13 September, 2009

3rd milestone of autumn migration - Bramblings arrived

This morning  there was two Bramblings (Fringilla montifringilla) in our backyard. Clear sign of autumn and the 3rd milestone during autumn migration here, at least when followed from our backyard.

Autumn migration starts here already in the last days of May / first days of June, when female Eurasian Curlews (Numernius arquata) leave their husbands and kids to move south. Their lonely calls can easily be heard even inside our home when they fly fast high in the sky over our suburb.

Second milestone is the migration of Black-headed Gulls (Choirocephalus ridibundus) in July, they leave in big flocks and suddenly most of them are gone, although some birds stay here untill late autumn. And now came the Bramblings. It's a rare breeding bird here in South Finland, but very common species further north, so it's easy to notice when they start their migration to south.

Next milestones that I wait, are the Common Redpolls (Carduelis flammea), Bohemian Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus) and especially the massive flocks of Common Cranes (Grus grus). Migration of Geese is definately one milestone in east, but here in west we don't see them much during "normal" years. After that there is still couple of milestones before winter;  first the big flocks of Goosanders (Mergus merganser) and finally just before lakes get frozen, the Whooper Swans (Gygnus cygnus) will leave. After that, it's a winter.

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