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Sweden Trip Report

J une 2014 Andy Walker 1


http://awbirder.blogspot.co.uk
Sweden Birding Trip Report
Northern Hawk-Owl Twitch

February 18
th
19
th
2006

Andy Walker
http:/ / awbirder.blogspot.co.uk


Northern Hawk-Owl, Sweden
Sweden Trip Report
J une 2014 Andy Walker 2
http://awbirder.blogspot.co.uk
Outline Itinerary
This weekend trip was designed to connect with one of my most wanted species, Northern Hawk-
Owl. Due to the locations visited there were many opportunities for other decent Western Palearctic
species such as Siberian J ay, Grey-headed Woodpecker and Eurasian Pygmy-Owl. Combined with
these were many interesting common species all of distinct Scandinavian or northern races, such as
Eurasian Nuthatch, Eurasian Bullfinch and Willow Tit on offer.

Scandinavia in winter is a picture postcard, a stunning mosaic of forests and lakes set off with a layer
of pure white snow. With flights to the area at a very reduced price and a bumper owl year this was
always going to be a fantastic trip, and it didnt take long for us to strike gold!

I went on this trip was with Richard Taylor and Stewart Hinley from the northeast of England. The
trip was organised by Daniel Green and guided by Marcus Rehnberg of Birdsafari Sweden. Below is a
daily report followed by a systematic list of birds recorded.

Daily Log

Day 1: 18
th
February 2006

We left Luton airport on our scheduled Ryanair flight to Vasteras, Sweden. Despite the recent
Channel 4 Dispatches programme highlighting some problems with Ryanair we were pleased by the
time keeping and service provided during both our flights! With a flight time of less than two hours
the journey was over in no time at all and we landed into a vista of snow as far as the eye could see.
Vasteras is a very small airport; it didnt take long to collect our bags where we met our local guide
and driver, Marcus. We picked up our transport and got underway.

We headed northwest through the continuing snow showers. Along the road we saw numerous
Hooded Crows, Common Magpie, Western J ackdaw, European Greenfinch, Eurasian Siskin,
Yellowhammer and Fieldfare. We came off a main route-way onto some smaller roads where the
habitat consisted of agricultural fields, conifer plantations and mixed forest edges. As we approached
some edge habitat we were advised to look out for our target species, and immediately Richard said
hed got it. We parked and jumped out of the vehicle very quickly, grabbed our scopes and rushed to
look at the magnificent Northern Hawk-Owl, back on. We neednt have rushed because this bird was
going no-where!

Everyone took some long-distance record shots and our guide smiled and said we could probably get
a bit closer, we all agreed this would be a popular decision and so we set off through the snow,
carefully getting closer and closer, stopping to take pictures along the way as the owl occasionally
turned its head to look inquisitively at us. By now we were stood directly underneath the bird,
awestruck!

We decided to push our luck further by walking under the bird to try and see the whole front of it, to
really appreciate its hawk-like appearance. Totally unbothered by our presence the owl sat and
watched us looking at it, we stood taking photos and admiring it for an hour or so, it then flew off
directly overhead, allowing us to observe its distinctive Accipiter-like flight. It flew about 80 metres,
turned and landed briefly on the ground before flying straight back towards us, with a vole! It then
landed on a telegraph pole in front of us and proceeded to consume the rodent!

The Northern Hawk-Owl is a very special bird and to gain views like this will stay with everyone for a
lifetime! I managed a couple of digi-scoped photos below:

Sweden Trip Report
J une 2014 Andy Walker 3
http://awbirder.blogspot.co.uk

Northern Hawk-Owl, Sweden


Northern Hawk-Owl, Sweden


Sweden Trip Report
J une 2014 Andy Walker 4
http://awbirder.blogspot.co.uk
As the Hawk-Owl ate its lunch we decided to leave it in peace and have our lunch too. We drove a
short distance to a feeding station site, en-route we gained great views of Rough-legged Buzzard,
Common Raven and a couple of Great Grey Shrikes. As we reached the site we had a fantastic picnic-
style lunch whilst we watched the feeders containing Crested Tits, and the Scandinavian or northern
races of Great Spotted Woodpecker, Eurasian Nuthatch, Eurasian Treecreeper, Eurasian Bullfinch and
Willow, Marsh and Coal Tits. We spent some time here watching these very distinct races feeding at
close range, providing excellent photographic opportunities for those with cameras.

We decided to warm ourselves up by heading a little way down the entrance road to the feeding
station, in no time at all we had a giant Black Woodpecker fly out of nowhere straight towards us and
then we found a stunning, and obliging Eurasian Pygmy-Owl that we watched for over half an hour at
close range. The bird was totally unperturbed by us being there, or that of the occasional car that
passed by producing a cloud of fresh snow, although by now the light was reduced this bird still
allowed for a few photographs.


Eurasian Pygmy-Owl, Sweden

As the light faded we headed north to our Bed & Breakfast accommodation where we arrived in
darkness, we then settled into our rooms, had a fantastic evening meal and went through our species
checklist for the day before getting a good sleep in a nice warm bed!

Day 2: 19
th
February 2006

We woke from a great warm sleep to find our B&B overlooking a large, snow-covered lake; a truly
stunning backdrop. We had a typical continental breakfast that went down a treat before we headed
off outside into the snow for the day. Birds seen around the accommodation at this time included a
distant Grey-headed Woodpecker, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Yellowhammer and European Greenfinch.

Sweden Trip Report
J une 2014 Andy Walker 5
http://awbirder.blogspot.co.uk
Our guides took us a few kilometres north to a track that entered some forest, in the middle of
nowhere! We walked through the snow for less than 50 metres when we discovered a Eurasian
Pygmy-Owl sat close to the track in a low tree that allowed for good photography for those wishing to
wade into 3-4 ft of snow!


Eurasian Pygmy-Owl, Sweden

We reached a tiny, unobvious opening in the forest some 1.5 km further along the track where a
small feeding site immediately produced a shy and elusive Grey-headed Woodpecker and moments
later, the bird we had all being hoping for, Siberian J ay. A couple of these delightful birds came down
to feed and showed down to about 6-10 ft. I could only manage a couple of digi-scoped record shots.


Siberian J ay, Sweden
Sweden Trip Report
J une 2014 Andy Walker 6
http://awbirder.blogspot.co.uk
Other species around while we were admiring these birds included a couple of Black Woodpecker,
Crested Tit, Eurasian J ay, Eurasian Treecreeper and Goldcrest. As we walked back to the car to head
back south we came across the Eurasian Pygmy-Owl again, this time higher up in a different tree.

The road south produced a couple of Arctic and Mealy Redpoll sat up in a roadside flock that also
produced Eurasian Siskin, European Greenfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Yellowhammer.

As we moved further south, heading for yesterdays feeding station where we planned to have lunch
again we found another Eurasian Pygmy-Owl, along with Common Raven and Eurasian J ay. As we
passed one of the only rivers we saw that wasnt frozen we found Common Goldeneye, Mallard and
Tufted Duck. A Rough-legged Buzzard showed incredibly well both perched and then in flight.

We arrived at the feeding site we had visited previously where we met up with Daniel. We had lunch,
cooked over a fire and watched the same birds as yesterday, Crested, Willow, Marsh and Coal Tits,
Eurasian Nuthatch and Eurasian Treecreeper. After waiting for some time the previously elusive
Grey-headed Woodpecker came down to the feeders and showed incredibly well for around half an
hour. The bird seemed to enjoy the fat and seeds that were put out for it! Unfortunately the local
Spotted Nutcracker that had been present during the morning at the feeding site had left before we
arrived and wasnt present during the afternoon, next time!


Grey-headed Woodpecker, Sweden

By now it was getting near to the end of the daylight hours so we headed in the general direction of
the airport for our flight home. Our last birds of the trip before the light faded included another two
Eurasian Pygmy-Owls, a flock of around 45 Snow Buntings, some Mealy Redpoll and Great Grey
Shrike.

We arrived at the airport in plenty of time and had a celebratory local brew, went over our checklist
before heading back to the UK bang on time.


Sweden Trip Report
J une 2014 Andy Walker 7
http://awbirder.blogspot.co.uk
Species List

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos platyrhynchos
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula clangula
Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus
Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon) Columba livia dom.
Northern Hawk-Owl Surnia ulula
Eurasian Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium passerinum
Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius
Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus
Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major major
Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus garrulus
Fieldfare Turdus pilaris
Goldcrest Regulus regulus regulus
Great Tit Parus major major
Blue Tit Parus caeruleus caeruleus
Coal Tit Parus ater ater
Crested Tit Parus cristatus cristatus
Marsh Tit Parus palustris palustris
Willow Tit Parus montanus borealis
Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea europaea
Eurasian Treecreeper Certhia familiaris familiaris
Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor excubitor
Common Magpie Pica pica pica
Eurasian J ay Garrulus glandarius glandarius
Siberian J ay Perisoreus infaustus infaustus
Western J ackdaw Corvus monedula monedula
Hooded Crow Corvus cornix
Common Raven Corvus corax corax
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus montanus
Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs coelebs
Common Mealy Redpoll Carduelis flammea flammea
Arctic Redpoll Carduelis hornemanni exilipes
European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris chloris
Eurasian Siskin Carduelis spinus
Eurasian 'Northern' Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula pyrrhula
Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis nivalis
Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella citrinella


Sweden Trip Report
J une 2014 Andy Walker 8
http://awbirder.blogspot.co.uk
Summary

Our weekend was filled with wonderful sightings of many highly sought after northern Western
Palearctic species, situated in some beautiful picture-perfect scenery with good food and very good
guiding. Not a huge trip list but the quality was there in buckets!

By all accounts this year has been one of the best owl-years in Sweden with numerous Northern
Hawk-Owl and Eurasian Pygmy-Owl been found.

If you would like any further information please drop me an email to andywalker1000 AT hotmail.com
subject Sweden Birding.

Thanks, Andy
16
th
J une 2014.

NB: This is a 2014 update/edit of a 2006 trip I made.


Northern Hawk-Owl, Sweden

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