In Tromsø, N. Norway, winter is not an ideal time for birding. There are quite few birds around, and it is hard to see them well, as we live far north of the Polar Circle, and only have an hour or two of twilight in the middle of the day. In addition, there are absolutely no birds on my feeder-tubes this december.
New Year’s day in 2013 is a clear day, with light frost and not too much wind (We had a winter storm three days ago), and only a few inches of snow on the ground; December has been a bit uncommon, cold but dry and what little snow we have now has only arrived during Christmas.
No birds at my feeders after midnight—also Tromsø is full of fireworks-bangs this night, although this year for the first time we also have the much more serene Chinese lanterns climbing slowly up into the sky. In the morning, as almost always, a Magpie (the crow, not the Australian bell-magpie) is the first bird of the year, and two Hooded Crows follow soon after. At a feeder down the road two House Sparrows enjoy themselves, quite an uncommon bird for me so early in January—they are only patchily distributed in Tromsø.
Riet and i walk down to the sound, and there is just enough light still to identify the birds in the water, mostly Eider Ducks, but also two pairs of Common Scoters and a few gulls, Herring and Great Black-backed. A Great Cormorant on a buoy completes the list, as today we don’t find the roving flocks of Bohemian Waxwings, that have been around all December.
I use the opportunity to wish you all a wonderful 2013, full of birds and congenial people.
Wim Vader, Tromsø Museum
9037 Tromsø, Norway ===============================
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