Leking Capercaillies

10:th April – 5:th May

Leking Capercaillies

10:th April – 5:th May

When: 10:th April – 5:th May

Price: 2.850 SEK/ person

Capercaillie

Leking Capercaillie photography

Around 6 pm we silently approach the leking area and put ourselves in the portable tent hide placed just where the Capercaillie males usually perform. As you zip up the tent and get yourself comfortable it’s time to settle down and just lie down and listen to the sounds of the forest around you. Robins, Thrushes and Dunnocks sing. It doesn’t take long til you start hearing loud wingbeats from the trees above you as the first Capercaillies arrive to the night roost just above the leking site. Now it is important to be still and quiet so the approaching males will get confidence for the site and come down to display in the morning. Maybe you’ll wake up by the fluty call of a Pygmy Owl. Then it’s time to sit up and get your gear ready, trying to locate the Capercaillie males who have started to sing from the trees around you. They will soon descend to the ground and move around with their tails fanned as they utter their equally harsh sounds and surprisingly fine tunes.

Leking Capercaillie photography

Around 6 pm we silently approach the leking area and put ourselves in the portable tent hide placed just where the Capercaillie males usually perform. As you zip up the tent and get yourself comfortable it’s time to settle down and just lie down and listen to the sounds of the forest around you. Robins, Thrushes and Dunnocks sing. It doesn’t take long til you start hearing loud wingbeats from the trees above you as the first Capercaillies arrive to the night roost just above the leking site. Now it is important to be still and quiet so the approaching males will get confidence for the site and come down to display in the morning. Maybe you’ll wake up by the fluty call of a Pygmy Owl. Then it’s time to sit up and get your gear ready, trying to locate the Capercaillie males who have started to sing from the trees around you. They will soon descend to the ground and move around with their tails fanned as they utter their equally harsh sounds and surprisingly fine tunes.

Practical info

Season: 10 April – 5 May

Included: Guiding to the tent hides, breakfast, snacks/ light evening meal including hot & cold drinks, sandwiches, fruits, buns. Pick-up from the hides the next morning.

In the tent hides we provide you: inflatable mats, a warm sleeping bag with inner cotton liners all for your comfort (also mandatory for hygienically reasons), a camping chair to sit on, a glass jar for toilet. There’s a light bulb in the ceiling as well.

To bring: Camera, tripod (important!), binoculars, flashlight/ headlight, water bottle, warm clothes, waterproof boots, maybe something to read or pass time with.

Price

2.850 SEK/person & session

When? How? For whom?

We guide you to the hides. Starting time 17.00 at an agreed rendez-vouz-site. At 18.00 you need to be installed in the hides (tent hides) because about that time the males start to arrive to their favorite trees around the leking area. To photograph leking Capercaillies is a big challenge with some discomfort included, so mainly for the dedicated photographer and bird watcher. You need to be prepared for a relatively long time in the tent. But if you get good views (and pictures) of the birds it’s a unique experience. After all, the lek of the Capercaillies is one of the most legendary natural events of the north. We operate 6-8 tent hides in the leaking area for 1 person each. We also have a bigger tent hide for 2 persons, perfect for couples.

BE AWARE!

Leking wild Capercaillies are one of the biggest, photographic challenges of the north. These birds are far more shy and wary than for instance the Black Grouse, they are also less predictable when it comes to the choice of leking site. Together with it´s infamous sensitivity to wind and disturbance, it’s cause to tune down your expectation. You don’t always get successful the first time you try. However we work hard to give you the best possible circumstances and possibilities to achieve your goal. We have tested several seasons before we started to market this activity. If you travel far to get here make sure you book more than one day to increase the chance of getting the pictures you want. And remember – your own behaviour is crucial to the result.

To get a good result we think it’s important to understand the behaviour of this bird, keep reading:

The Capercaillie lek – a different strategy

The Capercaillie lek does NOT consist of ONE leking arena like in the case of Black Grouse. Instead every cock has their own little leking spot where they start up the season, trying to attract a female. As the females arrive to the leking area, they often choose the same cock (the biggest and most handsome) and that is where all the other males want to be to get a bit of the action. This is where the most intense leking and fighting and subsequently also mating activity will take place. This is why the precise location of the lek is a bit unpredictable and why we have to work with portable hides that we can move during the season if necessary.

How to get a good session!

It’s important how YOU behave!

Arrive early to the hide, preferably around 18.00. We guide you to the spot. Between 18 and 20.00 the males start to arrive to the trees above you, this is where they will spend the night so it is very important that you stay quiet and as still as you can during the whole night. After dark it can be ok to go out to take a leak, but just outside the hide, no walking around. The first thing around dawn they will start to sing and eventually descend to the ground if they feel safe. Make sure you have your camera in position and use a tripod to move it as little as possible. When you have to move the camera, do it slowly, quietly and try to do the crucial moves when the cock makes the loudest calls, at those few seconds he´s momentarily deaf.