Monday 19 March 2018

Moose, Parrot and Glauc


We are experiencing some amazing weather at the moment. Blue skies and little wind mean that the heat of the sun warms during the day but nightime temperatures down to -10C mean that the thaw still isn’t happening and won’t happen for a good while.

At the weekend a family cross country ski trip resulted in close views of three moose feeding on hay that is put out for them in an attempt to stop them moving into the city in search of food.

Today I thought I would make the most of the sun and go back to Linnesstranda where the Glaucous Gull is back after having eluded me whilst guiding on Wednesday. I invested in some frozen cod on the way down in the hope of being able to lure close to me but despite me turning on the heating to full in the car it was still a frozen block when I got out of the car. The gull was present, but my frozen fish did not appeal to it (despite the fact that it is only there as it feeds on titbits thrown out by the ice fishermen). I think the problem was that the frozen chunks emitted no smell and really didn’t resemble anything edible. I did get a couple of close flybys though which resulted in some acceptable shots.

Back in Oslo there were three Parrot Crossbills in Maridalen which gave no indication of being in breeding modus (often crossbills start breeding in Feb/March) and earlier on I heard my first singing Yellowhammers of the day which was a very welcome sound.


2cy Glaucous Gull (polarmåke) 







Parrot Crossbills (furukorsnebb). From this angle it is not sp easy to judge the bill shape

but here the massive bill is easy to see

Jr and moose



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