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