Drama in the field

When I opened the door the other day one of the two cranes living in the field was out looking for something to eat. Nothing unusual about that but when I looked a bit closer I saw a fox only a few meters away! 

The fox did not pay much attention to the crane and walked away slowly realizing that it would not have much of a chance catching the big bird with its large and sharp beak.

Crazy !

It is almost mid May and it is snowing in Svångemåla! Crazy and depressing. Birds and flowers are suffering even more than I do. It might look beatiful in a picture but don't be fooled, it is just awful when the winds from the Arctic come down on you this time of the year.

Frog

A European common frog (Rana temporaria) was hiding in the grass. Not the most beautiful animal I can think of but an important part of the ecosystem.

Grizzled skipper (Pyrgus malvae)

Even a butterfly can be hairy!  Good idea when the temperature is only 8 C although the sun is shining. Click on the picture to see the details!

Spring ?

Easter, spring... time to open up Svångemåla for the season!  Plenty of water in the well, heating system up and working in no time, no signs of unwanted guests but suddenly it is

winter again :(  Snow in the air, the birds almost stopped singing so we decided to cut our stay short. I managed to get some pictures before the snow but don't you agree that the flowers look a bit sad ?

Wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa)

Cowslip (Primula veris )

Unspotted Lungwort or Suffolk Lungwort  (Pulmonaria obscura)

Lent Lily (Narcissus pseudonarcissus )

Van Sion (Telamonius Plenus) ?

Some form of Scilla. If you know the exact name, please let me know!

The wind can be destructive!

The road to Svångemåla, not far from Grötsjö.

The wild pigs are destroying our forest path :(

Not far from our house is a small, abandoned house / homestead  called Goliatmålen. From what I have heard one of the owners was a tailor and so was one of the owners of our place. Anyway, the small road leading up to Goliatsmålen is now not more than a path but is still the only way to get there. I was therefore a bit surprised when I saw that the pigs have dug a fairly deep hole and cut of the path completely! Amazing how they manage to dig up big stones and make this kind of hole in the ground that is full of roots and stones.

Örarevet 2 January 2017

Örarevet is a small nature reserve not far from Svångemåla. It is a lovely place in the summer but it is just as wonderful a calm winter day. Several swans and other sea birds were still there. 

It is around 3 PM but the sun is already going down.

Does it say G and B ?

2 December 2016

A short stay in Svångemåla did not give me any real winter feelings but it was frosty and the sun was out part of the time so I am not complaining.

I am, however, complaining about the wild pigs messing up our road!  Although it is just frozen gravel with hardly any insects or roots, they have made several deep holes very close to the electric fence.

The lone tree in the middle of the Field looks a bit like the many lone tree one can see on the African savanna :)

The main road in Svångemåla. 

A few apples have survived the wind and cold weather.

Still no snow.

The squirrel is preparing for a long and cold winter in Svångemåla and many birds are going south in search of warmer places. The mushrooms are thriving but I am not sure which are edible so I just admire them and let the wild pigs have them. 

October in Sweden is not the most cheerful of months. The days are getting shorter and shorter, strong winds and rains are more common than during any other part of the year. It is, however, also the time of the year when the apples are ready for picking, the flowers that are still there really stand out and you appreciate every hour of sunshine and good weather! It is also the time of the year when the air feels full of oxygen and your lungs have an easy job :)

Akero apple. 

More Akero apples that were made into "apple butter".

A single harbell (Campanula rotundifolia) stood all alone in the lawn. Wonder how it has manged to stay this fresh?

Our sunflowers (Helianthus) are in various stages of their lives. Some, like the one below, was still in its prime...

while this one had seen better days.

The wild growing wine (Parthenocissus ) has left its usual habitat on the barn's wall and nestled in the jasmine. I had probably not noticed it if its red leaves had not given it away.