2017

Tromsø is in the middle of mørketiden, the dark period, and these days we have very little daylight (an hour of twilight) and no sun at all, the consequence of living so far north. Fortunately we did get a White Christmas after all, even though it was at the last moment: two weeks of rain had removed all the snow, until we got a new snowfall on 23 December; now everything looks wonderful, and the reflection from the snow makes it possible to walk most places in the dark.

But there are few land birds, besides the ubiquitous magpies and hooded crows, and here and there House Sparrows and Great Tits. But yesterday we came across a small group of five Bohemian Waxwings on the wire near our house, in fact the first I have seen here this autumn, when apparently most have erupted further south. And I heard the cozy croaking of a pair of Ravens.

I wish you all a happy, healthy and harmonious 2017, full of birds.

Wim Vader, Tromsø, Norway
wim.vader@uit.no