Owner: Daniels Birdblog URL:http://birdsafarisweden.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Sat, 01 Nov 2008 13:46:24 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Welcome to my blog about birds, butterflies, moths and other aspects of nature that I mainly enjoy in Svartådalen – The Black River Valley, in the county Västmanland, Sweden. This is my turf, where I love to be, where me and my family have a house (in the Site statistics:Click here
Retro -phalarope 2008-11-01 11:48:00 The weather wasn´t the best, but the birds where obliging. Lekking Ruffs, Long-tailed Skuas, Long-tailed Ducks and Red-necked Phalaropes in the same puddles on the high Alpine plateau at Funäsdalen. Glyn Sellors took this excellent picture on the 11:th of June 2008. See more about the Upland trips on birdsafarisweden.com
Wolf howling night 2008-11-01 09:13:00 29:th of October 2008The Scandinavian Wolf population is slowly increasing and recent good news include an immigrated male from the east (Finland probably) who have bred succesfully with a swedish female wolf in the south part of Lapland. This is the first time that the Swedish/ Norwegian Wolftribes have received some new blood to their worryingly small DNA-base. They´re all (ca 150 animals)
Blurry yellowlegs 2008-10-28 03:39:00 26:th of October 2008In a small coastal lagoon on the Swedish mainland opposite from Öland, a Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes), have been sighted for a while, and since it is only a short detour for us, we take the chance to twitch it. As we put up our tripods and telescopes the first bird to appear in view is the one. (Check my flow!) It feeds in a tight and very busy flock of Dunlins, G
Barnacle bonanza 2008-10-28 03:30:00 26:th of OctoberThe last day on this little Öland visit is not as pleasant as yesterday, it´s grey, drizzly and windy. The Gyr falcon is still hanging around "udden" (the southern point of the island) and some White-tailed Eagles are flapping in the hard southerlies. A couple of Caspian Gulls (Larus cachinnans) are identified on the westreef, but that´s about it. On our way back north, we c Read more:bonanza
Öland – blessed and beautiful 2008-10-25 13:25:00 25:th of October 2008It is always great to revisit this fabulous part of Sweden. Last night´s storm is over and a clear blue sky and practically no wind at all surprises us in the early morning, as we head south for Ottenby nature reserve. For a birdwatcher, Ottenby, Öland is The place! Da shit! Where it´s all at!On the way down south, some 500 or so Cranes and perhaps a few thousand Barnacle G
Little Bunting 2008-10-25 13:19:00 25:th of OctoberA small crowd of ten people or so, makes us stop along the road by Sibylla´s hunting lodge, to find a Snow Goose in a huge flock of Barnacles (10.000+ later in the afternoon) and a Little Bunting. Far from the typical, skulking little beasts they usually are, this gorgeous, little sweetheart flies up to a tree top and perches in the morning sun for quite some time. Even I could fi
Pectoral sand 2008-10-25 13:14:00 A lunch break in todays meeting activities coinsides with the appearance of a Pectoral sandpiper just north of Ottenby. The Black-winged Pratincole, stood right beside it for a while, but went south just before we got there.
Pratincole dip 2008-10-25 13:00:00 25:th of OctoberIn the afternoon, the Black-winged Pratincole who have spent about a month here, reappears by Hahns cottages along the lighthouse road, just a km north of the lighthouse at Ottenby. Unfortunately we dip it by a minute or so.
Plumed and prominent 2008-10-22 13:35:00 21:st of October 2008It is truly amazing that there is still so much nocturnal activity going on in nature this late in autumn this far north. We are 8 people performing what might just be this year´s last moth-night. It´s chilly but not cold and the main target species is Plumed Prominent, a hairy little creature with strikingly long, furry antennae. We encounter one (!) Other species we attrac
Furry beast 2008-10-22 13:29:00 Am I on audition for the next follow-up to the Adams family? It...? Plumed Prominent (Fjäderbärare in swedish). Read more:Furry
December Moth 2008-10-22 13:26:00 Actually one of the most common species on the canvas tonight. Read more:December
El toro 2008-10-22 13:19:00 Full frontal, this little creature resembles more a little bull ready for fight, still a December Moth though. (Poppelspinnare in Swedish)
Ural Owl in broad daylight 2008-10-14 16:41:00 Some days things more extraordinary than other happens. Today was one of them. I was busy driving to collect stuff for a tourism-fair in Posnan, Polan, when a Ural Owl appeared posted on a clearing in the forest near the Black River Valley. I got out and approached it down to 10 meters before it finally took off. An abnormal behaviour, that in worst case could be due to starvation. Ural owls don´
The lodge 2008-10-02 08:33:00 1:st of OctoberAfter a great, social sauna with outdoor baths last night, we wake up to fog and frost on the hotel lawn. Indeed struck by autumn! But we enjoy the vast forests of Bergslagen and drive through the Wolf territories and feel the excitement of just sharing air with them. We stop at one of the biggest Beaver lodges I´ve ever seen. Just have a look!
Last day of the summer? 2008-10-02 07:58:00 30:th of September 2008The sun is shining warm from a clearblue sky, Dragonflies and Butterflies are very active at Sikfors herrgård in Hällefors, where I pay a visit for a network-meeting with other Swedish tourism-companies involved with natur- and wildlife tourism. Check out their websites on the links & partner page on birdsafarisweden.com. Blue Hawkers and Black Darters are hunting the la
Blue Hawker 2008-09-27 12:43:00 A good day for picking mushrooms in the forest. Of course I can´t leave out the exciting moths and dragonflies. I manage to catch a male and a female Blue Hawker. Quite gorgeous creatures!
the face 2008-09-27 12:37:00 .. and so good looking!
creeping brush 2008-09-27 12:30:00 You see a lot of good, interesting, mysterious stuff on a forestroad walk. What is this creeping little brush? As far as I´ve found out it is in fact a Muslin Moth (Diaphora mendica) or in swedish Grå tigerspinnare!
the furball 2008-09-27 12:24:00 What kind of furry, little ball is this?
Dragonfly sunset 2008-09-26 07:19:00 25:th of SeptemberA couple of Dragonfly-species still fly in reasonably good numbers. The wetlands of Kvismaren is a good place for them. I have to share this one with you even if it´s hard to see what species it is. (I have yet to find out myself) As you might already have noticed, I´m a sucker for sunsets and seriously, how many really good sunsets do YOU see each year?
10.000 Cranes don´t lie 2008-09-26 07:00:00 25:th of SeptemberLake Kvismaren in Närke is just an hour drive away from Svartådalen and a real magnet for birds. Tens of thousands of Bean– and Greylag Geese, hundreds of Barnacles and odd numbers of the other Geese including even a flock of Lesser Whitefronts, was observed by some other people today. On a gorgeous day like this it´s a truly wonderful place to be. We see raptors practica
Winter´s coming 2008-11-17 08:41:00 16:th of November 2008Heavy snowfall for a couple of hours and then northerlies and clear blue skies, create excellent crispy cold winter atmosphere as I refill my feeders after midday. Flocks of Whooper Swans and Canada Geese are filling the sky with sound and shape as they migrate southwards. On a field by Lake Hällsjön I encounter some 170 Whoopers grazing just by the road. Almost invisib
Just a red cottage 2008-11-05 09:31:00 3:rd November 2008Even just a little, red cottage
by the road in Svartådalen – the Black River Valley can be beautiful in this light.
Sunny november 2008-11-05 09:26:00 3:rd of November 2008The first snow came during the weekend but didn´t last for longer than 2 days. Today it is mild and sunny again after a cold night. The mild sunshine makes beautiful colours even though the trees are stripped naked on their yellow leaves now. Read more:Sunny