NatureFootsteps Travels: June 2017

2017-06-26

Öland 170601 Going home again

Öland 170529-170601

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© NF Photos 170601

Today it was time to go back home. I woke up rather early, as expected. I went up, packed my belongings and cleaned up the room. Had the last breakfast and prepared something to eat during the day. Coffee, bread, boiled eggs and fruit. Enough to bring me home.

Leaving the hostel I first went down to South Point. And was greeted by some beautiful Fallow Deer. They are free and wild animals but this morning they stayed close to the cattle. A little mist was still in the air.

Arriving at the Lihgthouse Långe Jan I spotted a Mute swan with three young. What a treat! Loved to see them. Behind them were a person from the staff carrying cages for catching waders for examinations.

A last look at Långe Jan seen from the beach.

And good bye to the House Martins. All the Swifts I had seen yesterday was all gone again.

Common Shelduck and Redshank

Cormorant
Leaving Ottenby I went to a place I had not visited yet. In Grönhögen there are a golf course and the beach alongside it are great for birding.

Pied Avocet

Continuing north I made a stop t Eckelsudde to see the Avocets one final time and was greeted with beautiful and clear weather and a few birds not too far off.

Now it was almost lunch and time to go up to the bridge that would take me to the mainland.

An hours drive and then, at Emån time for lunch and a short nap.

Four more hours of driving and I was home around 17.30h Tired, but happy with the trip.

Linking up with: Saturdays Critters Sky Watch Friday WATW Our World Tuesday Wild Bird Wednesday

Labels: Resor, travel, trip, journey, Sverige, Sweden, sky, photo, photography, Monica Johansson, NatureFootstep, nfphoto, NF_photo, nature, natur, fågelskådning, birding, resa, travel, photo, bird, fågel, Japan,

2017-06-20

Öland 170530 mist and whooper swan

Öland 170529-170601
Day 2. © NF Photos 170530 additional!

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Eckelsudde and Whooper Swan
© NF Photos 170530

This was quite cool to watch. It was a misty and windy day and this Whooper swan had real trouble to get it´s way through the wind. It was flying against the wind and had to use both wings and feet to fix it. Talk about running in the air. Never seen that before.

Linking up with: Bird D´Pot Wild Bird Wednesday

2017-06-16

Öland 170531 post2 Birds and animals

Öland 170529-170601
Day 3 post 2, © NF Photos 170531, evening around Ottenby
This post is an additional post for some of the animals and birds from this day.

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Fallow deer

Oystercatcher

The lighthouse Långe Jan with three kinds of swallows, Swifts, House Martins and Barn swallows.
But most of them were swifts this evening.

It was rather late and the sun was low. The Common Swifts had a hard time in the hard wind from the Baltic sea. For a moment they actually stood still in the air,but then they angled slightly and went off with great speed.

Sheep on the road

A horse close to the hostel.

© NF Photos 170531

Linking up with: Our World Tuesday Nature Notes Trough My Lens Saturdays Critters Bird D´Pot Weekend Green Sunday Best

2017-06-15

Öland 170531 Going north

Öland 170529-170601
Day 3 © NF Photos 170531

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Lots of writing today I´m afraid. Hope you stay with me! I will have to make an additional post for more images. :)

The plan for this day was to go north and visit the Byrums Raukar and Trollskogen. (the links tell you a little of the places) It was 150 km up and 150 km down So, a lot of driving. And it turned out to be a very strange day.

When I left the hostel just after 8 a´clock in the morning it started to rain exactly when I turned the key to start the engine. It started softly so I figured it will stop after a while. But it did not. I took the road in the middle of the island to as it is the fastest road north. The rain increased instead of dissappear. I made a short stop when I did see a peculiar colored horse. Took some shots in the rain.

After I passed the road to the bridge and was on the horth part of Öland the rain increased but then I thought, If I came this far I will at least see the plaaces. So. I continued. Passing the old ruins of Bornholm castle it was hardly visible because of the rain and mist. It is used today for differnet events like concerts and other things.

Finally arriving at Byrum and the parking lot at the Raouk areafom the rain almost stopped. I could go out with the umbrella but just a little rain. The place was wet of course but probably more beautiful then if it was sunshine and dry. No hard shadows to spoil it. I thought it would be slippery but it was not. But it was windy with much waves on the Baltic sea. This side of the island is facing the Swedish mainland. I had a nice time exploring the area even if managing the umbrella was a bit challenging. When I headed back to the car a bus with many tourists arrived so I was happy I was already finished.

I got in to the car and turned on the key. Guess what, It started to rain again. As soon as I got out from the parking lot it already rained heavily. Driving through a beautiful birch forest I turned northeast to go to Trollskogen (trollforest). The rain changed from light to hard and light again. It was not that far. But closing in at the Trollforest I spotted people standing in the ditches, still raining, and taking photos. Had to stop and check out what was going on. There was flowers, orchids, probably rare ones. They was beautiful.

Arriving at the Natural Reserve Trollskogen the rain stopped and all of a sudden it was sunny and very nice weather. After checking the area map I started to walk to the shore. This part is facing the Baltic sea and it was calm. Protected from the eastward wind. After a 2 km walk I found the ship wreck Swiks I was looking for. It was smaller then I remembered, I have seen it once before many years ago. You can read about it HERE. I had my lunch here as I wanted to stay for a while. It is a strange beach really where the wreck is. No sand just rocks and pebbles.

The forest is strange too. Lots of trees are deformed, maybe because of wind and maybe salt water. This forest is as close to a rain forest as you can get in Sweden. I even found ivy that strangled the pines. Looked very strange to me.

Trollskogen - The enchanted forest

Back to the parking lot, turning on the key, the first raindrops appeared on the windshield. Driving through the fence around it, it started to rain heavily. And it rained more or less all the way down to Färjestaden where the Ölandsbridge are.

Entering the south part of Öland the rain eased but not the wind. I first went to Eckelsudde where the Avocets should be but they were gone. It was still late afternoon so I thought I would visit Eketorps Borg (Fortress). A place they rebuilt from archaeological remains. In 1984, Eketorp's museum opened.

Before I went back to the hostel I took the road down to Ottenby where I was greeted by Fallow deer, Oystercatches and a LOT of Common Swifts that had arrived since yesterday. They were very busy trying to fly in the hard wind. I had a lot of fun watching them and take shots. The air was filled with swifts and House Martins.

Time was now 20,00h and I still had no dinner :) Back to the hostel!

Linking up with: WATW Sky Watch Friday

2017-06-12

Öland 170530 A misty day

Öland 170529-170601
Day 2. © NF Photos 170530

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When I woke up and looked out the window I saw nothing! Nothing but a grey world outside. No need to rush then.

Around 9 a´clock it started to lift a bit and I went out. Just outside the hostel area there was a lot of cars and people standing along the road.

I stopped and asked a person what was going on. Out on the other side of the field a rare eagle was almost hidden in the fog. A Greater spotted Eagle (större skrikörn). My 400 mm lens gave me this image. (Below!)

In Sweden there is a system where birders can alert each other about rare birds and where to find them, hopefully! That is why a bunch of people visit the same place. The Eagle seemed to have been in Öland for a couple of days so I continued down to South Point. I took some misty shots of horses, cows and sheep. But hardly even saw the lighthouse Långe Jan (Tall Jan). I had to get rather close before I could actually see it.

Sheep

Långe Jan and Ottenby Bird Station, one of the best places in Sweden to watch migrating birds. Well, not a misty day like this though :)

Done with Ottenby I headed for Eckelsudde, where the Pied Avocet (skärfläcka) are. Now there are mist over the Baltic Sea but just little over land. It was interesting to watch the mist rolling in over land from the sea. As I live inland I never see that.

But there is a lot more to Öland then birds. If you have not seen a windmill, you have probably not visited the island.

Not to mention rape fields. With poppies at the edge.

After having a lunchbreak I headed to the east coast of the island. Up to Stenåsa where the birding community has it´s center and a bookstore.

I found a little old-fashioned house at a campingsite at Stenåsa.

A lot of artists live on Öland, This is one of them close to Stenåsa who has a gallery and creates glass art. And paintings as well. In the old style buildings.

In the evening, back at Eckelsudde, the mist was finally gone and I found some Red Knots (kustsnäppor).

To finish off the day I went back to Ottenby just in time to see a group of Oystercather´s putting on quite a show.

On Öland there are a lot of limestone so that was the main builing material in the old days. They try to keep the old style on the south half of the island. And that is classified as a World Heritage Site.

Linking up with: WATW Trough My Lens Our World Tuesday Wild Bird Wednesday

2017-06-10

170529 Beijershamn Öland

Öland 170529, birds at Beijershamn

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First view of the area from the high tower at the entrance. The bridge is the bridge connecting the main land to the island of Öland.

This barn swallow were sitting right in front of me. On top ot the tower. Staring!

Northern lapwing

Common shelduck

Linking up with: Bird D´Pot

NF Birds around the world

2017-06-05

Going to Öland 170529

Öland 170529-170601

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© NF Photos 170529

Öland is an island in the Baltic Ocean outside Swedish mainland in the south. Not far though, a bridge connects the mainland with the island. The name Öland actually translates as island-land. :) .

To get there I have to drive about 350 km. Takes about 5-6h. I arrived on Öland at 14.00h
And from there went south along the coast facing the main land. I visited three places that was good for birding. One with a specific bird in mind. The Avocet!

I stopped once at Emån for a break and something to eat. I went down to the stream and found that the Banded Demoiselle was flying. Early I thought but I was more south then I usually am.

I visited two birding areas before I got to the Hostel where I got a room. After having some dinner I went out again to the south point and the Lighthouse Långe Jan (Tall Jan) and Ottenby Birding station. A NatureReserve and scientific station. Great place for migrating birds.

Emån, Taking a break from driving. Finding Banded Demoiselle! Male and female.

View over the bridge and the city Kalmar on the mainland, to the left.

View south. Baltic Sea
Beijershamn and the Öland bridge

Avocet - Skärfläcka,
the bird I wanted to see.

The bay with windmills in the background. The growth on the water is floating with the wind. Quite strange, What you think is ground is not.
Eckelsudde

Ottenby lighthouse Långe Jan

Redstart, male sitting on the net that was supposed to catch him for banding. But not this day. :)
Ottenby

Evening at the Hostel

Arrival day over.

Linking up with: WATW Our World Tuesday Wild Bird Wednesday