I could hear the ah-oooo calls of the male eider ducks on the fjord from the garden this afternoon…made it feel like spring..
Category Archives: Birds
Bramblings
The biggest flock of bramblings I’ve ever seen in the garden, over 75, today, 13th December 2015!!
Siskins
Part of a flock of 8 siskins / grønnsisik in the garden today
Goldfinches on chicory
I’ve only ever seen goldfinches feeding on burdock seeds (Arctium) in the garden before. This morning I saw them both on nettle seed heads and then on these unharvested chicory heads. Another reason to grow and save seed of chicories, a wonderful vegetable that is easy to grow organically, comes in many great edimental varieties, beautiful flowers in the second year, both leafy green, root vegetable and coffee replacement varieties available, some being perennial as is the wild plant and can be forced in winter! See more in my book Around the world in 80 plants!
This is an EX-Arctic Parrot
Waxwings (sidensvans) are sometimes known as Arctic Parrots due to their amazing colours. Just before I got up this morning a heard a thud on a window. I knew immediately what it was and guessed it was a waxwing (drunk on the fermenting berries?) that had flown into a window, part of a large flock of close to 200 birds. And no, I’m sorry but it was not just stunned, nor was it pining for the fjords. He or she’s passed on! This northern parrot is no more! It has ceased to be! It’s expired and gone to meet it’s maker! It’s a stiff! Bereft of life, it rests in peace! It’s metabolic processes are now history! It’s off the twig! It’s kicked the bucket, it’s shuffled off its mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin’ choir invisible!! THIS IS AN EX-ARCTIC PARROT!!
Here’s the result of the post-mortem photo shoot….wonderful creatures aren’t they: http://www.edimentals.com/pictures/index.php?/category/92
Goldfinches / Stillits
A small flock of 9 goldfinches in my garden this morning, a winter visitor here (it’s unknown where they breed) and a species that would not be in my garden if it hadn’t been for my interest in edible plants. I started growing burdock / borre as a vegetable back in the 80s and this is the most important food for them in our area. The area between my house and Midtsandan, a few km east of here, is now the most important area this far north for this species with flocks of between 25 and 50 seen most winters!
Greenfinches on burdock
Greenfinches / Grønnfink are hard at work in the garden foraging burdock seeds…building up their fat reserves for the winter. I’ve grown burdock for my years both as a vegetable and for the birds (greenfinch and, later, goldfinches).
Siberian hazelcrackers
Siberian Nutcrackers are busy again in the garden this morning collecting hazelnuts and flying past with their pouches full to store them in the forest for the winter..
The last of the migrants is here
Despite the continued very cold “summer” (still not over 16C), this morning I heard the last of the common migrant birds on my bike ride, an Icterine Warbler / Gulsanger (this is usually the last to arrive)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzAfmhDEHes
White-tailed Eagle at the railway station; 20th February 2015
At this time of year, the mornings are now light on the way to work… I’m not quite ready to start cycling to work (maybe next week), so I get some exercise by walking to the railway station which is about 20 minutes from the house. There’s no snow left now in the lowlands in this very mild weather and some birds are singing. I heard blue tit / blåmeis; great tit / kjøttmeis; siskin / grønnsisik; bullfinch / dompap and greenfinch / grønnfink on the way to the station this morning. Then as I approached the station, an impressively large White-tailed Eagle / Havørn appeared above me, mobbed by hooded crows / kråke…. I crossed the railway line down to the shore to get a better look and maybe a photo and he’d landed on a small island, Vikhammerskjæret…… I missed the train!
