Oxelösund looking for Ring-Necked duck 130329

Translate? See Google translation in the sidebar!

Outdoor Wednesday  Our World Tuesday  Ein Stuck Himmel
Click image to see slideshow
NF Photo 130229, Oxelösund

 

I met one of the birders in my area on the library and he said there was a Ring-necked duck in Oxelösund. He seemed frustrated as he has no car. Well, we decided to go on Good Friday. The city is on the coast 1,5h drive east of where I live. We headed for the harbor where it had been seen.

 

This duck is very similar to the Tufted duck. So, at arrival, I immediately understood there will be a problem. How do you find ONE specific bird among thousands?

 

Well, the benefit of company is that you can do a little of other things while this guy checked out one Tufted duck after another. We also met a pair of my travel companions to CostaRica two years ago. They exchanged phone no so they could alert one another if they spotted the ringed one.

 

Lighthouse at Old Oxelösund

I had hoped to see some Eiders but I only found one. We changed location now and then and visited three places I had not been to before. I love that. First I check out the birds on the new location, then I left it to my companion and started to take shots instead. We visited 6 or 7 locations during the day without seeing the one we came for. Finally we had to leave.

 

You know what happened? Half way home his phone rang. They spotted the bird. lol, my friend wanted to turn back. Even considered abandon his family for Easter. But to turn back was no guarantee the bird would be there so we said we try again on Monday.

 

But there was no trip on Monday. All ducks had left, heading north and the ringed one was not seen again.

Harbour at Old Oxelösund

 

 

Oxelösund Horbour with lots of ducks where there is open water.

 

This is the Travel blog, to see the birds jump to my European Bird blog and for scenary to my Memes

 

NOTE! Comment form for visitors outside GOOGLE

 

Labels: Resor, travel, trip, journey, Sverige, Sweden, airplane, flygplan, sky, photo, photography, Monica Johansson, NatureFootstep, nfphoto, NF_photo, nature, natur, fågelskådning, birding, fågelblog, birdblog,  Oxelösund, Ring-necked duck, vigg, Tufted duck, harbour, hamn, birding, fågelskådning,

Birding at Hävringe

Translate? See Google translation in the sidebar!

Our World Tuesday   Water World   Outdoor Wednesday
 

 Hävringe 120825,  NF Photo 120825, click to enlarge all photos

Last saturday I attended a trip to Hävringe. Hävringe is a small island, about 40 min by small boat, outside Oxelösund in the middle part of Sweden. It is located at the coast of The Baltic Sea. I aded a link to a map so you can see where it is. Haevringe Lighthouse We did not visit the island of the lighthouse but the island close to that is an old pilotage site.

 

Well, to start from the beginning. Alarmclock was set to 04.05. When I woke up after a lousy sleep I was wondering what the h-k I was doing. I got up, fixed my lunch pack and at 4.50 I was ready to leave. I thought I had lots of time. But... as always. :)

 

It started out with early morning mist. Did not slow me down too much though but I wished I had more time so I could have stoped to take some pics. But i didn´t. I had to save that for another morning.

Next problem was a lot of work on the road. For a long time I had to drive slow because the road was only loose gravel. Not fun to drive on. Arriving at Nyköping the main road I shoult have been driving was closed so I had to make a detour. Now I was bothered, would I make it in time? Our guides had warned us they would not wait for late people. Well, I made it with 10 min to spare. It was a nice morning, a bit chilly but so calm the water was glassy. At 6.20 we left the harbour for a 40 min trip to the island of Hävringe.



It was really nice to see all islets in the low morning sun. Glowing with a warm yellow color. It is a sight I am not used to. And the birds starting to wake. A few roaming the skies already.

We were 17 woman on the trip. Most of us came from Nyköping and Tärnans Birders.   They took the opportunity to start a new group of female birders belonging to a group we call Rapphönan (Grey Partridge). That will be nice for the future.

House Martins - Hussvalor

The island was not big. There was a few summer houses and the larger building earlier used by the pilotage workers. We put our gear close to it and started to look around on ground, water and sky. Some emediately set up their tubes. Myself I started to walk around to check the surroundings. Then joined the group. It was not that easy to see anything as there was buildings below and trees and bushes. But we did see some interesting waterfowl like a family of Velvet Scoter (Svärta). And swallows of course.

After having something to eat we moved away from the buildings closer to the shore. Looking for birds on the water as well as the islets outside. We did see a Cuckoo on a nearby islet. A bird I did not expect to see there. But that is one of the fun thing about birds. You never know what to find. After an hour or two it started to warm up and we could take some clothes of. Getting a nice feeling of summer again. It was great walking around on the cliffs, then birding again. I did not get many bird shots as they were to far out. But I got a lot of other things in my camera.

At 13.30 we left the island and headed back to Oxelösund. On one island I spotted a Velvet Scoter and actually got a shot of it.

It was a great day and I say thanks to everybody who organized it and to all who attended.

 

 

 

 I was back home at 17.00h. If I was tired? You can guess. :)

I got a mail with a short report. As a group we saw/heard 53 different spieces. Myself I had one new lifer and two new species for the blog. Not bad for one day, right? :)

Labels: Resor, travel, trip, journey, Sverige, Sweden,  sky, photo, photography, Monica Johansson, NatureFootstep, nfphoto, NF_photo, nature, natur, fågelskådning, birding, Hävringe, lighthouse, Oxelösund, Rapphönan, lighthouse, fyr, båk, Tärnan, Svärta, Velver Scoter, fågelskådning, birding,

Ängudden, Hummelvik

Translate? See Google translation in the sidebar!

Travel Photo Monday  NF Waters 22

Our World Tuesday 36      Outdoor Wednesday 173   Water World

Click to enlarge All photos

NF Photo  120424

This is only a one day trip to the coast of the Baltic Sea. But I have not been there before so it is new to me. This place is located south of Oxelösund, on the south side of the inlet. It is a small and old fishing village where only a few men still are fishing. I was there mainly to see sea birds and to document some of the village.

I had checked the weather forecast. It said it might be morning mist but later on, mostly sun at the coast.

I left home at 7.30h and had some crazy weather on the road. It varied between clear sky, heavy mist and a little rain. Had no idéa of what to expect next. Twice I could stop and take some shots of mist hanging over the farmland. Other moments I had to slow down due to heavy fog.

Arriving at Hummelvik the mist was still hanging over the Baltic Sea even if it was rather clear in the fishing village. I spent a while looking around and checking out the birds in the area. Eider, Barnacle goose, Goosanders, wagtails and gulls of coursre, and I took some shots of course. There was also a small ship wreck at one of the piers. I met a man and asked him how I could get out to the peninsula. He told me so. I could take the car a little bit longer and then I gathered my stuff and walked the rest of the way.

Arriving at the point I was stunned. Three small islands was lining up at the horizon. The mist was over the water. After a while the sun penetrated the layer and shone softly on the water creating a glowing area around the small islands. And then a boat comes in from the right. Just in the middle of the glowing area. Passing behind the islands. Stunning! Then after about 20 min the mist lifted and gave way to the sun and the mystery morning  was over.

I walked around a bit checking the area and the birds on the water. I spotted two razorbills (Tordmule) but could not get any shots. Then it was close to lunch so I ate what I had. Packed my stuff and went back to the car. Driving back to the fishing village I spotted a little European Robin and got some nice shots.

Hummelvik Fishing harbour

Ejder - Eider

I spent a little more time at the village talking to fishermen. Then I left to go to Oxelösund on the north side of the inlet. It was a 30 min drive to go there. But that place was a dissappointment now. Almost no birds I had not already seen. So, after an h I left to go home again. A great day.

Se även / See also
http://nfbild2.blogspot.se/search/label/Hummelvik
http://nfbird.blogspot.se/search/label/Hummelvik

Labels: Resor, travel, trip, journey, vacation, Sverige, Sweden, sky, photo, photography, Monica Johansson, NatureFootstep, nfphoto, NF_photo, nature, natur, fågelskådning, birding,  Baltic Sea, birding, fågelskådning, Hummelvik, Oxelösund, Ängudden, Östersjön, Eider, ejder, dimma, mist