I had big plans last week and had hoped to visit a few localities around Voss. However, that was before inflamed ankle muscles put a stop to all birding and I spent the week hobbling around on crutches. One good thing came out of it though, as all of my birding was focused on my bird table, I took part in the Great Garden Birdwatch, or more correctly the Norwegian equivalent. Nothing special but here is my contribution. 1 European Robin, (above photo) 3 Blackbird, 1 Marsh Tit, 1 WillowTit, 1 Coal Tit, 6 Blue Tit, 11 Great Tit, 1 Eurasian Nuthatch, 6 Magpie, 1 Hooded Crow, 2 Common Chaffinch, 15 Greenfinch, 29 Siskin, 11 Common Redpoll, 1 CommonBullfinch and 3 Yellowhammer. Thankfully my ankle is now on the mend as I leave on a birding trip next week so my blog will not be updated for the next few weeks.
They say that history repeats itself. I don't know if there is any truth in this, but about the same time last year I had to collect a Great Grey Shrike (above photo) that had flown into a window. On Wednesday I had to collect a Hawfinch (below) that had also flown into a window. It is always a shame when this happens, but two uncommon species in two years is an average that I don't wish to continue with. Since my last blog the weather has improved and it is not as cold. Hopefully I will find time this week to check out a few areas.
Not only did the cold weather continue, it got worse, with temperatures down to minus 33 centigrade in some areas of Voss on the 7/1. Monday the 4/1 started with a flock of Siskin/Redpoll sp. in my garden. Unfortunateley they didn't hang around so I didn't get time to go through the flock or count the numbers, but there was well over a hundred birds. The Hawfinch flock just outside Voss had reached 14 birds and they seem to be doing OK at the well stocked bird table. I can't say the same for wildfowl. Lakes that are usually free of ice are frozen solid. This is forcing what few Swans Geese and Ducks that are still around to congregate at open areas of rivers or other small openings in the ice. Somhow I don't think the amount of food to be found at these openings is not great. The Whooper Swan in the picture (above) remained in that position for most of the day. The same can be said for the male Blackbird (below) that visits my bird table. He just sits all day eating and barely flys away when I go out with food.
On the 8/1 there were 8 Bohemian Waxings (below) and 2 Fieldfares feeding on berry trees in the centre of Voss while the Hawfinch flock had gone down to 9 birds on the the 9/1.
It is not the birds that are feeling the pinch, I too have had enough of the arctic conditions. Usually at this time of the year I head home to England or visit my daughter in the Netherlands, but it seems just as cold and snowy in those countries as well. Maybe I should head for warmer chimes, a week or two in Spain could be interesting. So if this blog is not updated next week then it is Viva La Spania.
Happy New Year One and all. The last week of the year started with really cold weather with minus 24 centigrade being the lowest here in my home town of Voss. New Years day was warmer with “only” minus 15 centigrade. As you can imagine birdlife is not at its best in such conditions but the bird table was lively with good numbers of Blue and Great Tit as well as the three Long-tailed Tit that have been hanging around since the cold period started. I couldn’t hide indoors all day so I decided it was time to brave the cold and head out. I started at the rubbish dump. As expected there were large numbers of Magpie, Hooded Crows and Common Ravens but no other members of the Corvidae family. A flock of 4 Crossbill flew in and landed in the top of some coniferous trees, Their “chip” call seemed deep so I put the scope on them and was delighted to see Parrot Crossbill. I then headed for some built up areas, checking many of the feeding stations that are in peoples gardens. Here there was a good selection of the commoner species with small numbers of Fieldfare and a single HawfinchMallard, a male Tufted Duck and two female Common Goldeneye were swiming around while 4 White-throated Dippers could be seen standing on the edge of the ice. There wasn’t much time for birding on the 2/1 as I had to drive family members to the airport in Bergen. This is usually an uneventful trip but as I was leaving Voss I saw 3 Bohemian Waxwings in the top of a Rowan tree and while nearing the airport at Flesland an overwintering Common Kestrel flew over the car, no doubt having hard times due to the thick layer of snow on the ground. On the 3/1 I decided to drive to check some areas along the Hardangerford. The Common Goldeneye flock at Ålvik contained 518 birds (some of the flock - above photo) while the flock at Ljonesvågen contained 174. It will be interesting to see if these flocks increase during the winter months. Other than the Common Goldeneyes, Great Cormorants, small flocks of Mallard, Tufted Duck and Red-breasted Mergansers as well as good numbers of Herring Gull and a few Great Black-backed Gulls there was little else on the fjord. The day was rounded off with a nice sunset over the fjord (below photo) as I made my way home after an enjoyable day out.
They say that history repeats itself. I don't know if there is any truth in this, but about the s
Not only did the cold weather continue, it got worse, with temperatures down to minus 33 centigrade in some areas of Voss on the 7/1. Monday the 4/1 started with a flock of Siskin/Redpoll sp. in my garden. Unfortunateley they didn't hang around so I didn't get time to go through the flock or count the numbers, but there was well over a hundred birds. The Hawfinch flock just outside Voss had reached 14 birds and they seem to be doing OK at the well stocked bird table. I can't say the same for wildfowl. Lakes that are usually free of ice are frozen solid. This is forcing what few Swans Geese and Ducks that are still around to congregate at open areas of rivers or other small openings in the ice. Somhow I don't think the amount of food to be found at these openings is not great. The Whooper Swan in the picture (above) remained in that position for most of the day. The same can be said for the male Blackbird (below) that visits my bird table. He just sits all day eating and barely flys away when I go out with food. 
