2 juv Golden Eagles in the area lately. Lovely birds, only winter visitors here.

2:nd of December 2011
Last day´s birding for Matt and Lauren (US) starts with a Great Grey Shrike who´s eating from his own store, a vole staked up on a twig (quite a morbid but rare thing to see), followed by 2 White-tailed Eagles at Lake Fläcksjön. Near Stockholm we manage to see a day roosting Ural Owl in a very dense pine tree and a much more showy Water Rail at Råstasjön. I must admit I haven´t seen Water rail this good for many years. And what a tame bird. Max Green took the rail pictures. See more of his excellent work on http://skogn.tumblr.com/

Plenty of Waxwings around today. At least 300 birds in one flock fed on apples and Rowan berries.

Dusky Thrush remains
The Dusky Thrush near Stockholm remains true to the site. It was well watched today when the crowd was smaller and some better photographs where taken. From what I gather it´s a first year female.

Dusky Thrush – a first for Sweden
Yesterday it became public knowledge that a Dusky Thrush (Turdus eunomus) resided in a garden just outside Stockholm. In fact it´s been seen already a week ago according to unconfirmed sources, but wasn´t identified until yesterday. Being a new bird to Sweden it attracted quite a crowd today. Even if it was quite skulking it stayed true to the same spot most of the time and appeared in the open to feed on berries for short periods. Sometimes it sat more in the open or even treetops. Dusky Thrush picture by Zsombor Karolyi. See more of his excellent pictures on his own photo-blog!

It´s not every day you see Ural Owl hunting in daylight. Today was one of them. This bird (or maybe several) have been seen in the same area for some time and often in daytime. This might indicate lack of food (rodents), especially since 2 Ural Owls have been found dead in central Västerås lately too.

Close Wolf encounter
A couple of White-tailed Eagles perched in a tree on a felling lead us to believe that there could be a carcass lying around. We approached and walk over and over the open area and all of a sudden a Wolf runs off from just some 20 metres away from me. I draw my camera and get the Wolf in the frame on one shot before it disappears in the forest. We are so in awe!

Chestnut-eared Bunting (Emberiza fucata) - a first for Sweden!
What is likely to be Swedens´s  first Chestnut-eared Bunting (Emberiza fucata) was photographed on the remote island Understen in Stockholm archipelago yesterday. See pictures here! It will be only the second record ever in the Western Palearctic, the first was made on Fair Isle, Shetland in October 2004. Unfortunately it was not relocated today. A Siberian Thrush was also reported yesterday from Björns fyr north of Stockholm on the Uppland coast.

15:th of October 2011
Lesser Emperor Dragonfly (Anax parthenope) became a new species to Sweden only last year. This individual turned in to Ottenby Bird Observatory by a caring visitor was something like the 10:th record this year. So still a mega. Here showed to what is most likely the biggest crowd ever twitching a Dragonfly in Sweden. After release it posed in a bird cherry bush for quite some time but eventually took off and disappeared.

13:th of October
Northerlies and several flocks of Waxwings in the area. 30 the most. Lovely birds. A Pygmy Owl briefly in the afternoon. They are on the move this autumn.

11:th of October 2011
Despite a frosty night, the day gets sunny and warm. Black and Ruddy Darters fly by the lake and a Red Admiral in my garden. The first Waxwings for the autumn too, about ten birds.

11:th of October 2011
The Nutcrackers have started to appear without any hesitation or shyness to people. Today at least 3 individuals appear within a few meters and for a long time, eating hazelnut cores.

9:th of October
Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) , Pallas´ Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus proregulus) are the highlights of this Indian summer day with calm, sunny, absolutely brilliant weather. Quite a few birds ringed at the bird observatory lighthouse garden as well. I like the Chiffchaffs (Phylloscopus collybita)

8:th of October 2011

Another good day at Ottenby bird observatory. Today with more passerines in the mistnets. The clue of the day is surely the 4 Tengmalm´s Owls that are caught at night. They seem o have a bit of an outburst this autumn and why shouldn´t they be on the move? They´ve had a terrific breeding season.

7:th of October 2011
The first day on our Ottenby, Öland visit. A bit windy but impressive amounts of Barnacle Geese everywhere. Lots of Rough-legged Buzzards in the air, Peregrines, White-tailed Eagles and Waders. At Seby we spend quality time with a flock of Dunlins with Little Stint, Purple Sandpiper and Sanderlings. Only the Dunliuns got good enough on camera though.

White-tailed Eagles

Had a nice moment with two White-tailed Eagles at Lake Rörbosjön today. Subadult birds with pale yellow bills and rather white tails, but still with some black tips to the tail feathers. They where soaing in the wind for quite some time and came rally close, almost as if they where curious.

Eagle nr 1

The first of the 2 very similar White-tailed Eagles soaring together. Probably a bonding pair but not yet fully adult. Perhaps the next new pair to add to the already 4 couples breeding in the valley?

Eagle nr 2

This is the second individual. Same type of plumage (hence age) but note the broken tip of primary 2 in the left wing.

Eagle doublé

And the two of them together.

Cold Admiral

Even if it´s still mild (+15° C but strong wind) the Red Admiral still about in my garden looks a bit cold today as it sucks on the same rotting apple most of the time.

Wolfattacks in the valley

Since saturday, at least 20 sheap on 2 diffeent farms have been killed by wolves in and around Fläckebo in the Black River Valley. It´s known that a pair of Wolves with 7 or 8 cubs is residing in the area since a year back.

Summer lingers

1:st of October 2011
Summer lingers on in central Sweden with +22°. Probably the hottest october day I´ve ever experienced. Red Admirals are still out flying in my garden.

Red Admiral below

1:st of October 2011
and looks good from below.

Cranes on bogs

Lately the bogs and myres in the Black River forest has been hosting the Cranes at night. A wild habitat where Wolves can be seen and heard. Here the first flock comes in. Picture by Mike Hilditch.

Cranes in sun

These Cranes flew in to the bog as the sun still shone. Beautiful. Picture by Mike Hilditch.

Cranes against sunset

Picture by Mike Hilditch. See more of his excellent work on his own website!

Dead Pygmy Owl

24:th of September 2011
A Pygmy Owl found dead in a garden near town (after window collision) indicates there might be a movement of Owls this autumn. There should be! After this breeding season. Tengmalm´s Owls have started to appear in the south too.

And with spread wing

24:th of September 2011
Can´t see any sign of moult or different age feathers. Indicates a juv bird.

Studying ringing

14:th of September 2011
Today we pay a little study visit to the ringing activity at the Kvismare Bird Observatory. A Spotted Flycatcher and this Tree Pipit was some of few birds caught in the still relatively strong wind. A Black Woodpecker flying by was a nice surprise though. Craig Brookes guided us.

Cranes, cranes, cranes

13:th of September 2011
Just a tiny fragment of all the Cranes that flew in to the roost this night. And this night the influx was impressive even without a good sunset.

Geese

13:th of September 2011
Just a tiny fragment of all the Taiga Bean Geese that where seen every now and then, often flushed by Eagles.

White-tailed Eagles all over

13:th of September 2011
White-tailed Eagle is the ever present raptor in the valley (together with Marsh Harrier). Over and over they flush huge flocks of Taiga Bean Geese. This juvenile bird came pretty close to us in the Rysjön watchtower.

Fields of Cranes

12:th of September 2011
It´s always impressive to arrive the Kvismare valley to see all the Cranes filling the fields. Some closer than others. This night some 12.000 Cranes where counted on the site. This family was just by the road.

The running Crane

12:th of September 2011
This juv Crane finally couldn´t stand our presence.

Pygmy Owl at dawn

12:th of September 2011
We defy rain and set out at the break of dawn to see Pygmy Owl. In fact 2 individuals appear at the same time, one seen, one heard whistling a bit further away. The little nob in the tree is in fact the Owl!