As February lurches back towards the mundane I opted to try for a British and WestPal bird list addition that I had recorded previously only in Florida two years ago. A first-winter drake Blue-winged Teal, of genuine cited provenance has been over-wintering on these shores in the southern part  of the “English Riviera” in south Devon through much of the current season.

Though at 180 miles this vagrant Nearctic duck was beyond my past preferred range, I had been considering taking another step on that slippery slope for a while now. Earlier in the winter it (the BWT) could perhaps have been described as rather nondescript, but more recently a few recognisable pictures had begun to appear online. And some other Oxon birders had hence made the same journey as spring approaches, ahead of myself.

Today’s best effort … Blue-winged Teal (imm male)

I arrived on site at the tiny and highly picturesque NT Man Sands Wetland to the south of Brixham just before 9:00am, feeling a little flat perhaps a week on from GGOslo, though that is something about which I should not complain. From a car park at SX 91311 53068 an unmade road leads steeply down to the shoreline behind which lie some man made lagoons. In the cold, clear morning light it was at once plain I had gotten somewhere above averagely pleasant, and with bird sounds filling the air and their sources active in the hedgerows my dulled spirits began to revive.

The wildlife habitat here has been created by the National Trust (see here) since 2005, by removing old sea defences and field drainage to create a series of pools of standing water and marshland. A well established reed bed has now developed and the whole complex attracts common wildfowl and other water birds, wintering waders such as Snipe, and more. Today Cettis Warbler announced themselves here and there, while Stonechat were prominent in the surrounding fields. A Black Redstart has also over-wintered around a redundant lime kiln at the site though I wasn’t able to locate it.

Man Sands Wetland looking towards the sea

On the landward side of the wetland is a small, elevated bird hide. My quest had been absent from RBA over the previous three days, though having been resident in the locality for quite some time it has become less newsworthy. Would it still be here? I scoped around the scene before me picking out small numbers of Gadwall, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Moorhen and Coot … and then the unmistakable form of the Blue-winged Teal. It was now 9:30 am and mission had already been accomplished.

The most noticeable features at that range of a BWT drake are possibly the broad white facial crescent and a bill that is much larger than those of Eurasian and other Teal species. This maturing individual was certainly an attractive sight as it dabbled continuously in the marshy vegetation of its adopted abode. The home range is north America where they occur almost throughout the continent, and British records average around four a year.

Man Sands Wetland and environs (site plan)

From the hide I noticed occasional walkers on the South West Coast Path between the lagoons and the beach here. Gaining any recognisable pictures from where I was seemed unlikely and so I walked down to the shoreline to try my luck closer in. Indeed better results were then attainable though nothing of any quality. At all times this otherwise delightful duck seemed intent on keeping to semi-cover and making acceptable pictures of itself as difficult as possible to acquire. These records (below) are all digiscoped.

1w drake Blue-winged Teal (all pictures)

I hadn’t especially wanted to come here today but the longer I lingered in this remote, even idyllic location the more I was drawn in by its natural beauty and tranquillity. And so as on many occasions in even more off the beaten track parts of the world I came to evaluate the seclusion of my situation. It was just me again in communion with this other lone wanderer, not unlike that with the Dwarf Bittern on Fuerteventura a year ago. This is what I know and it would be churlish not to appreciate that I can do these things.

Man Sands Wetland looking inland

After two hours on site hunger pangs prompted my departure, then I drove into Brixham to seek a pasty shop. Earlier in the hide I had taken an opportunity to take pictures of several Bullfinch that were attracted to feeders placed just outside. The pictures (below) are impacted by having been captured through a none too clean, non-lift-able window.

Bullfinch (male)

Bullfinch (male)

Bullfinch (female)

Cirl Bunting has become something of a staple during my more recent travels in southern Europe, but in the British Isles is present only in south Devon that represents a kind of outpost in the species’ European range. My first career record was in November 1988 at Lannacombe Bay, south of where I was today, at which I believe Cirls are now rather more occasional. 16 miles north of Man Sands lies RSPB Labrador Bay (SX 930703), a small coastal reserve that is managed for the species and is now cited as the best site to observe them nationally.

Cirl Bunting

It seemed a pity not to take such an opportunity when I was nearby, so that is where I headed in the afternoon. It didn’t take long to locate some Cirls (pictured above) and I found just three. An information board quoted 34 pairs on territory, but there was a lot of very steep habitat to search and by now I was feeling quite tired. So contenting myself with a reconnoitre of the site I spent just an hour there, filed it away for future reference then headed home.

The bottom line today was I gained a career 355th British and 499th WestPal bird. 180 miles indeed seems to be the new 150 where travelling is concerned, and time on the road passed easily enough. But it’s not all about numbers as a very wise Oxon birding colleague once chided me. The snap decision upon waking too early to plug a little gap in the field guide had produced an interesting and worthwhile outing.

Since mid-December the Norwegian capital city of Oslo has held a second outstanding opportunity for pan-European and western palearctic bird listers. In that time local guide Simon Rix (see here) has been tracking up to five Great Grey Owls just outside the city and more recently two northern Hawk Owl as well. Ewan has followed the situation with interest since the first of those is a very much desired lifer for him, so when he told me he was going this week I opted to join him.

The Great Grey Owls are wintering in the forested Maridalen area to the immediate north-west of greater Oslo. They favour partially felled clearings in which their small furry mammal prey is most numerous. It is a return to such a mode of forestry in recent years, instead of the more industrial scale logging of times past, that has led to a recovery of the GGO population in southern Scandinavia; along with greater provision of nesting platforms. The food source in this habitat reaches its peak around 12 months after felling, then the Owls just arrive and find it – no-one really understands quite how.

Great Grey Owl (adult female)

Great Grey Owl’s core Westpal range is northern Fennoscandia eastward through Siberia, in which they are year round residents. But two sub-species, attributed with being the world’s largest in length though of lighter weight than Eurasian Eagle Owl, also occur throughout the taiga zone of the northern hemisphere. Actual size can be deceptive, since GG’s feather mass, large head and long tail belie a body that is lighter than other large Owls. Breeding habitat, in which they mostly re-use old raptor nests or broken-topped trees, is dense coniferous forest with some deciduous tree content mixed in.

As in December, our guide met us from the 9:30 am Ryanair arrival from London Stansted. Like Short-eared and Barn Owls at home the GGs are a very popular draw with photographers, and some Maridalen locations have been staked out daily since 15th December when the first Owl was discovered here. Simon has since found more locations to which he takes his clients and we now searched habitat such as this (below) in a number of those.

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Late morning is potentially the least productive time of day for encountering hunting birds, however and so it now proved. The surroundings were nonetheless stimulating in the cold, clear winter light with a moderate snow cover. Eventually we came across some toggers who had found a Great Grey Owl that was partially concealed within fairly deep cover due to being harassed by Ravens. This (below) was my best result from an initial picture session.

Step one: see the bird, get any kind of picture

We then decided it would be best to come back later in the day when GGs should be more active again, and so went to seek the second trip target. In recent weeks a pair of northern Hawk Owl have taken up residence in an agricultural area about 30 minutes drive from Maridalen. Upon our arrival there one of these birds was atop a Spruce tree at some distance. On our reaching that spot the Owl remained steadfastly on its perch as we attempted to capture it pictorially from below. Now both my own sought lifers for this tripette had been secured, the only regularly occurring European Owl I still require is Tengmalm’s, and my wish-list of northern birds otherwise continues to shrink.

First sight of Hawk Owl

Northern Hawk Owl (record shot)

Northern Hawk Owl occupies a similar geographic range to Great Grey, with which it shares and breeds in taiga forest habitat, but is active only during daylight. This generally low density species is non-migratory though there can be southward irruptions in some years. It actually is quite hawk like in appearance and jizz, flying in a similar way to Sparrowhawk for instance but with a noticeably larger head. Today’s bird has been known to offer close, lower level views at this site, but we saw it only in the tree tops.

Today’s northern Hawk Owl © and courtesy of Simon Rix

Later in the afternoon we returned to Maridalen to resume our quest for Great Grey Owl. Once more they were just not playing ball in the places where Simon would have preferred us to see them. Then he received a call to say one had been located at the rear of a clearing back by the road. On our reaching that spot various of the toggers were there ahead of us but the rules of engagement were very orderly.

Out in the middle distance was the stately, brooding shape of the large northern Owl that had brought me back to Oslo. For the next hour or so the bird just sat on its perch in classic pose, surveying the area before it from that magnificent radar dish of a face, swivelling it’s head from side to side or looking straight in front but not actually taking flight to catch prey. This one’s large size suggested it was an adult female, since males can be somewhat smaller.

Step 2: get better views and a recognisable picture

Great Grey Owl on day 1

We join local birders and photographers to watch the top row GGO

More cars and their occupants arrived, everybody knew one another and the gathering was all quite good natured. It had been a most successful first day. We stayed overnight at the very reasonably priced Anker Hotel in central Oslo where I slept soundly after a long day. Breakfast was once again superb, as all Norwegian hotels pride themselves upon. Having observed and taken pictures of a kind of both trip targets, the objective for day two would be to secure a close encounter with Great Grey Owl and gain more acceptable studies … and that was just how things turned out.

In the morning we returned to Maridalen at 8:30am where two local birders who were already on site had relocated the large female. She was now actively hunting in roughly the same area (pictured below) where she was perched the previous afternoon. When she landed atop a sawn off Silver Birch, we thus encountered this desired pose for the the first time. Eventually she flew off deeper into the forest and Simon had a good idea to which spot she was heading. We followed him there and so the end game came to be enjoyed.

Great Grey Owl on day 2

Great Grey Owl on day 2

The pictures in this post so far are not intended for judging as “photographs”, but included to illustrate how my experience here unfolded over time. Now the sought after close encounter and culmination of why we had travelled here arrived and what an event it was. There before our most appreciative eyes sat an impressive Owl indeed, more normally viewable in the taiga wastes many hundreds of miles further north. Ewan was purring, describing the bird before us as one of his career greatest must-sees that he didn’t expect ever to observe quite like this. Me? … Well I just ticked it … or such perhaps is my reputation back home in Oxfordshire.

Step 3: get close views and better pictures

These half-decent sequences were captured over the ensuing 90 minutes of highest quality communion, indeed delight for both of us. There she sat turning her large and lovely head from side to side, alternately looking away from, then towards us always unconcerned by our raising camera lenses as soon as she did so. Each time she would cast her attention in the opposite direction again, almost disdainfully as if to say: “More toggers, is there ever a day here without them?”

It was noticeable how our quest had a kind of squint in the left hand eye. But the striking, bright yellow colouration of both eyes is discernible in some of the pictures. Simon described how GGOs can be even more confiding than this and that he has actually stood right beneath such a tree containing one. But we elected to keep a safe distance, and so thankfully did all the other local birders and camera toters who came and went. It is difficult to keep a secret where GGO is concerned in Oslo.

Side-on view

Raptor watch

Rear view

Double take

Our last view of the Owl before she moved on

Like many Owls this one could rotate her neck almost through 360 degrees but without of course going full circle. The above left picture shows this. Sometimes she would look upwards if a raptor caught her eye or she heard a Raven that are prone to harassing Owls. All of this was interspersed with occasional bouts of preening and there she remained in all her grandeur conveying an aura of primeval isolation and mystique, despite the presence of her adoring human audience.

Simon (centre), Ewan and a Norwegian birder (left)

Me in Hobbit mode with THAT Owl

When this bird eventually departed we went for the Hawk Owl again, but the connect was much the same as a day earlier with tree top views only. Then on our way back to the airport we stopped at the last location in urban Oslo where Pine Grosbeak are still being reported regularly. The streets of this suburb are lined with berry bearing Whitebeam trees that have been catering for the sustenance of a flock of 15 “Grozzers” for the past few weeks.

Adult male Pine Grosbeak (all pictures)

How good it was to re-acquaint ourselves with these superlative Arctic finches and thus complete a tripette triple that are so rarely seen this far south and certainly not in a single day. The party of four we recorded just in front of an apartment block contained one adult male that allowed me to add to my picture portfolio from last autumn when the red-toned stunners had been quite difficult to capture well. Also very pleasing was a young male moulting into adult plumage (below, left and right) that had not been available on that early November visit.

Pine Grosbeak (imm male)

Pine Grosbeak (fem)

Pine Grosbeak (imm male)

I look upon having negotiated this current dark season, and especially January without either seasonal adjustment issues or the remedy of a mid-winter break, as a real positive. Since my circumstances allow it, the contribution to well being that new and different wildlife to find and see makes, either in company or by my own devices remains as potent as ever. There has not been too much scope for that in recent months but fortunately, what might have been a dour February has now been thus enriched.

In a related sense, not much for me is more motivating than jumping on a plane and going somewhere. I have been surprised by just how few British birders followed myself and Ewan’s lead in visiting Oslo to experience Pine Grosbeak (see here) this winter. Now as exceptional encounters with the northern Owls of this post are available there. The walk-on air fare from London Stansted to Oslo can be as low as £10 each way. All I can say to anyone with an interest who can is get out of the door and G GO (see here).