Merlin

 The picture is from Öland, taken two months ago.

Merlin – Stenfalk - Kis sólyom (Falco columbarius)

2011-11-28

During lunch-hour in school.

Little Grebe – Smådopping – Kis vöcsök (Tachybaptus ruficollis)

Sparrowhawk – Sparvhök - Karvaly (Accipiter nisus)

Sparrowhawk – Sparvhök - Karvaly (Accipiter nisus)

Spotted Nutcracker

Archive pictures, taken a few weeks ago.

Spotted Nutcracker - Nötkråka - Fenyőszajkó (Nucifraga caryocatactes)

Spotted Nutcracker - Nötkråka - Fenyőszajkó (Nucifraga caryocatactes)

Saturday

Saturday means birdwatching! The highlights of today was two Goshawks (1 juv female and 1 ad female), Tawny Owl, Kingfisher, Little Grebe, Sparrowhawk and Long-tailed Tit.

Fieldfare – Björktrast – Fenyőrigó (Turdus pilaris)

Blackbird - Koltrast - Feketerigó (Turdus merula)

 I like this next picture a lot, for some reason...

Fieldfare – Björktrast – Fenyőrigó (Turdus pilaris)

Black-headed Gull - Skrattmås - Dankasirály (Larus ridibundus)

Mrs. Goshawk was eating a Roe Deer. You can actually see some of the ribs and the ear of the deer under the hawk.
The deer was lying 50 meters from the road. It was most propably hit by a car, but it didn't die at first. Maybe it crawled the 50 meters and then died. But the Goshawk could not have killed it.

Northern Goshawk – Duvhök – Héja (Accipiter gentilis)

Northern Goshawk – Duvhök – Héja (Accipiter gentilis)

Tawny Owl – Kattuggla – Macskabagoly (Strix aluco)

2011-11-19

Some pictures from this morning. Really beautiful weather.
It's the 19:th November, but there is still no snow!

Hawfinch - Stenknäck - Meggyvágó (Coccothraustes coccothraustes)

Fieldfare – Björktrast – Fenyőrigó (Turdus pilaris)

Greenfinch - Grönfink - Zöldike (Carduelis chloris)

Hawfinch - Stenknäck - Meggyvágó (Coccothraustes coccothraustes)

Blue Tit – Blåmes – Kék cinege (Cyanistes caeruleus)

Redpoll - Gråsiska - Zsezse (Carduelis flammea)

Fieldfare – Björktrast – Fenyőrigó (Turdus pilaris)

Red Squirrel - Ekorre - Európai mókus (Sciurus vulgaris)

Fieldfare – Björktrast – Fenyőrigó (Turdus pilaris)

Redpoll - Gråsiska - Zsezse (Carduelis flammea)

Hoopoe twitch

Yesterday I went to Örnsköldsvik, a city 500 kms north from here to see a bird I have longed to see for three years.

I would not have went that far for just any bird, but the Hoopoe is very special to me. I have been to Hungary several weeks every summer for the last few years without finding one single Hoopoe, even though every birdwatcher in Hungary I've met, but also Swedish birdwatchers I've met that has ever been to Hungary told me that Hoopoes are very common there. But somehow, i always missed it.
So every time I went to Hungary on vacation, I was hoping to see it, but it just never happened.
Therefore, after a while, I started to get a little angry every time I talked about the Hoopoe.
It is surely one of the most beautiful birds in the world but I always missed it, so every time a Hoopoe was found some hundred kilometers from Västerås, I started to think about wether I should go and see it or just get out and try to find one around here. Finding one is never easy, becouse they are rare in Sweden. Not very-very rare, but there are lots of swedish birdwatchers who are still searching for one.

So at last, I gave in. Here is this amazing, fantastic, fabulous bird that has been on my mind since three years. My first Hoopoe.
This was also my 250:th bird species in Sweden!

Click on the pictures to see larger picture:

Hoopoe – Härfågel - Búbos banka (Upupa epops)

The bird was surprisingly small, not bigger than a thrush. It was always very active and picked up big larvae from the grass and ate them.

 Sometimes it flew away (marvellous!!!), and landed a few meters away on the grass or in a tree.

Every time it landed, it opened its wonderful crest,  but only for one or two seconds.

 And here am I, watching this little creature, sometimes not more than 20-30 cms. What a treat!