| Status | Starts | Group size | Leader | Duration/price Inc. flights from/to UK | Duration/price Exc. international flights | Single supp. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Around 85 of Sweden’s 120 butterfly species can be seen in central Sweden, along with an internationally interesting combination of dragonflies and damselflies – though not all at the same time. In this splendid time of high Nordic summer, with nights as short as just an hour of twilight, a fascinating collection of unique Scandinavian species are on view.
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- Fly from London to Stockholm (Arlanda) where we will transfer around two hours north to the delightful little seaside town of Öregrund. Depending on our arrival time, we may start looking for butterflies today in the vicinity of the hotel.
- Accommodation: Öregrund, 1-night on full board basis.
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- This morning we head to an otherwise unremarkable stretch of track that leads through pine forest near the Baltic coast but is well-known to Swedish lepidopterists as 'The Butterfly Road', where we can find a fantastic selection of rare butterfly species.
- After a busy morning and early afternoon appreciating what this coastal area has to offer, we head inland, driving directly west for a couple of hours to our base for the remainder of the trip, just outside the village of Sätra Brunn. We pass some good butterfly habitats en route: we may look for our first purple-edged coppers in a series of small meadows surrounded by forest.
- Accommodation: Sätra Brunn , 5-nights on full board basis.
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- Summer is the best time of year to see Baltic grayling, scarce fritillary, friggas fritillary and many more. Over the next few days you visit a handful of central Sweden’s richest butterfly-sites, without any long drives, included are Färna ekopark and the butterfly reserve, Munkhyttan.
- We should also see several of Scandinavia’s dragonfly specialities, such as yellow-spotted, lilypad, and the very rare and tiny pygmy damselfly or sedgling.
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- The last day we dedicate to what’s on our doorstep, which is a lot of lovely nature in the Black River Valley, including open wetlands, floodplains and pine forests with bogs and many lakes. We then head back to the airport for our return flight to London.
All prices are per person and include:
- Services of the naturalist leader
- Flights
- Transfers
- Accommodation
- All meals
- Guided activities
Accommodation
One night at a small hotel on the coast, with the remainder of the trip at a comfortable country hotel; all rooms are en suite.
Meals
All meals are included. Lunches are picnics taken in the field.
Birds
Although the main focus of our tour is butterflies and dragonflies, we will see many interesting species of birds on our travels.
- Osprey
- White-tailed eagle
- Caspian tern
- Black-throated diver
Insects
In the space of a week we hope to see around 50 of Sweden’s 110 butterflies, as we’re visiting at the best time for poplar admiral, scarce, and cranberry fritillary, and scarce copper.
- Poplar admiral
- Clouded apollo
- Scarce fritillary
- Black-veined white
This is also the best time to see Sweden’s fascinating collection of dragonflies and damselflies. Including the rare pygmy damselfly or sedgling.
- Yellow-spotted whiteface
- Brilliant emerald
- Yellow-spotted emerald
- Arctic bluet
Boat trips
We take a boat trip on an old canal with reedbeds and diverse lagoons of good habitat, as we look for lilypad, and yellow-spotted whiteface, and possible Eurasian baskettail.
Flights
Price includes return scheduled flights London – Stockholm – London.
Ground transport
Ground transportation is by minibus, with driver.
