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
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 / 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 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..
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
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!
Link added to my list of talks, courses and forages (at http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?page_id=262) to a FB event for the Hardanger Perennialen at the beginning of May, what promises to be the most beautiful course on perennial vegetables and wild foraged food EVER! More information to follow!
70 Waxwings / Sidensvans in the garden!!!
I’ve never seen that many this late in the winter here…normally they arrive in autumn and stay around a month or two before moving on…still a lot of berries…
Perennial vegetables, Edimentals (plants that are edible and ornamental) and other goings on in The Edible Garden
