Sunshine Coast Birds

Birding and other wildlife experiences from the Sunshine Coast and elsewhere in Australia - and from overseas - with scribblings about travel, environmental issues, kayaking, hiking and camping.

Sunday 25 June 2017

Europe Part 7 - Birding Norway I

Common Tern
After looking around Oslo (see following post) Ketil and I drove up to the Krysbmyra Forest in the mountains near the city. Our drive was followed by a 30-minute bicycle ride and a hike through the beautiful spruce and pine forests.

Ketil in Krysbmyra
We were looking for Pine Crossbill and encountered 4 parties, seeing two birds briefly. This was the fifth lifer of the trip for me. Tree Pipit showed nicely.

Tree Pipit
We flushed a pair of Eurasian Nightjars.

Eurasian Nightjar - Pic by Ketil Knudsen
We had a delightful lunch with the Knudsen family in Oslo before travelling south to the family's equally delightful coastal villa at Tasken, near the mouth of the Oslo Fjord.

Lunch with the Knudsens
Here we took a boat ride around the fjord, with Ketil at the helm.

Tasken, Oslo Fjord
Birds on the islands included Rock Pipit, numerous Greater Black-backed Gulls and Northern Wheatear.

Greater Black-backed Gull
Common Terns were nesting on the islands but they are suffering greatly from increasing predation by gulls, which have fewer fish to catch, evidently due to warming waters in the fjords.

Common Tern
Many male Common Eiders were coming into breeding plumage. Other waterbirds included Common Scoter, Velvet Scoter and Red-breasted Merganser.

Common Eiders
Around the villa were Eurasian Linnet, Common Wheatear and nesting Greater Whitethroat.

Eurasian Linnet
Driving east towards the Swedish border we found several Western Marsh-Harriers, including one that had caught a large vole.

Western Marsh-Harrier
Yellowhammer and Whinchat were quite common.

Whinchat
Yellowhammer

We spent a day wandering the streets of Oslo, seeing the Parliament, the waterfront, the Royal Palace and Akershus-Festning Fort, among other things.

Oslo waterfront
Akershus-Festning Fort

No comments:

Post a Comment