Winter short weekend January–
February
Enjoy the northern winter atmosphere with crisp, cold air, snow-covered
landscapes and birds like
Hawk–
and
Pygmy Owl. Some years
Pine
Grosbeaks are available in the area.
Nutcrackers, Hawfinches and
Grey-headed
Woodpeckers offer close encounters on feeding stations in
different habitats. Along the road you encounter birds like
Rough-legged Buzzards, Great Grey Shrike and more.
The itinerary is adjusted to arrival and departure times of Ryanair
flights at closely situated
Västerås
Airport. For those who wish to fly at other times we recommend
flying to
Stockholm-Arlanda
airport, just 1 hour drive away.
Day 1
Arrival at
Västerås
airport 14:00
Transfer to the Black River Valley with hot drinks and sandwiches
at a
Hawfinch garden feeder along
the way. Other birds to expect on the feeding station include
Bullfinch,
Redpoll, Nuthatch, Yellowhammer, Greenfinch, Marsh Tit, Great tit,
Blue tit, Coal tit, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Fieldfare, Blackbird,
Common Jay and occasionally
Arctic
Redpoll, Siskin and
Brambling.
Of course we spend the last minutes before dusk looking for
Pygmy
Owls perched in spruce tree-tops along the route. (It gets
dark around 16:00)
Night & Dinner at
Fläckebo
B&B.
Day 2
Breakfast at B&B
Hawk Owl excursion in the Black
River valley with outdoor lunch. Often the Hawk Owls perch in treetops
or on telephone poles in open daylight, providing good views and
photo opportunities.
Visit at the forest feeding station for
Nutcrackers
and
Grey-headed Woodpeckers. These
birds often show really well and within close distance, providing
excellent views and photo-opportunities.
Other birds at the feeders are
Crested–,
Coal– and
Willow Tits, Bullfinches,
Nuthatches (Scandinavian race), Great tit, Blue tit, Great-spotted
Woodpecker, and occasionally
Long-tailed
Tits (of the Scandinavian white-headed race).
At dusk we look for
Pygmy Owl.
Goshawk, Golden– and
White-tailed
Eagles also frequent the area.
Dinner & Night at
Fläckebo
B&B.
Day 3
Breakfast at B&B
We spend the last morning looking for
White-tailed Eagles around lake Fläcksjön. We probe
deeper into the vast taiga forest where
Black Woodpeckers and
Black–
or
Hazel Grouse might turn up along the way.
On request we might revisit the forest feeders for more views of
Crested Tits, Nutcrackers and
Grey-headed
Woodpeckers or any locally abundant
Hawk Owl.
Black Grouse and
Common
Crossbills often turn up along the forest roads.
Waxwings can appear in any garden
in the picturesque, small villages of the valley.
Transfer to
Västerås
Airport with second chance to enjoy the
Hawfinches
at the feeding station along the route. Departure from
Västerås
airport 15:00.
The journey is a collaboration between
BirdSafarisweden and
Karlmark Travel. (Karlmark Travels holds the travel
warranty insurance that covers this trip)