One of the highlights of spring for me are the large flocks of pink-footed geese (pinkfeet) or kortnebbgjess in Norwegian passing Malvik on the final stage of their journey from their overwintering grounds in the low countries to their staging post just north of here before the final journey to Svalbard. We heard yesterday that an estimated 15,000 pinkfeet had been observed flying north over Oslofjorden and on up Gudbrandsdalen the broad river valley north from Oslo to Trondheim. However, last night we were told that due to bad weather they had stopped south of the mountains. I heard a few last night so a few had flown over the mountains….but I was woke at 07:30 as the first flocks started passing and they continued in a steady stream until I had to leave at 12 pm. I recorded as many flocks as I could by pictures and videos….and estimate that at least 3,590 birds passed in 22 flocks during the morning…so today was very different to what I’d planned! This is the largest number I’ve recorded here and the main migration is nowadays 1 month earlier than it used to be, one of the most obvious and dramatic signs of climate change here….
Here are all reported pinkfeet (kortnebbgås) observations in Norway the last two days showing that the birds fly along a narrow corridor from Denmark into the Oslo fjord, on up the Gudbransdalen valley and then over the Dovrefjell mountains (few observations) to Trondheimsfjord. The furthest north observations are at the staging post area (farmland):
It’s been raining all day here, but there’s been good flying conditions for the geese flying here today from their start point in the Netherlands and Belgium!
This was the radar picture over Norway, so it looks like the birds have had good flying conditions from their overwintering area in the Netherlands and Belgium until just before they reached the Trondheimsfjord where I live (where the band of rain is located)
Despite the heavy snow all day, flocks of migrating pinkfooted geese (kortnebbgås) have been passing over all day. Spring is here, much earlier than it used to be! Not easy to see them though in this weather. So far some 1,000 birds have arrived in their staging area (where they prepare for the next stage of the journey to Svalbard) in Levanger just north of here!
Two flocks of pink-footed geese (kortnebbgjess) passed over the house today…on the way south from the stopover area just north of here…this morning it was -8C and the same is forecast for the next two nights…
Beautiful morning, cold at about -8C…the sun doesn’t now get very high in the sky and the shadows are long all day long like this Betula pendula (Silver birch) shadow in the field below the house
Flock of pinkfeet arriving from the north…they swung round to the west and passed directly over the house. See the video
The second and largest flock of around 130 birds also passed directly over flying westwards
The flight speed is impressive and turning round this was the only shot I managed as they disappeared westwards
Perennial vegetables, Edimentals (plants that are edible and ornamental) and other goings on in The Edible Garden