Haematopus ostralegus, Eurasian oystercatcher, tjeld

Seagulls have easily adapted to life in urban areas, and can be annoyingly abundant. There are many other species of water based bird who have not taken up to living in urban areas, though. The Eurasian oystercatcher is one of them.

One couple has been breeding in a park area surrounding office block buildings just off the waterfront outside the centre of Oslo. The couple had three chicks this summer. Here is one of the parents with two of the juveniles:

The oystercatcher is a wader which walks along the shore and eats snails and clams. In high tide, it can also go on the lawn, and eat worms and snails. Here, it is feeding the juveniles with snails and molluscs:



The oystercatcher doesn't generally eat oysters, but it is capable of opening molluscs by prying it open or hammering through the shell. Often, the technique it handed down to the offspring, so that individual birds will specialize in one way of opening the shells.

Nikon 1 V3 with Nikon 1 CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6.

Coccothraustes coccothraustes, hawfinch, kjernebiter

The Botanical Gardens is a good spot for bird watching during winter. The variety of tree types, and some bird feeders, attract a wide variety of bird species. And, not least, bird enthusiasts:

One of the birds which is exotic, but still fairly easy to spot, is the hawfinch. About ten individuals have been staying in the park. Here is how you usually see them, sitting in the very top of the trees:

Nikon 1 V3 with Nikkor CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 at 300mm, f/5.6, 1/800s, ISO 400.

Larus ichthyaetus, pallas's gull, steppemåke

On August 20th, 2014, a very unusual gull was seen in Oslo, for the first time in Norway, the Pallas's gull, also known as the great black headed gull:

Nikon 1 V3 with Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 at 300mm, f/5.6, 1/800s, ISO 3200.

This gull doesn't belong in our part of the world, in fact, is is very rarely seen in Western and Northern Europe. So this individual is seriously astray, and will probably not make it back to the correct habitat.

Passer montanus, Eurasian tree sparrow, pilfink

The tree sparrow is found in most of Eurasia and Southeast Asia, as well as the United States, where it has been introduced. They often build their nests in natural cavities, or in the abandoned nests of other larger birds.

Lumix GH3 camera with Lumix G 100-300mm f/4-5.6 at ISO 1000, 1/500s, 300mm, f/7.1.

The typical clutch is five to six eggs, which hatch in under two weeks. They feed mainly on seeds.

Anser anser, greylag goose, grågås

The greylag goose is named for its migratory habits: It lags behind other species in the sense that it usually migrates later.

Lumix GH4 camera with Lumix G 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 at ISO 200, 1/320s, 84mm, f/7.1.

In Norway, the number of greylag geese has increased significantly during the last two decades. As it graces on grassy plains and farmland, it causes quite some nuisance. Grass is not particularly high in nutrients, and geese have to eat almost continuously in order to gain any nourishment from it.

Larus argentatus 2k, European herring gull, gråmåke

Gulls are also very commonly seen in Oslo, like many other coastal cities. Just like the pigeons, they are also often considered pests. This individual is an European herring gull, around two years old, and it appears to have lost its right leg. It was less mobile than the other birds around: As I was getting closer, all the other birds flew away.

Lumix GH3 camera with Lumix G 100-300mm f/4-5.6 at ISO 200, 1/800s, 240mm, f/9.

Young gulls are mainly brown with darker streaks, while the birds have a whiter head and underparts with less streaking during the second year. At about four years old, they look like the adult birds.



These are omnivores like most gulls, and will scavenge from garbage dumps, landfill sites, and sewage outflows, with refuse comprising up to half of the bird's diet. It also steals the eggs and young of other birds, including those of other gulls.

Turdus pilaris, fieldfare, gråtrost

The fieldfare is commonly seen in parks, where it walks the lawn, tilting it's head slightly while listening for insects and earthworms:



Lumix GH3 camera with Lumix G 100-300mm f/4-5.6 at ISO 320, 1/500s, 300mm, f/7.1.

In the autumn, their diet consists mostly of berries. If they found a lot of berries, they some times stay during the winter, but mostly they migrate to Southern Europe during October-November.



When alarmed, they make a harsh "tsak tsak tsak" sound to warn other birds, usually while flying away.



Up in Northern Europe, the breeding season starts quite late, perhaps as late as July. The female builds the nest, often on the ground, and with little concealment. The adults will defend the nests aggressively. Each clutch usually has five to six eggs, and the female does most of the incubation.