Sunday 21st of April 2018 and I left Best Western Plus Jula Hotell & Konferens just before 12 o´clock. I passed Trandansen and there were not many cranes. Next stop is Naturum to see if I can see any birds before continue to Laxå to meet my guide at 17:00.
I keep an eye out for birds driving towards Naturum and when I come to Naturum I found that the parking lot was full of cars. Gorgeous weather and holiday so there was a lot of visitors. So I didn´t stay and I left for Laxå. But I got a picture of a European Goldfinch / Steglits.
The parking is full
My eBird checklist from Naturum Hornborgasjön can be found HERE
I´m soon reaching highway #E20 and I will stay on this road until Laxå. I left the highway and I drive in to the forest to have my picnic lunch. I´m a few meters in to the forest when a Jaybird fly across the road. I stop and I have my picnic lunch while looking out for birds.
Driving along the gravel road
My eBird checklist from Råntorp Torpelund, Västra Götalands län can be found HERE
I never see the Jaybird again, I see some birds and a bird of prey that I could not identify. I left the forest and next stop will be OKQ8 gas stop in Laxå to meet my guide. I arrive at 4 o´clock so I went out in the forest to look for birds killing time.
I see another guy and I ask if he is my guide.
- No, but I´m waiting for him.
We will be 4 people in the tent during the night and now I had met the first one. I told him about the Greylag and Canada Goose flying together as a pair back at Lake Hornborga. He showed me a picture he had been taking of another Greylag and Canada Goose pair.
He also showed me a picture he had been taken of a baby bird and it looked like a Canada Goose but with a orange toned bill. So this was very interesting, the couple I saw back at Lake Hornborga will have babies.
We were talking until the Guide arrived and a few minutes later the other two bird watchers arrived. We went to our Guides house where we parked the cars and we took our Guide´s mini bus to Fågelpaviljongen where we will have a chat before walking to the hide where we will spend the night.
At Fågelpaviljongen
An evening snack at Fågelpaviljongen
Time to leave Fågelpaviljongen
Time to leave Fågelpaviljongen
Time to leave Fågelpaviljongen
A quick break from the trek through the forest
A quick break from the trek through the forest
On the way to the hide
On the way to the hide
We can see the hide
We can see the hide
Almost at the hide and my boot get stuck in the bog
Approaching the hide and my left boot got stuck in the bog and I stepped in the wet moss. DARN! And I had forgot my new winter socks in the car. We had 5 matrasses laying on the floor facing the bog/ swamp with openings in the tent side for cameras.
I took my sleeping pill and we will wake up at 03:40. There was a terrible noise in the tent from snoring and it took quite some time for me to fall asleep.
Finally, in the hide
Finally, in the hide
There was not much space to keep my equipment’s between the matrasses and it was not what I had expected. Anyway, I´m a little excited to get to see the Black Grouses and you just need to click HERE to find out if we see any Black Grouse Lek.
