Photobirder: March 2022

Thursday 31 March 2022

White-throated Dipper - Falkensten 2022

Falkensten near Horten has always had resident White-throated Dipper's (Fossekall) Cinclus cinclus cinclus along the stream that runs out of Borrevannet down to the Oslofjord. There are at least one breeding pair in the area and during winter often several others that compete for the rich nourishment to be found here. They are often seen close to the upper disused water mill and also at the lower mill particularly in winter when most of the stream and its large pond is often mostly frozen. The species is Norway's national bird and maybe reflects the countries hardy nature of its other inhabitants. This subspecies is also known as Black-bellied Dipper and occasionally occurs during winter in the United Kingom where it can be separated from the local & southern European subspecies C. c aquaticus which has a distinctive rust-brown belly.

White-throated Dipper (Fossekall) Cinclus cinclus cinclus - Falkensten, Horten 8th March 2022

White-throated Dipper (Fossekall) Cinclus cinclus cinclus - Falkensten, Horten 11th March 2022

White-throated Dipper (Fossekall) Cinclus cinclus cinclus - Falkensten, Horten 11th March 2022

Moth trapping in Vestfold - March 2022

On 28th March 2022 I joined a birding friends moth trapping morning in his garden near Larvik in Vestfold. Two different types of moth trap had been used during the night and as I arrived just before 08:00 am he had just started to investigate the nights catch. Fortunately for me it turned out to a very successful catch, probably the best this year so far possibly due to the slightly warmer weather. Fortunate also as during the following days the weather turned colder which prevented any moth trapping at all. Altogether we caught 50 different moth individuals which amounted to 21 different species and a female Great Water Beetle. The beetle was released at a suitable unfrozen pond nearby. Here is a selection of images containing all species of moth we caught. English names were these exist and Norwegian names in brackets.

Yellow Horned Moth (vårhalvspinner) Achlya flavicornis

Early Flat-body Semioscopis avellanella

Semioscopis oculella - #1

We caught three individuals of this relatively rare Norwegian species and these

appeared to be only the second record also of three individuals for Vestfold county.

Semioscopis oculella - #1

We caught three individuals of this relatively rare Norwegian species and these

appeared to be only the second record also of three individuals for Vestfold county.

Semioscopis oculella #2

We caught three individuals of this relatively rare Norwegian species and these

appeared to be only the second record also of three individuals for Vestfold county.

Semioscopis oculella - #3

We caught three individuals of this relatively rare Norwegian species and these

appeared to be only the second record also of three individuals for Vestfold county.

Semioscopis strigulana

Dotted Border (vårfrostmåler) Agriopis marginaria

March Moth (vintermåler) Alsophila aescularia

Oak Beauty (eikelurvemåler) Biston strataria

Pale Brindled Beauty (marsmåler) Phigalia pilosaria

Lanceolate-winged Pug (spissvingedvergmåler) Eupithecia lanceata


Barred Tooth-striped Moth (leddvedtungemåler) Trichopteryx polycommata

Common Quaker (tverrlinjet seljefly) Orthosia cerasi

Hebrew Character (buemerket seljefly) Orthosia gothica

Clouded Drab (variabelt seljefly) Orthosia incerta

Lead-coloured Drab (plettseljefly) Orthosia populeti

Pine Beauty (furufly) Panolis flammea

Rannoch Sprawler (vårlurvefly) Brachionycha nubeculosa

Chestnut Moth (variabelt flatfly) Conistra vaccinii

Pale Pinion (brunt kappefly) Lithophane socia

Tufted Button (slåpetornflatvikler) Acleris cristana

(lys ospeflatvikler) Acleris roscidana

Dark-streaked Button (heggflatvikler) Acleris umbrana

Great Diving Beetle (stor vannkalv) Dytiscus marginalis - female

Wednesday 30 March 2022

Winter Birds - 2022

During the first three months of the year there is often little to tempt me out birding and no exception this year either. All birding has been very close to home or within a short driving distance and this reflects the low number of bird images taken. However here small selection of birds that did get 'snapped' between January and March.