Drumming Three-toed pecker

When the sun shines now then more and more species celebrate the longer days and prospect of spring by singing. I have heard various tits, Greenfinch and Goldfinch singing, Ravens displaying and on Thursday woodpeckers suddenly started drumming. I heard 3 Great Spotted simultaneously but best of all was a male Three-toed that showed very well and at times a Great Spotted could be heard in the background which allowed for a good comparison of their subtly different drumrolls.

Wednesday was very exciting when I discovered one of the Pygmy Owls atop a spruce tree. That in itself wasn’t so exciting but was made it so was that a weasel was running around (and disappearing in holes in the snow) right under the owl. The owl had clearly seen the weasel and I was wondering whether it would attempt to take it. Size wize a weasel is large but is it too large? Or does the owl recognise that it is not a rodent but rather a ferocious killing machine? Either way the owl whilst intently following the weasel did not make any attempt on its life and I expect both were attracted to just that area because there were mice/voles to be found. It is even possible that the weasel attracts the owl as the weasel may scare mice into the open?

The owl was in the same place for a good half an hour and a couple of times Hooded Crows and Magpies flew over which caused the owl to radically change posture and become much thinner and taller and with its tiny “ears” raised. I am not sure as to whether it was trying to appear large and more menacing or whether it was trying to become invisible to the corvids.

male Three-toed Woodpecker (tretåspett) drumming

Pygmy Owl (spurveugle) doing its xmas decoration imitation

reacting to a Magpie flying over - notice the "ears"

and hear when a Hooded Crow flew over

this is only the 3rd time I can remember seeing a Weasel (snømus) and all have been in winter when they are white

apart from the much smaller size, the lack of a black tail tip separates Weasel from Stoat (røyskatt). This picture is photoshopped

displaying Ravens