Uncle Henry´s Universe.

My internet service provider decided to turn off the copper wire network at the end of the month before they had completed the fiber connection … so now we are many loyal customers who are slightly irritated. (The fiber connection should be ready this autumn, but we have heard that for several years now!) After some calls to the support and some less successful solutions, I have now switched to another company. And a few seconds later – woops, a well-functioning internet via 4G.

Summer is here, great! First kayaking trip completed. If paragliding is freedom in the sky, then kayaking is freedom at sea. Both are refined nature experiences, subtle silence, and freedom to be where rarely others are. You move quietly and show up unexpectedly, which is why it is important to respect the home peace zone for both humans, animals, and breeding birds.

When we are free from our work with nature reserves, we like to visit other nature reserves … Okay, a little geeky maybe, but it is relaxing and interesting to visit other types of nature than the ones we find on a daily basis. Last time we visited Gullrosas Berg (Mountain). Gullrosa is a traditional name for a cow, and according to legend, a cow of that name should have crashed and died in the ravines that run across the mountain plateau and the reserve. Nowadays there are no grazing cows in the area, it is exclusively a nature reserve and outdoor area.

Cloudberry flowers and common cottongrass shone white on the marshes. Atmospheric, hope for good berry season this year.

The varied forest and beautiful views made the visit pleasant. A nice reserve that we would love to visit again. We walked the “tough” trail with a little steeper section, the family trail may be next time.

In conclusion, I would like to tell you that we were ringing this year’s new golden eagle kids this week. In one of the nests, which I could not see into but had only heard one kid, there turned out to be two. Both in good health. Lovely! Three kids ringed total.

We saw, we nail, we carry, and we lift. We have a very varied job; it will never be boring!

The work on maintaining hiking trails continues, a lot of chainsaw for us but it makes it easier for the visitors. Enjoying the same view during lunch as the lynx did last winter.

New picnic table to the nature reserve Abborrtjärnsberg. Rough lumber and heavy to handle, lucky that we have tools and machines to our aid.

Up in the mountains, the vipers are rarely gray (male), they are usually very dark, almost black and the zigzag line on their back is barely visible. The females, on the other hand, are brown. This charming lady we found because she was hissing so loudly as we passed her resting place.

The work with the golden eagle has now gone over to the control of known nest to see if there are youngsters. So far, we have found two successful breeding’s, with one kid in each nest.

Unfortunately, our biggest golden eagle nest had fallen during the recent storm. Lots of fresh twigs, grass and other tree material indicate that nesting was in progress when it happened. We found neither eggs nor chicks in the remains of the nest, perhaps a marten or fox had cleaned up after the accident.

If you know how big the key is for a Toyota Hilux, then you also understand how big a feather from an adult gold eagle is.

The hot and dry summer 2018 gave rise to drying stress on many spruces, they became weakened and an easy replacement for the bark beetle. They have become very numerous and if the summer gets hot and dry this year, we fear an unusually large attack from bark beetles.

Small piles of brown powder show where the larvae are. The only way to prevent them from becoming adult bark beetles that swarm and create even more bark beetles… is to remove the bark.

First, twig the trees and cut it at the root. Then remove the bark using tools from the beginning of the century. It is a heavy and hot work in the summer heat.

Usually we do not care about bark beetles in protected areas, they are part of the ecology. This year, however, the government has asked us to look at it a little extra, if there is a major attack, we do not want it to hit surrounding forests.

Now this year’s inventory of the golden eagle will start. Let’s hope for sunny days and strong winds for the rest of March and early April. The lynx inventory season is over for this winter, but we continue to track wolf and wolverine month out.

I have not found any tracks this week but got nice hiking trips on foot or with snowshoes. It is a wonderful time now at the end of winter, when the night’s minus temperatures quickly turn into heat as the sun rises.

Tracks of red foxes often cross my hike, it´s mating time and you often hear them shouting, even during the day. The woodpecker drums, black grouse play on the marshes and crossbills are full of nesting boards, it goes towards spring.

In the first golden eagle territory I visited during the week, the business was in full swing. Both adult eagles were present and a kid from previous years. They were playing in the wind, seemed to enjoy it. Sometimes the female disappeared into the snow-covered forest to warm the nest for a while, all snow must be removed before hatching can begin.

The large nest is well hidden in the snow-covered forest.

This spring I was convinced that 2019 would be a record year for the golden eagles in our area, and maybe it was, but without our knowledge…

In other parts of the country, the golden eagle breeding seems to have been successful, in some county even new record.

All the eagle pairs in our area showed signs of wanting to nest, but when we later visited the nesting sites we knew, most nest were empty. Some had collapsed during the winter but since eagles usually have alternative nesting there is rarely any problem. The problem is for us to find these nests!

Although the golden eagle is a big bird and they build very large nest, it is remarkably difficult to find them. The eagle is very discreet around the nest and an alternative nest can be located more than 5 km from another. The eagle territory in our area are often around 30 square kilometers, so there will be extensive forest areas to look through.

In our oldest golden eagle territory, which I have inventoried for 19 years, it was successful nesting this year too. It´s an old couple who often manage to breed chicks. Whether it´s been the same eagles all the time is hard to say, but I think so. They can get quite old. Our oldest eagle was probably at least 32 years old.

Often eagles only succeed in breeding every two years, but this pair often succeeds two years in a row. Here the results was the same as last year. A kid lay dead under the nest and a large and powerful one was ringed.

Later in the summer a colleague found a new alternative eagle nest and a kid so in summary, at least two eagle nesting´s succeeded this year.

This year
seems to be a pretty bad year for the golden eagle, at least in the central
parts of Sweden. In Värmland, we have only found one successful breeding so
far, in which a fairly large and nice kid has been ringed.

In addition
to weighing and measuring, takes bird ringers now also blood sample for DNA
analysis. Here is the “Lord of the Rings” in place in the nest for sampling.

Big feet
and sharp claws, they have the resources, yet they are surprisingly calm and
kind while they are handled.

Now it is a
difficult time for me and my dear colleagues. Not yet finished with wolf
tracking when the golden eagle demands attention. Frustrating days comes before
us. When you track wolves, are you thinking about all the eagles who wishes to
be registered and when you are waiting for eagles that never turns out, are you
thinking about all the wolves that wish to be tracked. You are never quite
satisfied.

As we say
every year, it’s a crappy job, but someone has to do it!

Two new
golden eagle chicks were ringed today, will be interesting to follow them over
the next few years. The kid in the picture is about 35 days old. Think it looks
adorable on the baby blue blanket.

523B on a carrion. Photo: Sture Orrhult.

Got a Christmas message from the eagle we ringed as a juvenile
this past summer, it savored a Christmas dinner in the form of a roe-deer on
Sture Orrhults feeding place in Dalsland. (Approximately 238 km south from the
nest where it was born)

The first eagle we ringed in our county (in 2010), has
also been observed on carrion during December, but then instead in Leksand,
Dalarna. (About 125 km to the east from the birthplace.)

Of the seven eagles which we previously ringed is one
rediscovered dead and four observed on carrion, so it’s only 2 that we have not
yet received feedback on. A very good result I think.

For those who want to see more pictures or learn more
about Eagle, please follow the attached link to Sture’s site.

http://www.orrhult.eu/ovrigt/index%20ovrigt.htm

532B as a juvenile in the nest 2013. Photo: Börje Dahlén.