Spring in the valley

4:th of March

Northerly, cold winds, sunshine, blue skies, open water meets the ice. The open water on flooded fields and lakesides are getting filled with Whooper Swans. 

     I count 1.175 Swans on a drive around the valley. I find one tight flock of about 500 birds so tightly squeezed in a small puddle of open water, that they hardly seem to be able to turn around. 

     They fill the air with their loud calls, you can hear them 

everywhere. It´s lovely. I really love this part of the year. The valley is beautiful. There are also 

plenty of Taiga Bean Geese (Anser fabalis). About 2.228 Bean 

Geese are counted. Among  them I discover 8 Pinkfeet, and 8 Whitefronts as well. 

     Even a flock of 50 Snow Buntings are moving along the edge between ice and open water. Gorgeous little creatures, so big to be small.