Fauna and Avia

There are no wolves or bears in and around Moscow. Not even in the great forested North East section of the city. This is a bit disappointing.

There are plenty of feral dogs running around the city. They run around the streets and the parks in packs and I have never seen happier dogs. They are very different from the neurotic creaturers that think they are a member of a human family; totally confused when they can't cope. They trot about in happy gangs doing what dogs do naturally and their tails are constantly wagging.

There are plenty of pet dogs; of the neurotic variety. Some are very large and they live in very small 10th floor apartments. They can be seen in the courtyard beneath our window being taken for their toileting by women in long, heavy fur coats and round fur hats.

Dog shit is everywhere. In a normal, freezing, winter it stays around - frozen, like pizza or TV dinners. It builds up over the winter months; never being washed away or decomposing, and by the time the thaw comes it is thick on the streets and decorated by the bright little kopek coins that were dropped by their owners whilst out with them. Come to Moscow in Winter by all means, but get out before the thaw!

In the courtyard can be seen the regular city birds: pigeons, sparrows and crows. The crows are what are known in the UK as 'hooded' crows. These have grey bodies and black wings and can only be found in N W Scotland back home. There are Jackdaws and Rooks amongst them occasionally.
The local residents put food out for the birds and sometimes they hang feeders on their balconies. These feeders attract Great tits and Coal tits but I have never seen Blue tits.
All three of these can be found in the local parks but the Blue tits stay away from the apartment blocks. The Blue tits are much bluer than the UK variety.

Most types of British woodland bird can be found out in the forests in Summer. Plus there are Orioles, Hoopoes and, of course, the Nightingales. The Chaffinches and Blackbirds sing a regional variation of the song we hear in Britain which I had trouble identifying when I heard them at first.

Do svedanya,

Graham

Factoid: The double headed eagle on the Russian national emblem looks East and West and represents Russia's place between the two hemispheres.