guiding

This week my professional birding career is kicking off in style. I am the local guide for a VENT tours 6 day trip around Southern Norway. We are 7 customers, 2 guides and a driver in a 50 seater luxury coach!! The birding destinations we will visit will never have experienced anything like us before!
Today we were in the Oslo area and visited Nordre Øyeren and of course Maridalen. Blyth's Reed Warbler (busksanger), Hobby (lerkefalk), Marsh Harrier (sivhauk), Red-backed Shrike (tornskate) and Wryneck (vendehals) were highlights of a good day.

This Hobby was hawking insects over our heads at Årnestangen