Keith B

By keibr

Birds - residents and new arrivals

I've been taking it easy and staying home today. I did some work outside in the garden, sorted a lot of stuff in our "barn" and broke up some ice on our path, otherwise known as "helping the spring along". But I felt tired and I decided to listen to my body and go inside and take it easy.
Jan rediscovered her camera a couple of days back, after some months of using the phone camera for all photographs. Once back inside I borrowed it to use the zoom and take some pictures of feeding birds. I really liked the main blip because I'm fairly sure it shows 4 different birds on the feeder at the same time. Clockwise and starting top left I think we are seeing the back of a greenfinch,  a goldfinch, a coal tit, and a male bullfinch. I'm not 100% sure about the greenfinch, but the yellow flashes on the folded wing seem to be an identifier. I would have been sure about the coal tit, except Apple Photos tells me it's a great tit. I think it's too small for that.
We first saw the  goldfinches a couple of weeks back. According to the bird books they don't overwinter in Sweden so I guess they were early arrivals. Even so we are least 200 kms north of their normal summer (breeding) range, but they obviously haven't read the books. They first appeared up here about 4 years ago but I am very surprised to see them here this early.
I'm not a knowledgable bird watcher so if someone out there knows my identifications are wrong I won't take offence if you put me right.
Other migratory birds have started to appear this week. First out was a blackbird, though they do sometimes overwinter. Next were a pair of swans that I first heard honking as they flew nearer. I was very excited to see them returning and flying low over the village. Another pair flew over the next day, and as we drove to Sundsvall yesterday we saw a small line of 6 swans headed north. The lakes are still covered in ice, strong enough for snow mobiles and ice fishing and there's very little open water for the swans just now. Experience tells me that if they are arriving now the first opening in the ice will soon be appearing.  The first collared dove appeared today and hopped around under the feeders picking up dropped seeds. After some slight nervousness, on the part of both birds,  it shared the space with one of our resident magpies.
It's been a particularly long winter (snow since late October) and it's both lovely and exciting to see the migratory arrivals and know spring will be here soon!
PS - Now the comments are in the general opinion is that the bottom right bird is indeed a great tit, albeit a small one!

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