Hoary (Arctic) Redpoll & other Norwegian garden birds during March 2020

March is a time when our wintering garden birds begin to leave and early migrants arrive for brief refuelling visits. During early March this year we were visited by many Common (Mealy) Redpolls Arcanthis flammea flammea and Eurasian Siskins Spinus spinus devouring all eatable food put out for them. With them was an Hoary (Arctic) Redpoll / Polarsisik Arcanthis hornemanni on the 4th, which was a new species for the garden list but only discovered while processing the images taken earlier. We also had several short visits of several Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus flocks of up to ca.60 birds devouring the remaining berries before they quickly moved on again. However, during January & February these flocks could total up to 200 birds. On the 26th a second year male Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla, our first this year, visited for a couple og hours and found some remaining apple morsels to eat.

Photographing birds through closed windows so as not to disturb them, does not always result in good images, but it is always nice to capture images for future reference. In the case of the Hoary (Arctic) Redpoll it was absolutely necessary, as this bird would probably not have been identified and certainly not confirmed by the photos taken.

Hoary (Arctic) Redpoll - second year male showing pale and loose (fluffy) plumage

Hoary (Arctic) Redpoll - second year male showing pale unmarked rump

Hoary (Arctic) Redpoll - second year male showing pale unmarked rump

Hoary (Arctic) Redpoll - second year male showing pale unmarked rump

Common (Mealy) Redpoll C.f. flammea - compared to Hoary Redpoll, generally darker and less loose plumage, 

heavier streaking on flanks, streaking on rump and larger and longer bill.

Eurasian Siskin - male

Bohemian Waxwing - part of a flock of 200 from February

Bohemian Waxwing - closer view of a flock of 200 from February

Eurasian Blackcap - second year male

Eurasian Blackcap - second year male

Eurasian Blackcap - second year male

Ring-necked Duck – adult male at Gjennestadvannet, Vestfold & Telemark, Norway on 17th March 2020

On 15th March a visiting birder was lucky to find this adult male Ring-necked Duck / Ringand Aythya collaris in a flock of newly arrived Tufted Ducks. The species is rare in Norway only the 5th individual recorded in this county. This bird has proved very popular with local and visiting birders, although photographing it well has not been particularly easy due to the long distance and often poor light conditions, as was during my visit on 17th March. However this North American species is also popular in waterfowl collections in Europe, so as with all observations of 'rare waterfowl’, the question of spontaneous occurrence will always be asked. The species gets its name from the bird's reddish-brown neck-ring, which is often difficult to see except at close range and in good light.