Winter is a time of silence on bird islets

The freezing over of the sea forces even the last persisting waterfowl, namely mute swans and gulls, to move south, heralding the onset of a silent winter on Ruissalo’s bird islets. The dropping temperature thickens the ice cover on the shores of islets, which are also soon covered in snow. However, rocky islets are often swept bare by the wind, which piles up the loose snow in nearby sheltered hollows. A rocky islet surrounded by the frozen sea makes for an unprotected and inhospitable winter habitat.

Bird islets spring back to life in the spring
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