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 Introduction
The company will send me for a firefighting course. I chose to take the course end of May  hoping to get some nice spring/ summer weather.
They wanted to send me to another course as well, and I could choose a course in Gothenburg in the beginning of May as I wanted to see the Crane Dance and end of April is too late for the Crane action. I searched the internet for information about the Black Grouse Lek and I found two companies. Nordic Safari and Wild Nordic. I found out that the Black Grouse Lek are starting in March and I can see it until end of April. Actually it goes on in to the month of May but as the soil has thawed after the winter and the swamp turns in to a, well, yes, a swamp and we cannot stay in the swamp. I also found out about Capercaillie Lek, something I really wanted to experience as well. I had now booked both Capercaillie Lek and Black Grouse Lek and it would be 5 nights in a tent on a frozen swamp. I was soon running in to a set-back, Wild Nordic could not to the Black Grouse Lek trip as the road was closed to the swamp. I had to find another tour company in Tiveden, Natur Guide Tiveden. I found that they were doing both the Capercaillie Lek and the Black Grouse Lek. So now I was set up for 3 nights with the Capercaillie and 2 nights with the Black Grouse and I will go to look for beavers, owls and moose as well. I will spend a few days at Brandområdet before driving south again. I will stop at Tiveden National Park on the way to Gothenburg where I will do my first course. When I finish my course in Gothenburg I will drive to Öland for a few days of bird watching before driving to Skåne for more bird watching. End of May and I will drive back to Gothenburg and the firefighting course on Öckerö in the archipelago and I hope to be able to see some exciting bird life there. My Guide
I will not use a Guide. I was around a little with my Guide from Nordic Safari during the day time after the nights in the tent hide for the Capercaillie Lek. So I knew a few places and I will check out the Great Grey owl area every day. Flights
Land transportation
• Rented car I rented a Volvo from HERZ. It will not work using public transportation to travel between the different birding spots located in the wilderness Accommodations
My day rest will be at Ramnäs Hotell & Kenferens in Ramnäs for my day rest: 26 April to 27 April 2019  Best Western Fagersta Brukshotell: 27 April to 1 May 2019  Weather / climate
Sweden in April and May, could be summer and it can be winter, or anything in between. In the South I hope to have sunshine and the summer in good progress. I will be in the middle of Sweden to watch the Crane Dance and the Capercaillie Lek and the Black Grouse Lek. The lek is going on until May but they usually give up watching when the soil has thawed after the winter and the swamp turns from hard to water and it is not possible to be there anymore. So yes, I have ordered thermo underwear for my nights in the tent. And coming to Skåne and Öland I might be lucky and I can walk around in shorts and shirt. But it can as well be winter and I need to pack a lot of clothes this time.
 Middle of Sweden - Climate & Temperature
Pictures from www.climatemps.com
 Middle of Sweden - Climate & Temperature - Click picture for full size picture
Pictures from www.climatemps.com
Equipment
Canon 5D Mk. III and Canon 5D Mk. IV Canon EF 28-300/3,5-5,6 L IS USM Canon EF 70-200/2,8L IS II USM Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens Canon Speedlite 600EXII-RT flash Canon PowerShot G7X Mark II Panasonic HC-W585 video camera Sound recorder ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder References/Resources
www.natursidan.se Excellent page, but in Swedish only Visit the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and choose between Swedish and English Naturum - visitor centres in nature - A naturum is a visitor centre with activities and exhibitions, located at several of  Sweden’s national parks and nature reserves. Here, you will be welcomed by friendly, knowledgeable staff who will answer your questions and guide you through the area’s sights of interest.
List of Swedish National Parks (With information about every park in English) from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, click HERE. Bergslagen Lo and behold, a web page in English! Bergslagen - Adventure and tranquillity, side by side - Info about Bergslagen Nordic Safari ebird - Find birding hotspots with bird checklists from all over the world Avibase - is an extensive database information system about all birds of the world, containing over 25 million records about 10,000 species and 22,000 subspecies of birds, including distribution information for 12,000 regions, taxonomy, synonyms in several languages Cloudbirders - Read birding trip reports from all over the world Fatbirder - Linking birders worldwide... Wildlife Travellers see their sister site: WAND  Fatbirder is a fantastic web page with information from, I think every country in the world. My first stop when I plan for my bird watching trips. There is information about locations and guides, well, pretty much everything you need to know. Sometimes this is the only place I need to visit to plan my trip. BirdingPal - find a birding Guide around the world   And the web page you cannot live without. I have been around the world looking for birds. I usually have a Guide, but sometimes it is not possible to find a Guide. So, well, I have lost count on how many times I have had help to ID birds at BirdForum. Joining this forum have been very very good for my bird watching experience. www.birdforum.net ClimaTemps.com is the place to learn about the worlds climates with more than 4000 locations documented. Each aspect of the climate is represented using colour enhanced tables and professional graphs so that data can easily be compared by switching between locations in different tabs in your browser.
Naturum - visitor centres in nature
 Map over Sweden with all the naturum marked. Illustrator: Hans Sjögren.
Click HERE for bigger map A naturum is a visitor centre with activities and exhibitions, located at several of Sweden’s national parks and nature reserves. Here, you will be welcomed by friendly, knowledgeable staff who will answer your questions and guide you through the area’s sights of interest. All naturum visitor centres offer guided walks and demonstrations, slide-shows and theme nights. You will also find literature and multimedia here to immerse yourself in. In addition, there are brochures and information boards offering tips on beautiful nature trails and footpaths. The nature experience starts at naturum At naturum, you can learn almost everything there is to know about the region’s plants, birds, insects and animals. You can also learn about the cultural history and geology of the area as well as people’s relationship with nature and their impact on it. Information about the area’s national parks and nature reserves and why we need to protect and take care of our nature can also be found here. Join us on an activity in nature! Opening hours and programmes All naturum are open during the summer and many are open most of the year. Special demonstrations for school classes and other groups can be booked throughout the year. Discover Sweden’s national parks
 The map shows the locations of Sweden´s 30 national parks
Click HERE for bigger map There are 29 national parks in Sweden. Find more information about each national park in the alphabetical list on Swedish Environmental Protection Agency´s web page, click HERE. Places to visit
Bergslagen
Bergslagen is a historically, culturally, and linguistically distinct mining district located north of Lake Mälaren in northern Svealand, Sweden. In Bergslagen mining and metallurgic industry have been important since the Middle Ages. The region is to be distinguished from Malmfälten ("the Ore Fields"), the mining district of northernmost Sweden centered at the towns of Kiruna and Malmberget, that has been of greater importance during the 20th century. Bergslagen covers part of the provinces of Västmanland, Dalarna (the southern part), and Värmland (the eastern part). Typical towns in the area include Nora, Fagersta, Sala, Kristinehamn, Filipstad, Ludvika and Hedemora. Also parts of northern Östergötland, around Finspång, as well as southern Närke can be included, then often referring to South Bergslagen. A wider definition of the area can include parts of Gästrikland (Hofors) and Uppland (the former iron manufacturing district centred on Dannemora) as well. - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia  Map of Bergslagen
By Background map from the Demis map server, rivers enhanced and names added by user:LA2.
- Background map from the Demis map server, rivers enhanced and names added by user:LA2., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3981114 • Brandområdet, Hälleskogsbrännan • Great Grey Owl area • Sågverksdammen Brandområdet, Hälleskogsbrännan nature reserve
You will most likely come on road #66 from either south or north. If you come from Fagersta (North) you will see signs saying Virsbo and you leave road #66 by turning left. And if you come from south you will leave road #66 turning right. There is signs saying Virsbo and there is also a service station on the Virsbo side of road #66. So it is easy to see where to left road #66  How to find Hälleskogsbrännan nature reserve
Drive through Virsbo passing a bridge crossing some railway tracks and there is some industrial buildings on the right hand side. Just after the bridge you will have a sign saying “Hälleskogsbrännan 7km” on the left hand side. Turn left and you are on a gravel road. Drive slowly as there are many birds along the gravel road.  Turn left when you see the sign “Hälleskogsbrännan 7km”
 Turn left when you see the sign “Hälleskogsbrännan 7km”
 You are on the gravel road - Drive SLOWLY as there are birds
to be seen from the first meter on the gravel road  Approaching the national park
 We see the entrance to the national park
 Entrance to the Hälleskogsbrännan nature reserve
 Entrance to the Hälleskogsbrännan nature reserve
Just continue on the gravel road until you see the entrance to the Hälleskogsbrännan nature reserve. Well, it is not like an entrance, just two tree trunk, one trunk on each side of the road and no entrance fee. There are parking areas and trails around Hälleskogsbrännan nature reserve. No money is required at all while in the park, just bring your picnic food. There are even BBQ fire places around the area. Click HERE for a map over Hälleskogsbrännan nature reserve There is a entrance a few kilometres south as well. These two entrances are not connected by road, but you can walk between the areas There are gravel roads and trails in the national reserve so you can explore the area. There is a lookout tower that you reach on a board walk from the exhibition. The exhibition have some interesting information about the fire and the forest. And LO AND BEHOLD, some info in English as well.  Board walk up to the lookout tower
There is a second entrance just south of the first entrance after the railway bridge. The entrance looks the same with one tree trunk on each side of the gravel road and an information board. Entering here and there is only one short gravel road with two dead ends and you have to drive back. There are places to make fire for BBQ picnic. You need to get back out on the road to enter the north part as there are only walking trails between the areas and the gravel roads are boomed blocked.   Place for BBQ
Great Grey owl area
 To find the Great Grey Owl area
 To find the Great Grey Owl area
There is also a map on my eBird checklist for the Great Grey Owl area, Västmanlands län, click HERE. Then it should be possible to open the map in your GPS There use to be a lot of people here looking for the owl. And the owl is not scared, have even come up to sit on the binoculars. It is a famous area for the Great Grey Owl and they come from all over the world to see the owl. It have been seen during daylight. But it is bigger chance in the early morning and in the evenings before and after day light.  The road continues in to the forest after the boom
 The boom, this is the area where the people gathers
And the owl sometimes land on the boom to have a look at the people  The field where the owl is usually seen
Sågdammen - Skultuna
Sågdammen (Sawmill pond) is a wetland developed by Gert Ericsson. He got an idea back in 1997 to turn the sawmill pond in to a wetland for birds. There is a bird watching tower and board walk around the area. But I was not here to watch birds. I got the tip about Beavers from a bird watcher when we were looking for the Great Grey Owl at the Great Grey Owl area. Almost guaranteed to see Beavers at Sågdammen. The bridge, an old railway bride that they left when they removed the tracks when the train service came to an end. Clcik HERE for information from www.natursidan.se SWEDISH ONLY!  To find Sågdammen in Skultuna
 To find Sågdammen in Skultuna
 I park at the wrong place just after the garbage dump
 Continue 100m longer and leave the road and you reach the parking at the bridge
 There is a sign where you should leave the road
 Leaving the road and you can see the parking and the bridge
The old railway bridge
Drive past the garbage dump coming from Skultuna and turn left after 50 meters and park at the bridge. I made a mistake at my first visit. There are boardwalks and two entrances just after passing the garbage dump and I parked in front of a gate to the garbage dump. Entering the area from here and you have a board walk over the wetland until you reach the river. There is one bird watching tower walking along the board walk and it looked to be a place for BBQ as well. You reach the end at a fence to the garbage dump. By then you have passed a huge beaver house, but it looks to be abandoned. 
Entrance from the garbage dump gate
A sign saying “bird watching tower” in Swedish
  We can see the railway bridge
 Walking past the “bird watching tower”
 Reaching the of the board walk and you have to turn around and walk back
I was tol that the beaver house at the south end was abandoned. But I spotted two beavers, well, one beaver. I never saw the first beaver. Less than two meter from me and I startled the beaver walking on the board walk and he/ she jumped in to the water with a big bang before I got to see it. Back at the START I started to walk to the railway bridge, connected with the board walks over the wetlands at the garbage dump via a board walk along the road. 
Walking to the railway bridge (The action side) via the board walk along the road
BBQ place crossing the bridge
Board walk to the second bird watching tower
Board walk to the second bird watching tower
 The wooden walk bridge
Cross the old railway bridge and there is a fire place for BBQ. There are more boardwalks leading you to another bird watching tower. From there you can gross the gravel road and walk along the river (Svartån) on a board walk and you have a good view of the Beavers swimming in the river. The beaver action is at the Railway Bridge and north in the river to the wooden walk bridge. You don´t see any beaver houses here as the houses are under ground. Dug from under the water so the entrances are under water and you don´t see them Walking along the river and you will reach a wooden walk bridge. After crossing this bridge you can walk back on a trail following the other side of the river. I didn´t look for birds when I was here as I came to see the Beavers and they come out in the dusk as this is when the Beavers come out. And I had been there for just a while when I had spotted 3 Beavers. I saw beavers here at every visit. Treöresvägen
 To find Treöresvägen
 To find Treöresvägen
 Leave road #233 and you are on Treöresvägen
 Treöresvägen
Leave road #233 when you reach the sign saying “Gammelbo” and you are on the gravel road called Treöresvägen. After about 100 meter there are a small space to stop your car on the right hand side. Drive for another 100 to 200 meters and there are another place to park your car while you go out and look for birds. Look out over the lake, the Red-throated Loon is usually below the car if you have stopped on the last parking area so walk down to the lake slowly not to scare the birds. I have also seen Common Cranes and the beautiful Common Merganser in the pond.  First place to stop your car
 Drive past the lake and there is one more place to park
Sångarvägen - Lilla och Stora Sångaren
Sångar Road - Little and Great Lake Sångaren  To find Sångarvägen
 To find Sångarvägen
 Leave road #233 when you see the sign “Sångarvägen”
Leave road #233 when you reach the sign saying “Sångarvägen”. Drive along the gravel road named “Sångarvägen” and when you reach Lake Great Sångaren keep an eye out for the Black-throated Loon. There is also a huge Osprey nest, and of course, the normal birds you find in the forest can be seen along “Sångarvägen” Bird checklist
I never use any bird lists, but since I try to make it in to Cloudbirders. A very helpful site when planning your birding trips. But they ask for a bird checklist, and if I use their service, of course I want to contribute as well. My two first bird watching trip reports was rejected by Cloudbirders. So I started to take ideas from the reports I found on Cloudbirders. So I have started to use bird lists, eBird generate one for me and I can post it on Cloudbirders. I will post my birds on eBird and on my different “BIRDS THAT I HAVE OBSERVED” pages. Check lists can come in handy to find out the local name of the bird etc. And Avibase have a list with pictures and sounds, excellent! So I will post bird checklists here and if my Guides provide me with checklists I will also post them here.   Västermanland bird checklist from Avibase, click HERE This covers Nordic Safari and Brandområdet Avibase is providing you with bird checklists from all over the world. And I´m impressed by their web page. Select country and area and you get the bird checklist. Like the PDF files I got from Avibase on the links above. You also get the checklist with pictures and sounds. The best part is that you get the local names of the birds and the online checklist gives the names in English plus the language you have selected. But it seems like the PDF cannot handle some alphabet. For example the Japanese language so it is blank in the PDF checklist. But it worked excellent with Swedish. But you get them in the local language on the online version. Bird list
See My eBird checklists and the DAY TO DAY report in the itinerary below. And you can visit my list of “Birds I have seen in Sweden” 25 April 2019, my bird checklist from Sångarvägen by clicking HERE 25 April 2019, my bird checklist from Treöresvägen by clicking HERE 26 April 2019, my bird checklist from Treöresvägen by clicking HERE 26 April 2019, my bird checklist from Great Grey Owl Area by clicking HERE 28 April 2019, my bird checklist from Hälleskogsbrännan nature reserve by clicking HERE 29 April 2019, my bird checklist from Hälleskogsbrännan nature reserve by clicking HERE 29 April 2019, my bird checklist from Sågdammen, Skultuna by clicking HERE 30 April 2019, my bird checklist from Sågdammen, Skultuna (morning) by clicking HERE 30 April 2019, my bird checklist from Treöresvägen by clicking HERE 30 April 2019, my bird checklist from Sångarvägen by clicking HERE 30 April 2019, my bird checklist from Sågdammen, Skultuna (evening) by clicking HERE 1 May 2019, my bird checklist from Sågdammen, Skultuna (morning) by clicking HERE My eBird checklists can be found HERE Itinerary
Click on the links below for daily bird watching results: 27 April 2019: Red-throated Loon at Treöresvägen - Looking for the Great Grey Owl in the evening 27 April 2019: Looking for the Great Grey Owl – Check in to Best Western Fagersta Brukshotell 28 April 2019: Bird watching Hälleskogsbrännan nature reserve - Look for the Great Grey Owl 29 April 2019: Bird watching Hälleskogsbrännan nature reserve - Look for the Great Grey Owl 30 April 2019: Looking for the Great Grey Owl and loons 1 May 2019: Sågdammen, Skultuna - Look for the Great Grey Owl Next adventure: Bird Watching Trip Report - Tiveden 
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To www.aladdin.st since December 2005
Visitors from different countries since 26th of September 2011
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