LATE SUMMER/EARLY AUTHUMN IN TROMSØ, N.NORWAY
Several people have asked me to describe the summer birds of Tromsø once more.
I have been quite a lot away this summer, though, and have had much less
opportunity to go birding at home this summer than in most years. Amazingly
enough I have for example this summer not once heard my personal favourites,
the Bluethroats, sing here at home, even though they are common many places
here, nor have I yet seen our national bird, the Dipper, a clear sign that I
have been out far too little. And by now it is almost too late: although
Bluethroasts move through our area in some numbers on migration, they don't
sing then, not have they in fact a blue throat anymore.
The general impression one gets here now, is one of early autumn. Riet who was
here for 10 days recently, and who was quite lucky with the weather for the
first part of her visit, nevertheless persistently talked about 'September
weather' (changing her tune to 'October weather' when it changed to cool, wet
and grey. We still have longer daylight than most Europeans, but the days
nevertheless shorten appreciably day by day, and we need to have the lights on
in the living rooms again at night, something not at all necessary in full
summer. The air is often very clear, there are far fewer insects in the air
than earlier in the summer, and some of the birches already let go of a few
yellow leaves, while here in town the 'Tromsø palms', the giant Heracleum,
contribute by also yellowing quite early, one enormous leaf at a time. In
addition, there are mushrooms galore in the birch woods, and few flowers left.
The last Meadowsweets and Fireweeds, here and there an Angelica, and some
yellow Hawksweed. The woods are full of edible berries, though: Vaccinium,
Oxycoccus, Cloudberries, and a number of others which, although not very good
for people, may still be fully palatable for the birds, crowberries Empetrum
dominant among them. That the birds also really make a lot of use of them, is
shown by the deep purple splats everywhere in the heath, and by the flocks of
thrushes; these latter also have lots and lots of rowanberries this year to
feast on, and I should therefore not be surprised if they stayed later than
usual this autumn. In the birchwood there are also here and there flocks of
Bramblings or Redpolls, but altogether there are quite few birds to be seen on
land, and also in the wetlands inland most of the inhabitants have already
left, while the ducks are still there, but are in moult and largely hide in the
reeds.
On and near the shores there is much activity, however, as the shorebird
migration is in full spate. Ruffs are on many grasslands, in silent small
flocks, characterized also by the clear size differences between the sexes.
Spotted Redshanks are also common, and very often a lone bird springs out of
the wetland in front of you, and flies off with its so diagnostic tu-EET. They
also frequent the muddy shores, where they mix with Redshanks and the odd
Greenshank, but usually stay aloof from the busy flocks of smaller fry. Here
Dunlins dominate, but every sizeable flock has a number of Little Stints and
often there are also a Curlew Sandpiper or two, as well as some Ringed Plovers.
There are also Temminck's Stints in the area, but they are inconspicuous and
keep to quiet muddy nooks and corners, where they are easily overlooked. At the
Tisnes wetlands there is, as every late summer, an influx of phalaropes
Phalaropus lobatus; last weekend I counted about 30 in the one small pool. In
the harbour the number of Cormorants (A species that has had a disastrously bad
breeding season in our area this year) is slowly increasing again; this species
is much more common in winter than in summer just here.
We have had a quite normal summer, which means a mosaic of many cool, wet days,
interspersed with periods of nice, considerable warnmer weather (maybe around
20*C, but feeling much warmer than that). Now it is showery, with temperatures
of c 12*C, quite normal for the time of the year. Later this week I'll travel
north, for three weeks of Arctic Benthic Marine Biology course on Svalbard,
including a research cruise to the cold eastern parts of the archipelago. Not
too many birds, no doubt, but a chance of some of the more spectacular arctic
species. But as always, the amphipods will come first!
Wim
Vader, Tromsø Museum
9037
Tromsø, Norway
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