Willow Tit [talltita]

We have very strange weather. First, we had spring temperatures almost all of February. Then the first snow of this winter came yesterday. Today’s visitors at the feeding station, like this willow tit, were very eager for the peanuts. Älje-Porsen nature reserve, Uddevalla, on February 26.

Pentax K50, ISO 200, 300mm, f/5.8, 1/400.

Pentax K50, ISO 800, 300mm, f/7.1, 1/800.

Pentax K50, ISO 200, 300mm, f/7.1, 1/320.

Common Eider [ejder]

Just look at that beak! Gustavsberg, Uddevalla, on October 20, 2019.

Pentax K50, ISO 800, 300mm, f/9, 1/320.

Harbor Life

I’ve never thought of grey herons and cormorants as friends, but here they are side by side, enjoying the warm October sun on one of the small islands in Uddevalla harbor. Uddevalla on October 20, 2019.

Pentax K50, ISO 200, 300mm, f/9, 1/320. 

Barn Swallow [ladusvala]

It was quite a bizarre scene with this dead tree full of barn swallows. Pics from A. Nordens Ark, Åby, on August 31, 2019.

Pentax K50, ISO 200, 300mm, f/9, 1/320. 

Pentax K50, ISO 200, 300mm, f/11, 1/400. 

Pentax K50, ISO 200, 210mm, f/11, 1/250. 

Red Knot [kustsnäppa]

Adding one to the list of stints I would probably recognize when I see it again: the red knot. Haby bukt, Ramsvikslandet, on August 31, 2019.

Pentax K50, ISO 200, 300mm, f/11, 1/500. 

Pentax K50, ISO 200, 300mm, f/11, 1/500. 

Dunlin [kärrsnäppa]

I have a hard time identifying stints. There are so many – and they all look alike! I got some help identifying these, and guess what – two new in one pic for my list of photographed birds :) (And yes, there's a red knot in the pic as well.) Haby bukt, Ramsvikslandet, on August 31, 2019.

Pentax K50, ISO 200, 300mm, f/11, 1/400. 

Barnacle Goose [vitkindad gås]

A goose with an attitude. From MerriamWebster and Wikipedia, I learn that a popular belief once (this dates back to the 12th century) was that the barnacle goose grew from the crustacean goose barnacle (what we in Sweden refer to as "långhalsar"). Haby bukt, Ramsvikslandet, on August 31, 2019.

Pentax K50, ISO 100, 300mm, f/7.1, 1/800.

Common Buzzard [ormvråk]

A commun buzzard circulated over our parking space this afternoon. Hedegärde, Uddevalla, on August 20, 2019.

Pentax K50, ISO 400, 300mm, f/9, 1/320. 

European Herring Gull [gråtrut]

They're all over, really, the herring gulls. Pic from A. Rödön marina, Uddevalla, on August 13, 2019.

Pentax K50, ISO 100, 300mm, f/10, 1/1000. 

Most of our field trips are like this …

… we sit quietly at a bench, binoculars in hand, thermos on the side, and watch some birds too far away to tell what they are, really. This time we were lucky, the waders are migrating back south and we saw both curlews and greenshanks. And some white-tailed eagles taking wind (not in pic). Hullsjön, Trollhättan, on August 3, 2019.

Pentax K50, ISO 100, 300mm, f/7.1, 1/800.