Birds seen in Europe (Part 4)

Read Part 1 here and Part 2 here and Part 3 here.

Eurasian Magpie

While in Bergen, Norway, we decided to make a quick visit to the closest Stave Church in the area, located in Fantoft. As we walked up the hill from the tram station, we saw a colourful bird fly and seat itself on a signpost. It was surely a Magpie, but much larger than what I’d seen in India. It’s blue and green feathers against the dominant black and white looked beautiful. It sat sufficiently long, that I got a good picture.

Eurasian Magpie at Fantoft, Norway

Common Eider

The water around the Opera House in Oslo had many birds in the water. Most of them were swimming at a distance from the water’s edge, so they weren’t easy to ID or to photograph with my camera. There was one lot of straight-beaked birds that I hadn’t seen before. I later found out that they were Common Eiders, and this pair was sailing around together.

Common Eider pair at the Opera House, Oslo, Norway

Mute Swan

At the far end from where we were standing at the Opera House, we spotted a few swans in the water. They were much closer at Helsingor, swimming in the trench around Kronborg Castle.

Swans at Opera House, Oslo

Mute Swan at Kronborg Castle, Helsingor, Denmark

European Starling

After we reached Bergen railway station, we were walking along the Lille Lungegardsvann lake in the city centre, dragging along our suitcases to the hotel. It was cold and we were eager to reach our hotel. On the grass I spotted one black bird that looked like the Blackbird we had already seen. Took a picture and then realised that it was a different species, but it flew off before I could get a better shot. This was a European Starling from the Myna family.

European Starling, Bergen, Norway

Common Pheasant

One of the stand-out birds we saw on our trip was the Common Pheasant. We were on the island of Hven/Ven in Sweden, visiting the site of Tycho Brahe’s 16th century observatory Uraniborg. Several of these large birds could be seen in the green fields, pecking away at whatever food they were finding.

Common Pheasant at Ven, Sweden

Egyptian Goose

The waterways in Leiden are home to many bird species. When not in the water, one can see them warming themselves in the sun. The large ducks we spotted were quite unlike any other ducks we had seen. We later found out that these were ornamental birds, Egyptian Geese, that are native to Africa but now found in certain parts of Europe and America as well.

Egyptian Goose flock, Leiden, Netherlands

Egyptian Goose female, Leiden, Netherlands

Egyptian Goose male, Leiden, Netherlands

More birds in a future post.

Pics taken in Apr-May 2018

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