Waxwings and Isabelline Wheatear

7:th of December 2009
Back to dreary, miserable weather. By the way an Isabelline Wheatear was found in Uppland, not so far away yesterday and is still there today. I enjoy the fact that several flocks of Waxwings have arrived to the city, 150 of them on my own backyard. Such nice birds!

Moon upon frost

2:nd of December 2009
The day is absolutely brilliant and I spend it in a forest clearing doing a course in outdoor cooking together with some 25 other people. Crossbills and Crested– and Willow Tits make us company. On the way home the moon rises over the frosty landscape. It´s just so pretty.

Frosty morning

2:nd of December 2009
Yesterday we had the first clear, sunny day for at least a week. Last night came the cold. It was – 10° C this morning and the landscape is covered with frost, and the lakes with ice. As I drive north through the valley the moon descends and as I reach lake Rörbo, frosty and white, the sun rises, beautifully!
A couple of Swans are lingering in a pool of open water, but during the day flock after flock of Whoopers and Geese fly south.

Finches frenzy

26:th of November 2009
The feeding stations are starting to attract better numbers of birds. There´s been a few Siskins, Redpolls and plenty of Greenfinches lately, today about 100 and among them at least 7 Hawfinches! Not so bad since last winter they didn´t show much at all on this otherwise splendid site for them. They also got good company in the Common Crossbills that has been feeding in the nearby Spruce trees lately.

Looting Thrushes

25:th of November 2009
Despite this dark, grey, dull period there are some birds around to see. Large flocks af 1000´s of Fieldfares and Redwings have been around in the Black River Valley for a while, plundering the Mountain Ashes on their berries. Whole forest glades have been totally red with berries, but now they turn brown as the berries are consumed. Only a few Waxwings have been seen so far and we can only hope that the Thrushes leave some winter food for them. The regional difference is quite big though, down around Västerås, the berries are practically untouched and not many Thrushes are around.
A couple of hundred Whooper Swans, 50 Bean Geese and a male Hen Harrier is among today´s better birds as well.

Late Autumn Snake

22:th of November 2009
Finally a nice, sunny day after a long period of cloudy and rainy weather. On a walk on Björnön a little Grass Snake is crossing the path and I can´t resist holding him up for a little while. As you can see he gets defensive, but he was s very dozy and slow.

Autumn Swan migration

17:th of September 2009
Plenty of Whooper Swans have arrived to the area. On a little roundtour I see three flocks, the biggest holding 320 swans. Not to bad for an autumn day. The autumn migration is more outstretched and usually don´t produce any bigger concentrations of birds. Not at all like in spring when we have thousands of them in the valley.