Where I go

I bird mainly in the province of Uppland, Sweden, since this is where I live. Here are some of my favorite places to go to. :-) (I just made this page, so not that much here yet, but bear with me!)

Hjälstaviken
Hjälstaviken is a shallow, lake-like bay to lake Mälaren, only connected to the lake via a small regulated channel. This is probably the best-known birding site in the area, and it is as good as it is famous. Most people visit the observation tower, which is the best place to see most waders, ducks and geese. However, Hjälstaviken is more than it's tower, and I really recommend walking around the whole bay, especially in springtime. It takes maybe five-six hours if you walk slowly, but is well worth it. Lots of songbirds in the bushes and trees, and at the southern end there's a long boardwalk (Långa WWF-spången) through the reeds as well as an old deciduos grove (Parnassen) where there's usually some interesting birds. Also, don't forget to keep an eye on the sky as raptors often pass by looking for an easy meal. White-tailed Eagles are almost a given here, especially when the bay fills up with migrants in spring and autumn. It's not that unusual to see one or two Peregrines hunting nowadays either.
In autumn Hjälstaviken is maybe most famous for it's geese. To have seven species of geese in one day is not uncommon. Lesser White-fronted Geese can be seen in the autumn in numbers of up to 50. Brent geese are only rarely seen, and the beautiful Red-breasted Goose was recorded here in 2008.
In the reeds Bearded Tits are often seen, and the last few years a Savi's Warbler have been singing at one end of the southern boardwalk.
Hjälstaviken is also a good place for rarities. Birds seen here through the years include Great White Egret, Great and Lesser Spotted Eagles, Pallid Harrier, Gyrfalcon, White-tailed Lapwing, Sociable Lapwing, Terek Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, White-winged Black Tern, Short-toed Lark, Citrine Wagtail and Woodchat Shrike.
How to get there: from Uppsala drive towards Enköping (road 55), turn off towards Örsundsbro. Go trough Örsundsbro, turn left towards Hjälsta. In Hjälsta turn left at the t-cross, then right towards Ekolsund. When you get to the little village of Hårby, keep you eyes open for the little sign "fågeltorn" (it is sometimes difficult to see, hidden behind a hedge!) at the right side of the road. At that sign, turn left and park in the carpark. Then walk about 1,2 km to the tower.