After a long and hard winter we have a rush hour in Northern Lapland’s nature. Snow has covered the ground for 6–7 months and a short summer is coming. Birds are busy to breed and plants have to flower and produce seeds to ripe before autumn falls again. Busiest folks are some waders; females come in May just to leave Lapland behind again in June.
Common wintering Birds
Siberian Jay and Siberian Tit stay with us throughout the entire year. In some winters one can hear Tengmalm’s Owl (Boreal Owl) low, whistled toots almost every evening near our house. Migratory Pine Grosbeaks come to Lapland in the middle of winter. However, most of the migratory birds arrive in May.
Common migrating Birds
During May and June birds are really active and one can see and especially hear them everywhere. Pine Grosbeak, Brambling, Greenfinch, Common Redpoll, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Redwing and Redstart are constantly singing on our property and in an ancient dry pine forest nearby.
Bluethroat is a professional in singing and likes to sing in some fresh habitat like creek sides. Osprey often flies over our house carrying some fish or making some mating call. If rodents are numerous enough, Rough-legged Buzzard begins to breed on a hill nearby.
In addition, our lakes and mires welcome their inhabitants. Goldeneye, Tufted Duck and Snew are swimming on small lakes close by. Nature is full of voices of noisy waders. Wood Sandpiper, Greenshank, Common Snipe and Spotted Redshank have started to breed on our mires.
Wakening of Plants
Also plants are waking up, some immediately after snow is gone, some of them little bit later. Birch and Bog Bilberry start to grow their leaves at the end of May giving beautiful light green colors to forests and mires. In early June bogs are full of white flowers of Cloudberry, Northern Labrador Tea and Bogbean. Little bit later bogs and mires turn reddish while Bog Rosemary starts to flower.
Spring and early summer are periods when arctic nature wakes up and is really active round-the-clock. The awakening of arctic nature is fascinating to follow. Spring 2019 was also the spring when our new company woke up and got active. Hopefully You are with us next arctic spring to experience the awakening of arctic nature.