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!

Öland - Part 1

Last Friday, Saturday and Sunday I visited Öland. It is an island in the Baltic Sea, outside the east coast of Sweden. The island is very long and narrow, and the most southern part is the most interesting for birders, especially the internationally known Ottenby nature reserve with Ottenby Bird Observatory.

 Click on the miniatures to see them in their original size.

7/10:

Grönhögen:

Mute Swan - Knölsvan – Bütykös hattyú (Cygnus olor)

Mute Swan - Knölsvan – Bütykös hattyú (Cygnus olor)

White-tailed Eagle - Havsörn - Réti sas (Haliaetus albicilla)

Sparrowhawk – Sparvhök - Karvaly (Accipiter nisus)

Sparrowhawk – Sparvhök - Karvaly (Accipiter nisus)

Brant Goose – Prutgås - Örvös lúd (Branta bernicla)

Goldcrest - Kungsfågel - Sárgafejű királyka (Regulus regulus)

Ottenby:

Rough-legged Buzzard - Fjällvråk - Gatyásölyv (Buteo lagopus)

Rough-legged Buzzard - Fjällvråk - Gatyásölyv (Buteo lagopus)

Schäferiängarna:

Barnacle Goose – Vitkindad gås - Apácalúd (Branta leucopsis)

8/10:

Ottenby:

Barnacle Goose – Vitkindad gås - Apácalúd (Branta leucopsis)

White-tailed Eagle - Havsörn - Réti sas (Haliaetus albicilla)

Eider - Ejder - Pehelyréce (Somateria mollissima)

Grey Plover - Kustpipare - Ezüstlile (Pluvialis squatarola)

This Jackdaw landed beside me with a Robin in its beak...

Jackdaw - Kaja - Csóka (Corvus monedula)

Öland - Part 2

Jackdaw - Kaja - Csóka (Corvus monedula)

Barnacle Goose – Vitkindad gås - Apácalúd (Branta leucopsis)

Grönhögen:

Lesser Black-backed Gull - Silltrut - Heringsirály (Larus fuscus)

Sun 9/10:

Grönhögen:

Mute Swan - Knölsvan – Bütykös hattyú (Cygnus olor)

Ottenby:

Barnacle Goose – Vitkindad gås - Apácalúd (Branta leucopsis)

Brant Goose – Prutgås - Örvös lúd (Branta bernicla)

Nortern Wheatear - Stenskvätta - Hantmadár (Oenanthe oenanthe)

Nortern Wheatear - Stenskvätta - Hantmadár (Oenanthe oenanthe)

Red-breasted Merganser - Småskrake - Örvös bukó (Mergus serrator)

Golden Eagle - Kungsörn - Szirti sas (Aquila chrysaetos)

This Short-toed Eagle was very far away, but it was really beautiful in the scope!

Short-toed Eagle - Ormörn - Kígyászölyv (Circaetus gallicus)

Näsbybadet:

Ruff – Brushane – Pajzsos cankó (Philomachus pugnax)

Linnet – Hämpling - Kenderike (Carduelis cannabina)

Gräsgårds hamn in the evening:

Purple Sandpiper – Skärsnäppa - Tengeri partfutó (Calidris maritima)

Pink-footed Goose

I found this picutre of a Pink-footed Goose among all the others I took at Hjälstaviken last Saturday. I just didn't really notice it when I slipped trough the photos. I spared it becouse of the pose, but I thought it was a common Bean Goose... I just realized my mistake a while ago. But it feels great to finally have a nice photo of this species!

Pink-footed Goose – Spetsbergsgås – Rövidcsőrű lúd (Anser brachyrhynchus)

Weekend

Yesterday evening as a wonderful one, filled with geese and cranes at Hjälstaviken. The top species of the day were Grey Plover and Black-tailed Godwit. Here are some pictures I took:

Starling - Stare - Seregély (Sturnus vulgaris)

There were around 3000 Barnacle Geese in the area:

Barnacle Goose – Vitkindad gås - Apácalúd (Branta leucopsis)

Barnacle Goose – Vitkindad gås - Apácalúd (Branta leucopsis)

A hybrid goose:

Barnacle Goose x Lesser White-fronted Goose – Vitkindad gås x  Fjällgås - Apácalúd x Kis lilik (Branta leucopsis x Anser erythropus)

Barnacle Goose – Vitkindad gås - Apácalúd (Branta leucopsis)

Barnacle Goose – Vitkindad gås - Apácalúd (Branta leucopsis)

Barnacle Goose – Vitkindad gås - Apácalúd (Branta leucopsis)

Barnacle Goose – Vitkindad gås - Apácalúd (Branta leucopsis)

Barnacle Goose – Vitkindad gås - Apácalúd (Branta leucopsis)

All the time, flocks of geese and cranes flew around us, somtimes close, sometimes far away. I find the Moon to be a great photo-subject, especially when birds are involved in the picture.

Crane – Trana - Daru (Grus grus)

Crane – Trana - Daru (Grus grus)

Barnacle Goose – Vitkindad gås - Apácalúd (Branta leucopsis)

 Today (sun) was spent in Asköviken. Really boring weather, but a few nice birds were flying around:

Northern Goshawk – Duvhök – Héja (Accipiter gentilis)

Until today, I haven't got to see Great Grey Shrike close enough, only very far away. My best picture of it was just a few grey pixels. Today I got really close to one of these beautiful shrikes:

Great Grey Shrike – Varfågel – Nagy őrgébics (Lanius excubitor)

 I think this picture was the best one from this weekend:

Great Grey Shrike – Varfågel – Nagy őrgébics (Lanius excubitor)

Great Grey Shrike – Varfågel – Nagy őrgébics (Lanius excubitor)