Saturday, June 09, 2007
Trip to Sweden - 1st-7th June
Greger's mum wasn't very well so we didn't go far from the farm. There were several pairs of fieldfare around with fledged young, and tree sparrows were nesting in the eaves of the houses.
On the first evening the air was full of the echoing clamour of cranes and swans. A drive round to some new pools formed by peat extraction brought the sight of thirty-three whoopers - unusual in this area in summer.
The farm is a couple of hours drive northwest of Stockholm. It is medium-sized with arable fields and forest (predominantly spruce with some pine and birch). By the farmhouse stands a solitary oak tree - and ever since Greger can remember, pied flycatchers have nested there. This year was no exception. The swallowtail butterfly on the lilac was an unexpected bonus.
On the second day Greger's brother brought the news that one pair of cranes had young. We could see them distantly on the fields, the two chicks yellow-brown and already well-grown.
We cycled round to the peat pools every day but never saw the swans again. On the larger pool were goldeneye, common gulls and a pair of teal with young. A pair of green sandpiper buzzed about and a snipe flew over. In the scrubby area round the pools were linnet and a pair of whinchat - the bright male making brief song-flights from a birch sapling.
One hot afternoon I cycled along the track and paused where the trees ended to scan the water on the left, neglecting to check the smaller pool to the right. There was a whooshing sound behind me and I turned to see a moose surging out of the muddy water where she had been enjoying a nice cool wallow.
The forest behind the farm has been good in winter for crested tit, and eventually I had a glimpse of two as they flitted across the track. Siskin were also here. In the bushes around two old barns were blackcap and garden warbler, and in an open area beyond - a pair of red-backed shrike.
Another part of the peat diggings has been converted into a golf course. As I accompanied Greger and his brother on a round I abandoned my caddying duties to identify a little ringed plover on the edge of one of the pools. Golf does have its uses!
Greger's niece's husband, Johan (a biologist, who reported quail and wryneck singing just outside their house though we were unlucky with these) took us on an early-morning visit to Vansjön, a nearby lake. We drove across a meadow towards a small copse with a reed-bed to one side. As we got out of the car, a cuckoo was calling and several snipe were flying around drumming.
I don't remember which came next - the nightingale striking up from the depths of the copse or the bittern booming from the reed-bed - but we were treated to several choruses from both. This would be a thrush nightingale, so it was a pity we didn't see it. But ticks aren't everything. Just to hear this selection of sounds in one place was amazing. A marsh harrier cruised past as we returned to the car, there were common terns out over the water and I thought I heard a distant redshank.
Besides those mentioned, the week's list includes wheatear, tree pipit, willow warbler, spotted flycatcher, lesser whitethroat, yellowhammer, lapwing, redwing, raven, bullfinch, house martin, swallow, swift, marsh harrier, and buzzard.
// posted by Christine @ 9:59 AM 
