Sunday 11 April 2010

Too much sun

This weekend has been lovely and sunny. Fantastic you might say but not if there are no birds and you have pasty English beetroot-like skin. Do you like my sunburn?

How does somebody turn so red when it is only just over 10 degrees and there is still frost at night?
Both Saturday and Sunday were spent at Fornebu but with birding not being the main activity. The Fornebu area has now has been landscaped into a park (after having been Oslo's airport until the late 90's) and is great for a walk with the family. On Saturday it was just the Rixes but today we were with a whole group of friends and even managed a spot of cricket and a BBQ. All very civilised don't you know?
My binoculars were always round my neck so I did manage so see a few birds although the fine weather was not actually of any help and there was no evidence of active migration on either day (reports from other birders were also negative). On Saturday I had my first Osprey and Stock Dove of the year and today a distant sub adult White-tailed Eagle which was circling very high over the city of Oslo. These great birds have in the last few years started breeding within the inner Oslo fjord so this sub adult may be a sign of even more birds settling down.
My predictions for the coming week? The Pink-footed Geese will have to come soon unless they are choosing to bypass Oslo this year. Otherwise Ring Ouzels have started arriving so I hope to locate some in Maridalen.

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