Sweden, June 2010

Just come back from an excellent week in Sweden with Daniel Green. The trip was booked through Altiplano Bird Tours. A brilliant week with lots of different habitats, travelling north into the uplands. A new bird was added to Karen's list - Gyr Falcon. Felt very lucky to see these birds with chicks. Also has Hawk Owl, Great Grey Owl and Eagle Owl chicks - so a very good week was had. Hope you enjoy looking at the photos.

Red Necked Phalaropes

and again.....

and again....

and again.....

Red Necked Phalarope

Common Rosefinch

Slav Grebe

Siberian Jay

Siberian Jay in the rain

Whinchat

Wheatear juv

White Wagtail

Honey Buzzard

Distant and raggy !

House Martin

Hawk Owl

Hawk Owl

This is the female with the blooded face

Hawk Owl

The male bird

Hawk Owl

We found these on two seperate occasions during our week but both sightings were in the same area. A definate pair. This is the male as the previous day we had seen the female with her 5 chicks. Her face was unmistakable as it was covered in blood from a recent meal.

Wild Boar

Very distant and in failing light.

Ural Owl

This is the 'owl man of Sweden', who has put up 1000's of nest boxes and who also monitors the boxes and rings the chicks. This Ural Owl had one dead chick and one broken egg in her nest box. Ural Owls are extremely aggresive hence the crash helmet and visor!