A NEW VOICE IN FOLKEPARKEN, TROMSØ, N.NORWAY
Just the day after I wrote to you telling about the silence in Folkeparken
during my short morning walk to work, there was suddenly a new and
unexpected sound in the trees along the path. Not a very loud or
conspicuous sound; but there are so few birds here that I know the normal
customers pretty well, after walking this track for thirty years now. The
sound came from two largish greenish birds, as tame as they always are,
Pine Grosbeaks! This species does not nest in Troms, but is typical for
the taige forest further north and east. But in the autumn some years we
get small invasions of these charming and surprisingly large birds,
feasting on the rowanberries, together with Fieldfares and Bohemian
Waxwings, and maybe they will come also this autumn, even though the
rowanberry crop is only mediocre.
I also heard the first Raven of the autumn this morning---they nest in
quieter places and return to town for the winter. I love the Raven
conversations; the pair is nearly always together, and gives a running
commentary on all they see, it feels like.
I filled my hanging sunflower seed feeder outside my house yesterday, and
almost at once it was discovered by Great and Willow Tits and youth gangs
of Greenfinches. They will be a great and colourful boon in the coming
'mørketid', the two months period of nio sun, starting in late November.
Wim Vader, Tromsø Museum
9037 Tromsø, Norway
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