In Sibejay land

1:st of February 2009
The snow depth is about half a meter, so it is not without effort we make our way to the favourite area of the Siberian Jays. The trees are so full of snow, it´s really beautiful. And the jays show well by the warming fire.

Blue morning

1:st of February 20009
It´s cold (–10° C) and the snowfilled skies are clearing up. The light is that arctic blue in the early morning and we just have to stop before we reach the Siberian Jay-site, just to get some pictures and enjoy the view.

Lynx and Glove

31:st of January 2009
In the ice we find the round, unmistakable footprints of a big cat – a Lynx. Just one of the big predators of the area. Wolves breed here too.

A day in the dead forest..

31:st of January 2009
"The dead forest" was flooded because Beavers built a dam in a creek near it two years ago. Since the dead spruce trees attracts beatles, they in turn, attracts Woodpeckers, like the Three-toed Woodpecker.
But today we also enjoy the snow covering everything and some Lynx footprints frozen into the ice. Also some lichen on the dead tree trunks are really attractive.

..with three toes

31:st of January
And a pair of Three-toed Woodpeckers offer good views even if the light is just good enough for some blurry digiscope pictures. Here´s the male with his yellow cap.

The Hawk Owl

29:th of January 2009
This picture was taken by Glyn Sellors on the same Hawk Owl on a sunnier day.

First Naturetrekkers

29:th of January 2009
The first winter group from the British tour-company Naturetrek arrives and we set off straight from the airport to look at a Hawk Owl. On the way there we get lucky to see a Great Grey Shrike, a Goshawk, and a bunch of garden birds in the nearest village, including such winter scarcities for this latitude as Starling and Brambling.
The Hawk Owl offers a bit of drama as it gets mobbed by another Great Grey Shrike.