The navvies on construction sites in the north had a constant companion. Fearless and a bit cheeky, it hung around in trees and bushes around the resting place. Eventually, it would dare to approach to beg for a bite from the navvies' lunch bag.

The Siberian jay is our smallest crow bird. It's not particularly beautiful, nor is it a melodious singer. Its call resembles the squawk of the jay. But it is brave and lively. It resides year-round in the lichen-rich coniferous forests of the north — a habitat where several new railway lines were laid in the late 1800s.

Caption: The Gällivare-Porjus railway, "festive dinner" at Hippasrova around 1900.