Winter is the time for nature to sleep, but when we listen closely and pay attention, we can see that some animals do not hibernate in winter and not all birds fly south. This year, our Christmas stamps are inspired by nature during winter and the animals and birds who are not bothered by the cold.
The otherwise fairly monotonous Estonian winter is made more colourful by the Eurasian bullfinch, which can be seen in the forest, park, and home garden. They are easy to spot because of their red breast which makes them look like a Christmas decoration on a tree branch. Eurasian bullfinches, calm by nature, are fun to watch while nibbling on seeds in bird feeders. Eurasian bullfinches mostly eat seeds, berries, young buds, leaves, and flowers.
One of the most commonly seen animals in winter forests and parks is the curious squirrel, who runs fast along tree trunks and branches and is not afraid of people at all. In summer, their coat is reddish-brown. Their winter coats, however, are greyish. The winter coat also includes festive ear tufts. Squirrels love nuts and seeds, and they start putting away food for winter as early as in the second half of the summer. They hide their food in tree cavities or under moss from where they can easily find it in winter thanks to their sense of smell.
