Maridalsvannet, nr Oslo, Norway

As I was visiting Oslo on a conference I contacted Simon Rix through his blog and he was decent enough to give me a good birding spot just north of Oslo, along with details on how to get there on public transport and where I should go once on site. I started off at the Hammeren bus stop at the north-west corner of the lake and walked east along the road (via the fields to the north leading to the church ruins) which then turns north and then took the minor east at the new church at Maridalen Kirke. After about 1km this crosses a bridge where a slow moving river enters the lake.
The area was very nice, with quite a good selection of birds in the pines to the north of Hammermen; Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, 'Northern' Willow Warbler, Common Treecreeper and Siskins. The area along the minor road east from the church was the best place though. There were a couple of Wrynecks around the fields of the first farm I came across, along with Tree Sparrows, more Spotted Flycatchers and Osprey, but the best area was at the bridge, where a non-breeding plumage Black-throated Diver allowed quite a close approach plus a beautiful male Common Rosefinch sang from some roadside trees just beyond the bridge.

'Northern' Willow Warbler

Common Treecreeper

Common Treecreeper

Yellowhammer

Barn Swallow

Black-throated Diver

Black-throated Diver

male Common Rosefinch

male Common Rosefinch

male Common Rosefinch

male Common Rosefinch