Birder's diary - 3.04
Birder Margus Ots, linnuvaatleja.ee
Translation: Liis
Today a thick layer of snow fell in the Tartu surroundings. I went out quickly to see what the migrating birds that already had arrived thought of this. The geese of the Aardla polder really seemed a bit dismayed. The usual foraging fields were covered with thick snow and the birds just flew aimlessly around. At midday the geese in the polder go to the flooded part to sleep, even now they huddled in the snow around the open pool.
"Snow geese" at Aardla polder (03.04.2012)
Lapwing (03.04.2012 Sangla polder)
Lapwings, starlings, wagtails and skylarks gathered at the pools too because there might at least be something edible to be found. The flocks of larger passerines (finches, larks, starlings) could be seen in many places on roads too in search of food. Hopefully the thick snow layer that fell now will melt in the next few days and the already arrived migrants will not starve.
Today I managed to read 4 neck rings on the fields at the eastern side of Lake Võrtsjärv (3 greater white-fronted geese, 1 bean goose). Usually we see geese ringed in their winter quarters here, but of those found today two of the greater white-fronted geese had got their neck rings in Russia, in the Kostroma area, one in 2008 and the other in 2010. Both birds have been observed several times in their Western European wintering areas; now came the first recovery on the migration journey.
Tags: 
