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Wood pigeons

 

It was a fine clear morning at Sõrve säär but somewhat cold, and with the strong northerly wind not much migration took place. Rather, some of the birds moved back southwards, for instance about 1500 wood pigeons  (Columba palumbus) came back from the north within a few hours. Among new arrivals two common terns  and four Sandwich terns could be seen in the morning at Sõrve. From Saaremaa I got one more species for my year list – a Western marsh harrier was moving northwards at Tehumardi village.

In the second half of the day we checked the wetlands of Läänemaa. Swans, geese, ducks, pochards, mergansers and other waterfowl were everywhere. The most interesting observations can be read in the e-Biodiversity data base. As new species a ruff in the Põgari shore meadow and at Saunja bay the great bittern were additions to my year list. Today 5 new bird species were added to my 2012 species list; altogether they are now 150.