First signs of spring hit Estonia as summer visitor birds start arriving
No sooner have the winter snows thawed out than the first summer visitor birds, including cranes, have started to arrive in Estonia.
Year-round birds such as hooded crows have begun nesting too — a clear sign that spring is just around the corner, "Aktuaalne kaamera" reported.
At around midday on Monday, when the "Aktuaalne kaamera" crew visited, the loud and lively chirping of forest birds was highly audible around a bird feeder placed in the Ede-Harju farm's yard. The farm is located near Rõuge, Võru County.
"A couple of days ago, the first herald of springtime arrived. For our farm, that is definitely the hooded crow. The crows have begun building their nests, and that is a sure sign that spring has arrived. The nuthatch is also preparing to nest, and as soon as the first warm days came, the jays disappeared — they haven't been seen for several days now — so it's becoming a busy time for everyone," said ornithologist Margit Päkk, a member of the Rõuge kuningliku linnuklub birdwatching group.
Ornithologists have also observed that in recent years many summer visitors have been arriving in Estonia much earlier than usual. The main reason for this is taken to be climate change.
"Migratory birds have been arriving here several weeks earlier than they did 70 years ago. The snow has melted quite quickly and the fields are already partly free of snow," said Kaarel Võhandu, head of the Eesti Ornitoloogiaühing, the national ornithological society.
However, while the snow may have melted and been washed away by the rain at a rapid rate, the sea ice, which has been the main feature of this winter, will take a lot longer to thaw.
"Waterfowl may face a bigger surprise, since to the west Matsalu Bay and Pärnu Bay are still covered in ice, so they will have to search for patches of open water. But as soon as the first above-zero temperatures arrived over the weekend, the first migratory birds appeared — the first skylarks, lapwings, greylag geese and cranes have been spotted. Spring is here, and birdwatchers' eyes are lit up," Võhandu added.
Another possible, if tongue-in-cheek, explanation for the earlier arrival of migratory birds is that they sense life in Estonia is much calmer than it is in some of the parts of the world they winter in.
Last fall was also mild, meaning many migratory birds did not leave Estonia until quite late in the year.
While a rarity in Western Europe, for instance in the U.K. found only in Scotland, hooded crows are commonplace in Estonia, even in Tallinn.
Cranes, which almost always are seen in pairs or in large groups, are particularly memorable for their call as well as their striking appearance. While they often live near to human habitation they are easily startled and readily take flight, compared with another summer visitor, the white stork, famed for its gregariousness.
--
Editor: Andrew Whyte, Marko Tooming
