A weekend in Nossebro with a visit a Hornborgasjön

Me and Maria went to Nossebro this weekend to visit her father. Maria wanted to check the status on the garden and I wanted to visit Hornborgasjön to see the status there.

I have gone to Hornborgasjön at least once every year for the last five years, but this year I haven´t been there yet. The first visit is usually either at the start of the Eagle season or when the Cranes arrive at spring.

Both the Eagle season, but mostly the Cranes season attracts people from all over Europe. They are mostly bird watcher who come and I wouldn´t rate any of these seasons to be really attractive for a photographer. Still I have to try a Cranes hide one year to see what it can bring.

As we arrived we went out to check the garden as we thought Bertil, Marias father, wasn´t home. I took a couple of pictures and discovered that one of the nest boxes had occupants, Pied Flycatchers. Bertil confirmed this as the nest box actually had a camera inside connected to his computer. So maybe I could get some nice photos of a male Pied Flycatcher perching looking for insects for the young.

I did a feeble attempt both on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning without any real luck. I got two lousy pictures that both have been thrown away and thought this was the story to be, but after dinner on Saturday I saw something flying low over the ground ending up in a small bush.

What could it be? It got out of the bush and flew straight into some flowers where it moved around. The flight pattern wasn´t that of a bird was my first thought. I called Maria to come and check it out. We agreed that it must be one of the young Pied Flycatcher that had gone out of the nest box.

I went in and fetch the camera to hopefully get a picture or two, but it had gone away when I got out. I could hear that it must be two small birds out of the box as they clearly begged for food. Soon one came flying towards me and ended up in the same tree as the nest box. It took me some time before I found the small bird, with a little help from Maria.

I had to move around the tree to get a picture of the small bird with the sun at my back. It is sitting there with the head out in the sunlight. A nice perching picture, but it would have been better if the small bird would have called at the same time.

Now things turned as Bertil checked the camera and could see that there two other birds in the next box, one dead and one alive. Bertil decided we should get the birds out of the box. I felt that the bird was really small compared to the one I just had taken a picture of, but it actually flew off after Marias had fed it with a couple of flies. I wouldn´t give it a high chance to survive as it seemed the parent weren´t around anymore. I felt this to be strange as I think most small birds feed their young for a short period after they have left the nest.

So this was an eventful visit and you can see my pictures from Hornborgasjön in the gallery.

Photo Gallery: A weekend in Nossebro with a visit at Lake Hornborga