Fuglebloggen Fra Follebu-Toppengård (Week 6)

Last Post!

So this is it! We have officially seen the last chick leave the nest, they're all gone. It happened a lot sooner than I ever thought it would. Because the chicks are all gone and we still have until Friday to get work done my supervisor, Kathy and I, have been going to the University to work on writing a paper together regarding how much of the forest in Norway is protected compared to other countries and how the habitat degradation and policies (or lack thereof) have been effecting hole nesting, and other bird species. We are hoping that some of the findings we have in this paper will lead up to a study we are doing on the Northern Lapwings and that the possibility of coming back to Norway to do a second internship may be possible. 

I have learned so much, and I have met some incredible people, Kathy being one. I am so grateful to have been given the chance to work with her and learn from her what it's like to be a field researcher. She is from South Africa so she had a lot to tell me about being a foreigner living in Norway. She taught me how to measure the birds, how to handle them, she coached me through the work and it was an absolutely amazing experience that I will never forget. I have been encouraged to look into doing my masters and PHD here in Norway and I am really considering it. I still have to finish at Unity so I have some time to think about it, but the more I am here working with the people I have met and experience field work, the more I am loving the idea. 

I will never forget what I learned here in Norway. I don't leave until August 18th, but now it is time to just become a tourist and enjoy my time overseas. I will continue to work with Kathy on the research paper which I am really looking forward to!

With that, I will leave you all with a fresh set of photos! It has been an amazing internship! 

Lillehammer University's iconic statue

The second Northern Lapwing we caught

Adult Female Blue Tit

Measuring the head of this chick with the calipers

My supervisor, Kathy, and I

Over looking the "Peter's Field" Route, not all of it is pictured here

Upper Forest Route

Earlier in the internship, one of the Tit species nest

We had to walk down this stream during the "Peter's Beite" route

Another Tit species nest

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They grow up so fast! A nearly two week old Great Tit

Female Pied Flycatcher brooding

A juvenile Pied Flycatcher

Farmers let their cattle and sheep loose in the forest, so we ran into these guys on our upper forest route!

Juvenile Great Tit

Great Tit wing coloring (juvenile)

Measuring the nest of Field Fares