The Pied Flycatcher is moving in!

As all of you who follow this blog know, I have a Pied Flycatcher living in a birdhouse on the wall of my out-house.  The couple has just arrived and although there are now an "extra" hole or entrance, they look happy to move in. (As always, click on the picture to enlarge it!)

All white in Svångemåla

It is truly amazing to see all the Windflowers / Woos anemones (Anemone nemorosa) in Svångemåla right now. It looks like a white carpet or blanket has been thrown between the trees.

One would expect that a lot of bees and other insects would buzz around but that is not the case at all.

Easter week 2012

The weeks leading up to Easter this year were unusually warm but suddenly the temperature dropped dramatically and got as low as minus 9 C during the night. During daytime, the sun made it reach as high as plus 5 - 8 C and when it was not too windy it was just fantastic!

I was really happy to see Bruno one evening! He has grown a lot since last year and is now almost the size of a small fox. When he heard the sound of the camera clicking he took off with an impressive speed and I do not think many of his enemies can catch him now, if any.

Other dear guests, the Cranes (Grus Grus) have also started dancing on "the field" but got scared when I approached them and took off just above my head. Truly impressive birds when you are close to them.

The woodpeckers' nest has been taken over by a Nuthatch (Sitta Europaea) couple. It is an interesting bird since it narrows down the opening of old nests with clay to make them more appropriate for them.

The nuthatch is also the only bird in Sweden that can walk down a tree with its head first when looking for insects / food.

As always, click on the picture to enlarge it!

The Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos Caudatus) is not a bird I remember seeing very often in Svångemåla. It is a really cute little bird with a tail that is longer than its body. Its head is white as a snowball and it has an unusual yellow line above its eyes.

Much more common is our almost resident Wagtail (Motacilla alba)!  The same couple has now been living under our roof for several years and it always makes me very happy when I see the couple flying and walking around my plot.

22nd of March.....plenty of spring flowers!

I am back from a short but fantastic day in Svångemåla. The sun was as bright as it can only be in March, the birds were singling like crazy and wherever you looked, you could see all kinds of spring flowers.

Anemone hepatica; liverleaf / pennywort. I am not sure which  is the most common name for it in English, so please help me. It is always a special feeling to spot the first one and I can hardly remember seeing them as early as 22nd of March. Global warming? 

Galanthus nivalis, the snowdrop or common snowdrop.

 Syringa vulgaris or Lilac buds that are bursting of built in energy.

Daphne mezereum is a species of Daphne in the flowering plant family Thymelaeaceae. This is a wonderful flower that was easy to spot since there are no leaves on any bushes yet.

 and last but not least, TWIGGY !!  Tiny but still a bit longer and stronger than a few years ago. Use the search function to see what Twiggy has looked like before!

Snow and sunshine

 The temperature was around minus 5 C when I visited Svångemåla yesterday. It was very peaceful and no signs of neither the wild pigs nor any human beings. The little snow that covered the ground sparkled in the sunshine but was no problem for the car. (Click on the pictures to enlarge! )

It looks like Bruno or a relative of him is still around!

Has a wolf been sightseeing in Svångemåla?

Winter but no snow in January 2012

It was cold when I visited Svångemåla yesterday but no snow. The air is amazing, clean, dry and crisp. Only a few birds made any sounds. How different to spring.

This picture is from Björnasjö (Bear lake !) not far from Svångemåla. 

 This plant looks like it was surprised by the cold weather when it had just started to grow.

Stormy weather

This fall we have had a number of low pressures coming in from the west bringing a lot of rain and strong winds. A couple of weeks ago many thousands of people had no electricity due to trees falling over the power lines and roads being blocked by trees. I was therefore not surprised when I recently visited Svångemåla and found a big birch tree resting on the path to the house. It took me the better part of one hour to clear the way and I will have to continue that work when weather and time permit.

It is a bit funny that I earlier worried about some dead trees standing next to this birch (http://svangemalanews.blogspot.com/2010/10/i-wish.html  but they never caused any problems.

The road to the left of the stone wall is not in use any longer as you might remember from previous posts. http://svangemalanews.blogspot.com/2009/06/good-or-bad-news.html 



Moose family

In the middel of the hunting season I met this moose family of four. Impressive animals when you are only 30-40 meters away.

Still some life...

Even when the leaves are covering the ground it is not difficult to find small mushrooms and plants that grow and even thrive. As always, click on the picture to get a better view!



Daisy ?

Shapes