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Record day at Mehikoorma – more than 620 000 birds came across the Lämmijärve! The majority (>95%) of the migrants were still  chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs), but siskins (Carduelis spinus)(>8400) and wood pigeons (Columba palumbus) (>5700) were numerous too. In seven days at least 3,14 million migrant birds have been counted at Mehikoorma.

 

White-backed woodpecker. Little is known here of the migration of this species. At Mehikoorma quite many have crossed the Lämmijärve (Photo: Uku Paal)

 

In addition to observations we have also been ringing at Mehikoorma. At the observation spot only one net was set up, but today included we managed to catch 79 birds with it. In the harvest were mainly tits, but today 4 jays (Garrulus glandarius) and 1 white-backed woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos) too got rings on their legs. Those bigger creatures were quite nasty and with strong beaks. How else could they crush acorns or cut hollows into tree trunks? On picking them out of the net and ringing blood was flying. But readers, stay calm, everything is well with the birds. On my own hands however I could count 44 punctures in the evening. I don’t want anything to do with jays for a long time now.