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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Sarek, Sweden (1 Viewer)

Arbu

Well-known member
I went for a hike from Suorva down the Rapadalen Valley to Aktse and then along the Kungsleden to Kvikkjokk from 6-20 September. I expected most birds to have gone south for winter by now, but in fact there was still quite a lot around. Photos of some here http://www.learnedtraveller.com/swedish-lapland-2019/sarek-fauna-and-flora/.

Here's a full list of birds seen:

Willow Grouse
Rock Ptarmigan
Western Capercaillie
Whooper Swan
Long-tailed Duck
Velvet Scoter
Common Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Eurasian Wigeon
Common Teal
Common Crane
Eurasian Woodcock
(Great) Snipe
Osprey
Northern Goshawk
White-tailed Sea-eagle
Common Kestrel
Merlin
Siberian Jay
Common Raven
Hooded Crow
Willow Tit
Siberian Tit
White-throated Dipper
Redwing
Eurasian Blackbird
Fieldfare
Ring Ouzel
Bluethroat
Common Redstart
Northern Wheatear
Dunnock
Meadow Pipit
White Wagtail
Common Chaffinch
Brambling
Pine Grosbeak
Redpoll
Lapland Longspur
Snow Bunting

Siberian Jay and Tit were common in the pine forests on the Kungsleden. Notable absences were Rough-legged Buzzard and most waders. I guess these had all gone further south.

I flushed one snipe which was quite large, showed a lot of white on the sides of its tail and made a sort of rasping sound as it flew off. I'm guessing it would have been a Great Snipe?
 
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Nice report, never been to Sweden.

Thanks, I'd recommend it. The country feels very sane compared to the rest of the world. But given Brexit and Coronavirus it may be some time before you can visit now without restrictions.

For birding I guess you could see all the same things and more in either Norway or Finland. It's probably one of the easiest places to see Lesser White-fronted Geese though, which I saw on passage at Hjallstavikan, not far from Arlanda Airport.
 
It is definitely worth a visit. Plenty of birds, especially two legged blondes!! I know, as I have been married to one for 42 years.
 
Siberian Tit & Siberian Jay would both be lifers for me, plus any place where Grosbeaks, Capers, Grouse, raptors etc sounds great.
 
Siberian Tit & Siberian Jay would both be lifers for me, plus any place where Grosbeaks, Capers, Grouse, raptors etc sounds great.

It's pretty easy to get there. You can book a train and bus combined ticket from Arlanda Airport to Kvikkjokk where you can stay at the Fjallstation. As I say, Siberian Tit and Jay were easy. The Pine Grosbeak I just saw once, near Partestugan, a day's walk from Kvikkjokk. The Capercaillie were only in the Rapadalen Valley and I only ever saw them flying off to disappear somewhere in the undergrowth.
 
It's pretty easy to get there. You can book a train and bus combined ticket from Arlanda Airport to Kvikkjokk where you can stay at the Fjallstation. As I say, Siberian Tit and Jay were easy. The Pine Grosbeak I just saw once, near Partestugan, a day's walk from Kvikkjokk. The Capercaillie were only in the Rapadalen Valley and I only ever saw them flying off to disappear somewhere in the undergrowth.

Interesting!

It's Siberian Jay and Siberian Tit I really want as have seen the others. Thing is at nearly 60 years of age, I can't hike a great deal, maybe a couple of miles walk each way is my max, and if big incline/decline I can't do it due to knee issues now:-C . Bit of a lightweight!

Is it easy to see the 2 species close to from Fjallstation? (I presume it is a hotel or ski lift base?).

Difficult to travel to Sweden from Britain at present but certainly interesting. Surprised no Snowfinches?
 
Interesting!

It's Siberian Jay and Siberian Tit I really want as have seen the others. Thing is at nearly 60 years of age, I can't hike a great deal, maybe a couple of miles walk each way is my max, and if big incline/decline I can't do it due to knee issues now:-C . Bit of a lightweight!

Is it easy to see the 2 species close to from Fjallstation? (I presume it is a hotel or ski lift base?).

Difficult to travel to Sweden from Britain at present but certainly interesting. Surprised no Snowfinches?

If you wanna specifically see these two species, there must be far more accessible places to do so than literally the most remote national park in continental Europe :)
 
Interesting!

It's Siberian Jay and Siberian Tit I really want as have seen the others. Thing is at nearly 60 years of age, I can't hike a great deal, maybe a couple of miles walk each way is my max, and if big incline/decline I can't do it due to knee issues now:-C . Bit of a lightweight!

Is it easy to see the 2 species close to from Fjallstation? (I presume it is a hotel or ski lift base?).

Difficult to travel to Sweden from Britain at present but certainly interesting. Surprised no Snowfinches?

The Fjallstation is not quite a hotel, more like a mountain refuge. Rooms are basic but the restaurant is very good. I saw the tit within half a mile of the Fjallstation and I expect the jays would be around too. No snowfinches in Scandinavia.

If you have knee problems, note that the Fjallstation does hire out kayaks, although they are very heavy metal things and getting them on and off the shore is quite a job.
 
Thanks both, yes I dipped them in Finland but I am sure there are easier places, but always looking for somewhere interesting to go in the future.
 
I went to northern Finland in spring some years ago and only had one sighting of Jays and one of the Tits at a known nest site. I hiked from Nikkaluokta to the Kebnekaise Fjallstation in spring last year and had no sign of either (maybe there were more larch rather than conifer trees there). But then this year in September there were loads of both. I read that the jay caches insects, seeds and berries for winter requirements, so no doubt they were busy in September and that helped me see them.
 
I went to northern Finland in spring some years ago and only had one sighting of Jays and one of the Tits at a known nest site. I hiked from Nikkaluokta to the Kebnekaise Fjallstation in spring last year and had no sign of either (maybe there were more larch rather than conifer trees there). But then this year in September there were loads of both. I read that the jay caches insects, seeds and berries for winter requirements, so no doubt they were busy in September and that helped me see them.

I feel in need of a trip to foreign birding soils.
 
The Siberian tit need you to travel to the northern third of Sweden. Its quite hard to find but tend to like old conifer trees in old un-touched forests adjacent to the higher parts. You find the Siberian jays in the same places. They can be found further south as well. The attached pic shows the sightings of Sib tit so far this year.

These forests are really worth a visit just for enjoying the habitat. As a bonus you might find one of the feathered gems :)
 

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Interesting!

It's Siberian Jay and Siberian Tit I really want as have seen the others. Thing is at nearly 60 years of age, I can't hike a great deal, maybe a couple of miles walk each way is my max, and if big incline/decline I can't do it due to knee issues now:-C . Bit of a lightweight!
I don't know about the Tit, but we had excellent views of Siberian Jay in the Göljådalen valley of Fulufjället National Park, in Dalarna, and also near the Visitor Centre. The Göljådalen path may be a bit slippery in some places but it's well marked and pretty flat most of the time and the whole area is really nice with lots of quality birds.
 
You can watch Sibe Tit and Jay, and Pine Grosbeaks over a cup of coffee at Neljän Tuulen Tupa restaurant/motel in northern Finland. The feeders are a few feet from the windows, and you can't miss here in winter or early Spring. It's an easy 3 hour drive from Rovaniemi airport, which has cheap Easyjet flights from Gatwick.
 

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The tits weren't hard to find at all where I was - I must have seen them at least hourly while hiking between Aktse and Kvikkjokk, and they were responsive to pishing. I was of course close to higher areas, as you suggest they like.
 
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