Sunday 2 October 2016

Euro Birdwatch

Today was Euro Birdwatch Day and at Fornebu they had an event with ringing. Jr Jr really wanted to be able to hold a bird and I ignored my qualms and took the family for what turned out to be a very good event.

Sunny conditions with too much wind made the art of birding trapping difficult and only five birds were caught but Jr Jr was able to hold and release two of them which she was very happy about. The birds caught were Blue Tit, Dunnock, Robin, Siskin and Redpoll. The Redpoll was an interesting bird. Its colour tones (see photos) said to me that the bird was a Lesser Redpoll but according to the ringer the wing length was too long and it was a Common Redpoll. I don’t know what the wing length was but for me the bird looks like a pretty straight forward Lesser Redpoll so just highlighting how difficult these (sub)species are and I am looking forward to the day that we lump all of them.

Rarest bird of the day was a Rook that flew over and most exciting was a Kingfisher which I heard a couple of times and eventually located in a scope allowing everyone to see it. With the successful breeding nearby in Sandvika (apparently two broods) I expect Kingfishers will again be a regular sight at Fornebu during the winter. 
apparently a Common Redpoll (gråsisik) based on wing measurements but the brown wing bar and generally warm brown plumage tones shout Lesser Redpoll (brunsisik) to me

The Kingfisher (isfugl) at ca.200m range
Blue Tit (blåmeis)
Jr Jr with the Blue Tit
and it regains its freedon
a mating pair of Common Darters (rødbrun høstlibelle) kept landing on people
in addition to these Common Darters there was also a Black Darter and a larger species which I never saw perched and didn't manage to identify

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