Drumming Three-toed pecker

When the sun shines now then more and more species celebrate the longer days and prospect of spring by singing. I have heard various tits, Greenfinch and Goldfinch singing, Ravens displaying and on Thursday woodpeckers suddenly started drumming. I heard 3 Great Spotted simultaneously but best of all was a male Three-toed that showed very well and at times a Great Spotted could be heard in the background which allowed for a good comparison of their subtly different drumrolls.

Wednesday was very exciting when I discovered one of the Pygmy Owls atop a spruce tree. That in itself wasn’t so exciting but was made it so was that a weasel was running around (and disappearing in holes in the snow) right under the owl. The owl had clearly seen the weasel and I was wondering whether it would attempt to take it. Size wize a weasel is large but is it too large? Or does the owl recognise that it is not a rodent but rather a ferocious killing machine? Either way the owl whilst intently following the weasel did not make any attempt on its life and I expect both were attracted to just that area because there were mice/voles to be found. It is even possible that the weasel attracts the owl as the weasel may scare mice into the open?

The owl was in the same place for a good half an hour and a couple of times Hooded Crows and Magpies flew over which caused the owl to radically change posture and become much thinner and taller and with its tiny “ears” raised. I am not sure as to whether it was trying to appear large and more menacing or whether it was trying to become invisible to the corvids.

male Three-toed Woodpecker (tretåspett) drumming

Pygmy Owl (spurveugle) doing its xmas decoration imitation

reacting to a Magpie flying over - notice the "ears"

and hear when a Hooded Crow flew over

this is only the 3rd time I can remember seeing a Weasel (snømus) and all have been in winter when they are white

apart from the much smaller size, the lack of a black tail tip separates Weasel from Stoat (røyskatt). This picture is photoshopped

displaying Ravens

A new guiding Threesome

 Today I was guiding Aron from Canada but now living in Oslo. Aron had a list of birds he wanted to see plus a desire to get to know some of the best birding areas a bit better. As it is November there is not a lot of variety to see but I was able to point out the best places for birding in the spring plus of course try to find the best birds that are currently on offer. I have clearly pleased the Bird Gods – perhaps my eye injury was some sort of sacrifice to them – because the good birds just kept on coming and coming. A morning’s birding gave us a flock of Pine Grosbeak down to 2 metres, a pair of Hazel Grouse feeding on the ground only a few metres from us for a long period of time and to wrap things up a Pygmy Owl also at very close range. On top of this we had 5 species of tit including Crested, Brambling, Dipper and Sparrowhawk amongst others.

Before Covid came to haunt us in the winter of 19/20 I was able to guide a stream visiting birders to my “Taiga Trio” of Pine Grosbeak, Great Grey Owl and Hawk Owl. Post(ish) Covid maybe I can show a small trickle of birders a new Taiga threesome of PG, HG & PO.

Pine Grosbeak (konglebit)

Pygmy Owl (spurveugle)

Hazel Grouse (jerpe)

and a few more pictures of them all

the male HG which seemed to be picking up sand

PG

two very different plumaged birds. The back one is an advanced 1st winter male whilst the close bird is also a 1st winter and presumably a female

the 1st w male

1st w male again

and presumed 1st w female (no red feathers coming through)

PO

at one stage the owl became very alert and started moving its tail about

A few pictures from Thursday when a weasel ran over the road and Black and Green Woodpeckers showed themselves

Black Woodpecker (svartspett) in silhouette

Green Woodpecker (grønnspett)

Weasel (snømus) in its white winter coat. This is only the second or third time I can remember seeing one and they really are tiny!

Stoat or do I mean Weasel?

The winter weather continues today although the precipitation is falling as rain in the city and only higher up as snow. Maridalen did have some new arrivals to show me today. On the lake a flock of 19 Goosander were feeding very actively in the shallows as a flock and looked like they were chasing a shoal of small fish. The two Common Scoter were still present in their preferred spot but have not managed to attract any more of their kin.

Avian highlight was a Rough-legged Buzzard that flew low over the valley in a vain attempt to find a snack. This bird could well be one that is hanging around the Oslo area as there have been a number of records to the east of Maridalen that could indicate 1 or 2 birds are finding the area to their liking.

Mammalian highlight came at one of the feeding stations when a movement on the ground was not a mouse but a stoat, correction weasel (snømus). It was always amazes me how small this predator is – smaller than a rat but it must be a fearsome predator if it manages to take rabbits. My attempts at a photo were pretty hopeless but I did capture the characteristic short tail (the larger weasel has a long tail).

a Nutcracker (nøttekråke) with Maridalsvannet in the background

a Rough-legged Buzzard (fjellvåk) with snow covered trees

back end of a weasel (snømus)

weasels really are small