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Central Sweden
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© Keith Grant/Nature Portfolio  Three-toed Woodpecker |
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One of the first things that strikes a new visitor to Sweden's forests is the amount of dead timber both standing and lying on the forest floor. Then there is the lush growth of mosses, ferns and flowering plants both on and around the trees; the great variety in the ages of the trees, from huge, gnarled kings of the canopy to dense clumps of saplings in the clearings; and lastly the mosaic of lakes, marshes and bogs within the forest. These woodlands are clearly different to almost anything we have in Britain, and an echo, at least, of the original 'Wildwood' that covered much of Europe before the arrival of man.
And, as befits their wild appearance, these Central Swedish forests are correspondingly rich in wildlife. Nowadays somewhat overshadowed by the renowned taiga forests to the north, these forests have a distinctive and varied fauna and flora of their own, combining elements of the arctic with central European and alpine wildlife. To the British visitor, the area will be most reminiscent of Scotland, especially the Caledonian Pine Forest of Speyside, and indeed it boasts several birds that we think of as characteristically Scottish: Crested Tit, Osprey, Black Grouse and both Red- and Black-throated Divers. Scottish Capercaillies were originally introduced from Sweden, which remains one of the best places to see them. But in addition to these can be found many continental species: the small and often elusive Hazel Grouse, the pine-loving Nutcracker, three continental woodpeckers - Black, Grey-headed and Three-toed, and, best of all, an excellent concentration of owls, with Pygmy, Tengmalm's, Ural, Great Grey and Eagle Owls all to be looked for. Mammals include the mighty Elk. The area holds several 'arctic' breeding waders, such as Spotted Redshank, Green and Wood Sandpipers and Ruff, all of which should be displaying now, and we should also see many migrants on their way further north. We explore the area in the company of the friendly and outgoing local expert Daniel Green, who has designed the following itinerary for us. Itinerary Day 1 We take an early morning Ryanair flight from Luton direct to Västerås, the nearest airport, where Daniel will be waiting to greet us. We start with a short stop at nearby Björnön, a deciduous forest with Icterine Warblers, just around the corner from the airport, and will then head for a small wetland on Ängsö, where several pairs of smart Slavonian Grebes will be seen around their nests, and we may see our first Ospreys. The forests here can be good for woodpeckers, from the huge Black to the tiny Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, and Goshawk can occasionally be seen flying over the treetops. Later we hope to see the magnificent Ural Owl near a nestbox breeding site before continuing on to our hotel. Overnight Sätrabrunn Day 2 We head out early this morning to a superb area of forest and lakes. Here we hope to see some of Sweden's choice specialities, including the 'monarch of the woods' - Capercaillie. This is prime display time for these most spectacular of grouse species, and we have a good chance of seeing and hearing the drama of their display. Black Grouse can also be found, and we hope to see them on a lek too. If this was not enough, Cranes breed in the area, and the forests should be resounding to their atmospheric calls. This is also prime woodpecker country, and we hope for both Grey-headed and very local Three-toed Woodpeckers. Lakes hold smart Black-throated Divers while singing Wood Larks might turn up along the road. After a good second breakfast in the field, we will visit breeding grounds of Tengmalm's Owls in the hope of seeing them near the nest site. We then head for the Hällefors area with a break at a café well-known for its cottage-produced blue cheese! In the evening we aim for a short trip to watch Red-throated Divers on a breeding lake. Overnight Hällefors Day 3 We head out to a wetland reserve where a boardwalk over a bog takes us around pools with breeding Red-throated Diver, Green and Wood Sandpipers and Greenshank. Given fine weather butterflies like Camberwell Beauty and Swallowtail might show. We'll have a picnic lunch at the beautiful peninsula of Björskogsnäs on the Baltic. Arctic Terns should be passing, and we look for migrant warblers and flycatchers. We head back to Sätrabrunn via a lake and surrounding wetlands which have White-tailed Eagle, Black Tern, waders including Ruff and Spotted Redshank in breeding plumage, and Garganey. Overnight Sätrabrunn Day 4 After breakfast (no early start today!) we head for another excellent forest where Hazel Grouse can be found along with Capercaillie and Black Grouse. Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers sing along the path, and Black Woodpeckers can again be looked for. A nearby lake has Black-throated Divers and breeding Osprey, while both Common and Parrot Crossbills and Crested Tits can be found in the pines and spruce forest. We will have a barbeque by one of the lakes before heading for a forest feeding station where Nutcrackers, Grey-headed Woodpeckers, smart northern Bullfinches, and northern Long-tailed Tits might turn up. After an early dinner we head out for an evening excursion to look for Pygmy and Great Grey Owl. Overnight Sätrabrunn Day 5 We'll have a relaxed morning birdwatching in beautiful Svartådalen - The Black River Valley. If you have had enough birdwatching, this will be your chance to spend half the day at the spa with some swimming or walking. Those still hungry for birds make an early morning excursion to the forest to enjoy leking Black Grouse. After breakfast we visit the unique culture landscape of Nötmyran with small, red hay barns scattered in a wide open grassland. Thrush Nightingales, Common Rosefinch and Corncrakes might just have arrived. After lunch we head for Gysinge where we stay at the beautiful Gysinge Inn. In the evening we'll go out to look for Elk. Overnight Gysinge Day 6 We take a boat-trip today, in the vast archipelago of the river Dalälven. We explore the impressive waterways inside of the Färnebofjärdens National Park, an excellent area for woodpeckers and other forest species as well as White-tailed Eagle, Osprey, Black-throated Diver and Common Crane. After lunch we explore the beautiful surroundings of Gysinge with its streams and islands of old, deciduous forests where the ground is totally covered with Wood Anemones in bloom. Goosanders are fishing in the streams and we look for woodpeckers as well as newly arrived migrants like Redstarts, Wrynecks, Wood Warblers and Pied Flycatchers. We'll pay a visit to the new 'Naturum '- the visitor centre of Gysinge and the Nedre Dalälven National Park. Overnight Gysinge Day 7 This morning we head for the Uppland coast. In the shallow coastal lagoons, Caspian Terns can be fishing close by and Little Gulls roost alongside summer flocks of immature Common Cranes. This is an excellent area for White-tailed Eagle, while Montagu's Harriers breed in the area as do large colonies of Cormorants and Grey Herons. An additional tour on nearby Hållnäs peninsula gives us a chance of seeing Red-breasted Flycatcher amidst beautiful virgin forest, as well as breathtaking views over the Baltic Sea. We'll have an outdoor lunch with a view, with local seafood and fish specialities! We head back to Sätrabrunn via Hjälstaviken, an extraordinarily good wetland with Little Gulls and much more. On the way we'll look for Eagle Owl and Ortolan Bunting. After dinner at Sätrabrunn, we'll have a final evening excursion - to the pub! Overnight Sätrabrunn Day 8 We head back to Västerås airport for our morning flight back to Luton. Accommodation : On this trip we stay on very comfortable 3-star countryside hotels with all rooms en suite. We are promised some exquisite Swedish food and drinks! |
| Leaders: | Daniel Green and Mike Read |
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| Numbers: |
Max. 12 clients |
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Price: |
£ | 1,595 | ||
| Single supp.: | £ | 195 | ||
| Deposit: | £ | 300 | per person | |
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The price is per person, and is fully inclusive of scheduled return economy-class flights London- Västerås, airport taxes, accommodation, all meals, minibus transport, incidental tips, and the services of the leaders.
The price excludes travel insurance, optional tip to the local guide, drinks and other personal expenses. |
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