Bohemian waxwings, other birds of northern Finland

After our arrival in Oulu, Finland, on 10 March, and earlier on 11 March 2015 the black grouse, it was time for Bohemian waxwings; like the two birds on this photo.

At about 11am, they were at a parking lot in Oulu, surrounded by trees.

A great tit called.

The Bohemian waxwings were there for their favourite food: rowan berries. Not the West European rowan species, but Swedish service trees, with bigger berries.

Sometimes, the waxwings flew down from the trees to the ground to eat berries.

Sometimes, they flew back to the trees.

And back to the ground again.

Bohemian waxwings seem to quarrel less about food than some other species. Sometimes, one bird has one end of a twig with berries in its bill, and another bird the other end, which may lead to some minor tug-of-war.

A hooded crow flies past, and sits down in a tree.

Elsewhere in Oulu there are Swedish service trees as well, attracting Bohemian waxwings and mealy redpolls.

A rook is not far away.

Forty-five percent of all Finnish breeding birds are endangered: here.

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