Great surprise

19:th of May 2011
Tonight the Great Grey Owl surprises us with appearing suddenly and superclose. Unfortunatley the camera wasn´t ready at first but later it was. Resulting in at least some pics.

Wild pigs

19:th of May 2011
It´s only the 4:th time ever I see Wildboar in the Black River area. 11 pigs, 4 females and at least 7 piglets (see the pale brown backs in the grass) finish this night´s sightings.

Great Grey showtime

14:th of May 2011
The Great Grey Owl is showing well today. A succesful hunt and it goes away to deliver the prey, hopefully to a nest with chicks.

Hunting til dusk

14:th of May 2011
Hunting all the way til dusk.

Urals fly

13:th of May 2011
Ural Owl in flight.

Ural Owls

13:th of May 2011
There´s a lot of defence will among the Ural Owl females now.

First Ural Owl chicks

13:th of May 2011
The first Ural Owl chicks have started to get ringed. Is there a word to describe this kind of ugly beauty?

Lynx sitting

12:th of May 2011
Thursday night, brilliant weather and the young Lynx shows well on the northern part of the meadw for a good while. Stretching, yawning, lazing, stalking some potential prey and just posing. The 2.nd Naturetrek-group this spring get excellent views.

Lynx walking

12:th of May 2011
...And after almost an hour it walks away into the forest.

First Dragon

11.th of May 2011
The first dragonfly this year surprises me in the garden as I saw potatoes. Usually I see these by the lake… Downy Emerald (Cordulia aenea – Guldtrollslända). 4 new Warblers for the year sing in the garden today, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Garden– and Icterine Warbler.

Small Lappet

13:th of May 2011
A Small Lappet (Phylodesma ilicifolia – Rödbrun bladspinnare) is found on the hotel lamp yesterday and brought in for a photo session. Amazing Moth!

Lime Hawk Moth

11:th of May 2011
This Lime Hawk Moth (Mimas tiliae - Lindsvärmare) is a first for me and the first Hawk Moth for the year. My friend Niclas Lignell got it in his light trap and was kind enough to call me. Luckily it stayed. What a creature!

Lunar Marbled Brown

10:th of May 2011
A project to get this lovely moth – Lunar Marbled brown – on the canvas, scores. Vinterekspinnare in swedish (Drymonia ruficornis) flies in the Oak tree canopies, so we found a little mountiantop where we got the right elevation. Lovely warm night with +14° C at 01.00. Tawny Owls calling around us too.

Black kite

26:th of April 2011
The Black Kite from Lycksta, near Lake Frövisjön on the 26:th of April was one of the last birds that visiting french photographer Daniel Mauras got to see on his way to the airport.

Lynx for the 4:th time

7:th of May 2011
The british group from Naturetrek becomes the second english group this month (and year) to see a Lynx performing a lovely evening out in the forest. These handsome and wild cats are known to be among the hardest cats in the world to see live. I have now had the luck to see these animals on 4 different occasions lately.

Scarce Prominent

30:th of April 2011
The first night this year when I have time to put up a mercury lamp in my garden to attract some Moths. Only a few indivudals of 5 species are attracted but this is a god find and a new species to me and the garden: Scarce Prominent (Odontosia carmelita) - Björkflikvinge in swedish.

Scarce spreading

30.th of April 2011
This is how it looks with it´s wings spread. Scarce Prominent Moth – quite a beauty.