On this holiday we will look at thebutterflies of central Sweden duringhigh summer, hoping to encountera fascinating mixture of both Scandinavianand Eastern European species, some ofwhich have become increasingly rareduring recent years, notably such speciesas Reverdin's Blue and Assmann'sFritillary. Several species are found here attheir southernmost limits and, in this partof Scandinavia where north meets south,there might even still be new discoveriesto make, for only recently have populationsof Large Blue, Chequered Blue and Dukeof Burgundy Fritillary been discoveredhere. Amongst the well-establishedspecies, highlights will include suchcharismatic butterflies as Apollo, CloudedApollo, Camberwell Beauty, Poplar Admiraland Woodland Brown. We also hope tosee an abundance of blues - up to 11species! Additionally, although Sweden'smoths are not well known, we will run amoth trap on some nights to see what wecan find.We begin our holiday with a direct flight toVästerås, and an hour's drive north toSvartådalen (The Black River Valley), in thecounty of Västmanland. Svartådalen is anopen, agricultural landscape well endowedwith lakes, woodlands and wetlands thatlie either side of the meandering BlackRiver. Well known for its birds (suchspecies as Common Crane, White-tailedEagle, Honey Buzzard and CommonRosefinch may all be seen here),Svartådalen is also home to a wealth ofbutterflies. Around its wetlands we will lookfor Purple-edged Coppers and a variety offritillaries, including False Heath, LesserMarbled and Small Pearl-borderedFritillary. These, and such other species offritillary as Cranberry, Silver-washed, HighBrown and Dark Green, may also be foundamongst the area's coniferous forests andalong the flower-filled verges of traffic-free,gravelled roads. Here the beautiful PoplarAdmiral, attracted to wayside puddles,may oblige the photographers amongstus, and we will look out for Scarce Copper,Arran Brown and Moorland CloudedYellow, amongst others. On one day we will drive to the adjacentcoastal region of Uppland, on the Balticcoast, some two hours away. Here animpressive diversity of Scandinavianbutterfly species may be found, includingLarge Grizzled Skipper, whilst up to 10species of 'blue' can be seen in one day,including Geranium and Silvery Blue andNorthern Brown Argus. We also have thechance of seeing Broad-bordered BeeHawkmoths hovering like tinyhummingbirds above the flowers around us. This should be a rewarding day for identifying, photographing andenjoying butterflies. Next we will drive to Strängnäs inSödermanland, a rewarding site in a lovelyposition where we will picnic at an Iron-age Viking burial site that sits atop a ridge,commanding fine views of the rollingcountryside round about. Formerly a majortourist attraction, this all changed recentlywhen entomologists discovered previouslyunknown populations of Large Blue andother species here. We will look for theblues, and such other species as Purple-edged and Scarce Copper, plus some ofthe burnett moth species, before drivingon to the small and picturesque town ofTrosa, a splendid community of colourfulwooden houses built along a seasidecanal in the early 1900s. The region, andan offshore Baltic island which we mayvisit, are the stronghold in Sweden of theApollo butterfly. We will look for these finebutterflies during our stay, plus suchspecies as Silver-spotted Skipper.Moving on, we next visit the ancient, openoak forests of Östergötland, to the west ofTrosa, where the endangered WoodlandBrown butterfly has its mainlandstronghold. We will spend the night at aunique forest eco-lodge, The Eremitage, atranquil setting from which we can explorethe slopes of Omberg, a hill that standsabove Lake Vättern and supports anabundance of flowers, including someorchids, and plenty of butterflies.Finally, we return to Svartådalen - to itsforests, mires and bogs, where we will lookfor any species we may previously havemissed, before returning to Västerås tocatch our flight home. Poplar AdmiralLarge BlueScarce Copper10% DONATIONTONORWAYSTOCKHOLMSTRÄNGNÄSTROSAVÄSTERÅSLAKE VÄTTERNSVARTÅDALENSWEDENBALTICSEA146Call now or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk for your free Trip ItineraryOutline itineraryDay 1Fly Västerås (Stockholm)and transfer Svartådalen.Day 2/3Svartådalen andUppland.Day 4Strängnäs and Trosa.Day 5Omberg and LakeVättern; the Eremitage.Day 6Svartådalen.Day 7Transfer Västerås(Stockholm) and flyLondon.Accommodation An interesting selection of typicallyScandinavian establishments,including a sprawling 300-year-oldspa facility, a pleasant town hotel inTrosa, and a modern forest 'eco-lodge'. The latter has sharedfacilities; at the others they are en suite.Food All included in the price.GradingA/B. Gentle countryside walks overgenerally easy terrain. Focus Primarily butterflies; but also birdsand other natural historyencountered.LeaderDaniel Green, plus local guides.Single room supplementTo be advised.Web quick search: SWE05Sweden's ButterfliesA 7-day tour of central Sweden in search of an interesting selection of butterfliesand moths, plus other natural history, in a peaceful and relaxing rural environment.Thursday 5th July - Wednesday 11th July Cost: £1,495

As the summer draws to a close, thepeaceful forests, lakes and watermeadows of central Sweden act as amagnet for thousands of migrating birdsas they head south through Scandinavia towarmer climes. Huge flocks of BeanGeese and Common Cranes gather in thefarmland, while up to a dozen species ofraptors hunt overhead, from the diminutiveMerlin to the huge White-tailed Eagle.Bluethroat numbers also peak in earlySeptember; these attractive birds spend acouple of weeks in central Swedenfattening up before continuing easttowards their Asian winter haunts. Inaddition to an abundance of migrants, themany resident birds will be active andbusily putting on weight to see themthrough the snowy months ahead. PygmyOwls are at their most vocal in the autumn,and up to six species of woodpecker arepossible in the forests, along withCapercaillie, Hazel Grouse, Nutcracker andCrested Tit. To add variety to this new tour,we will not only focus on the birdlife, butalso enjoy such dragonfly species asBaltic, Azure and Green Hawkers, andseveral interesting butterflies and moths -among them the Camberwell Beauty andLight Crimson Underwing. Mammals, too,will be on the cards, including the mightyElk, the bulls of which will be in primecondition and ready for the autumn ruttwith a full rack of antlers!We begin with a short flight to Västerås, anhour to the west of Sweden's capital,Stockholm. From here we transfer to thepeaceful meadows, wetlands and forestsof nearby Svartådalen (the Black RiverValley) for a 2-night stay. Flocks of TaigaBean Geese are commonly seen feeding inthe roadside fields along with parties ofCommon Cranes. Hen and Marsh Harrier,Rough-legged Buzzard, White-tailed Eagle,Hobby, Merlin and Peregrine are allpossible overhead, while in the forestsnearby we will look for Nutcrackers, Willowand Crested Tits, Parrot Crossbill, PygmyOwl, grouse and woodpeckers. Thehighlight of our time in Svartådalen,however, will be the evenings at LakeFläcksjön where hundreds of CommonCranes gather to roost each evening. Thesight and sound of these spectacular birdsflying overhead backed by the setting sunis sure to remain in the memory long afterwe return to the UK.We next drive on peaceful, empty roads foraround 150 kilometres to Kvismaren,where we spend two nights. En route wewill stop at an excellent area of forest tolook for the carpenters of the bird world,the woodpeckers. Up to six species canbe seen in this part of Sweden includingBlack, Grey-headed and the elusive Three-toed Woodpecker. The wetlands here arealso home to a variety of dragonfliesincluding Keeled Skimmer and BogHawker, while the forest edges are anexcellent place to search for Elk.The Kvismare Valley - a patchwork offarmland, lakes and restored wetland -attracts up to 20,000 Taiga Bean Geese.Mixed in amongst this mass are smallflocks of Tundra Bean, Barnacle, White-fronted and Pink-footed Geese and eventhe odd Lesser White-fronted Goose.Overhead we must keep a careful watchfor a variety of raptors including many of the species already outlined above, but also Osprey, Honey Buzzard and for the fortunate perhaps even a PallidHarrier, a rare species but one that does move through the valley in smallnumbers at this time of year. On one morning we will join staff from theKvismare bird observatory to watch theringing of Bluethroats and otherpasserines. These beautiful but elusivelittle chats (of the red-spottedScandinavian race) spend a couple ofweeks in central Sweden fattening upbefore continuing on to their winteringgrounds. In addition to Bluethroats,Bearded Tit, Reed Bunting, Red-backedShrike, Redstart, and a variety of warblers,pipits and other species are often caught.The grand finale to our holiday awaits atdusk, for the sight of the Crane roost atLake Fläcksjön was only a mere taster forthe main crane event! Nearly, 20,000Common Cranes congregate in theKvismare Valley each September and wewill position ourselves under their flight-path at sunset to watch them fly to roost.Backed by the setting sun, the sight offlock after flock of trumpeting cranespassing overhead, joined by equally largenumbers of geese and other waterfowl,must be one of the most breathtakingwildlife spectacles Europe has to offer, anda fitting end to our autumnal exploration ofSweden before we must head back toVästerås to catch our return flight home.Sweden in AutumnA 5-day natural history holiday to central Sweden in search of migrating Common Cranes,geese, Bluethroats and other birds ... plus mammals, dragonflies, butterflies and moths.Friday 7th September - Tuesday 11th September Cost: £1,195Book direct on 01962 733051or see page 280 for Booking InformationNORWAYBALTICSEAKALMARGOTLANDÖLANDMALMÖGOTHENBURGSTOCKHOLMVÄSTERÅSSVARTÅDALENKVISMARENSWEDENOutline itineraryDay 1Fly Västerås; transferSvartådalen. Day 2Svartådalen.Day 3/4Kvismaren.Day 5Fly London. AccommodationComfortable hotels andguesthouses; all rooms have privatefacilities.FoodAll included in the price except for lunch on Day 1 and dinner onDay 5.GradingA. Gentle day walks only.FocusBirds, mammals, dragonflies,butterflies and moths.LeaderDaniel Green.Single room supplement£120.Web quick search: SWE10147Common Cranes flying to roostBluethroatPygmy Owl