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February 8th

 The Ural owl often shows up even in daytime. (08.02.2012 Selgise)

 

The hardest frost is past and after several days I made a longer trip again. I went to the Torma landfill site in Jõgeva. In winter there are many birds on refuse sites but as I have never been to Torma - it seems that not many birders have been at all - I didn’t know what to expect. The site here is in the middle of a forest and before reaching the gates I didn’t have any idea of what went on in the area. Immediately the traditional landfill site view met the eye – a great number of jackdaws and crows. But here were unexpectedly many ravens. For instance at the Aardlapalu and Jõelähtme sites only some ten ravens can be seen at one time in winter. Moreover in February the ravens are already at their nesting sites by pairs, and seeing the birds in such numbers was startling at first. Asking more knowledgeable people about it revealed that in the large forest area close by the refuse site ravens nest much more densely than usual (there is always food to be had) and they are evidently here during the whole year in large numbers i e also when they are not expected to be here. Until today I believed that ravens rather nest in solitary pairs and very sparsely distributed. So again I became a little wiser.

In winter buzzards are always seen around refuse sites but I did not notice any here today. Of raptors 2 white-tailed eagles instead were here. And starlings were to be seen here too, at least 4 birds. If there is enough food quite many of them will stay to winter here. In January and February this year I have in all  seen more than 400 starlings.

For the first time in several days I also found new names for my year list. At Vara a Ural owl posed at the roadside in a clearing. It is one of our most common owls that turns up quite often in daytime too. In the oak stand I noted a redwing thrush among the waxwings. This species is a comparatively unusual winterer in Estonia but nearly every winter one or two birds are found. My 2012 list now contains 107 bird species.