HET MIDVINTER PÅ PULKEN

 

                                                                                                                                                                Vattenpiplärka, mulet. Akvarell och gouache, bomullspapper 29,7x21 cm

Strax innan jul dröjde ett fåtal starar, tofsvipor, krickor och bläsänder kvar. Några kallare dagar runt jul  fick dessa till att dra. Då blev det väldigt stilla. Tills dess att det blev kallt någon vecka in i januari verkade Pulken vara i stort sett fågeltom. Vid ett tillfälle lyfte kärrhöken en piplärka. Några dagar satt pilgrimsfalken i ängen; någon steglits då och då samt ett 100-tal björktraster. Det var de enda - inte ens en grön- eller gråsiska. 

 

Sedan kom kylan ordentligt med is och snö, och då dök det plötsligt upp fåglar som jag inte hade sett på länge. Somliga inte sedan i höstas. Först starar, sedan rödvingetrast och rödhake och morgonen den 14. januari bemärkte jag att björktrastarna födsökte längs "strandkanten" där det fanns en strimma som inte var djupfryst. Då tänkte jag, att det var chans till kanske att hitta något och gick in efter tuben. Det första jag såg var en dubbeltrast, mitt första vinterfynd i Pulken - under snart 14 år! Då gick jag ut för att leta upp något mera - och på isen gick en vattenpiplärka! Under dagen stöttes dessutom tre enkelbeckasiner och ca 15 obestämda piplärkor sågs lyfta och återigen landa inne i sumpvegetationen. Jag försökte att gå dit in, men isen bar inte och vattnet var något för djupt. Morgonen efter såg jag först två vattenpip, sedan kom Greger och tilsammans räknade vi in fem stk. plus en del ängspip. Han menade på, att det kunde vara så, att vattenpiplärkan faktiskt föredrar denna typen miljöer, träskmarker i inlandet, som det finns gott om i Vattenriket, men som dessutom oftast är svårskådade, varfor vi inte hittar fåglarna.

Det är inte nytt för mig, att en sådan vädersituation är spännande. Man behöver bara tänka på alla sällsynta trastar som har upptäckts under sådana förhållanden. Det är tydligt, att kylan koncentrerade fåglar, säkert från ett större område, i kärret i Pulken, så då en lärka den 15. januari födsökte tilsammans med vattenpiplärkorna var jag öppen för lite ut av varje. Inte nog med att snön fick den till att verka vara mycket ljus. I den stränga kylan lyftade den fjädrarna så att bröstet faktiskt verkade vara helljust sedd från sidan. Det dröjde länge, och hann bli spännande, innan den visade sitt bröst ordentligt, så att det gick se, att det var en sånglärka - något som vidare underströks när en stare gick nära intill, då blev även storleken tydlig.

 

Det var allt som allt väldigt interessant att få uppleva fåglar i snö under olika ljusförhållanden. Det är numera länge sedan jag har sett det. Sånglärkan var överraskande ljus, faktiskt något åt lappsparv-hållet. Vattenpiplärkorna kunde vara allt från påminnande om björktrastar, gående på isen i solsken (en skiss av detta fänomen kan ses i ett tidigare inlägg), ganska bleka, när de gick in på bar jord, och mörka och kontrastrika när det var mulet. Även roligt att ta sig tid till att lära känna vattenpiplärkan lite bättre, det gör jag bäst genom att rita och måla fågeln. Som man kanske kan gissa är vattenpiplärkan nedan kalkerat över den ovan. Jag är egentligen ganska tillfreds med den, men benställningen kunde bli bättre och fötterna trängde bli spensligare. Det är otroligt svårt att få den rätta balans i en fågel, eller den rätta rörelse. I fågeln ovan aner jag fortfarande alla koltraster som jag skissade i höstas.

 

Det är inte ofta att skådning på Pulken under januari har varit så rolig. Mest av allt tycker jag jättemycket om, när praksis stämmer med teori. Då kan man nästan gå på vattnet - vilket man faktiskt kunde. Skridskoåkare visade sig bli den största utmaning när man under de följande dagarna skulde leta vattenpiplärkorna upp. 

 

                                                                                                                                                                Vattenpiplärka, sol. Akvarell och gouache, bomullspapper 29,7x21 cm

                                                                                                                                                                 Sånglärka, hårt solljus, snö och is. Akvarell i notbok, 270 g papper

OF ICE AND GEESE

Pulken, 17-01-2021, oil on acid free cardboard 30 cm x 21 cm

Now you may wonder what this is? The day before yesterday, when I took yet another walk in Pulken, I noticed the numerous heaps of goose excrement scattered on the ice. Some deposited in little heaps, others cast into the ice as clouds of orange, green, or white, while the ice itself ranged from deep black over dirty ochraceous hues to the purest sky blue. I decided that this was something to paint, and today I made a go for it. 

In the meantime a slight drizzle of snow had fallen, and as a result of this a structure, that I had hitherto missed, had become obvious: Egg shaped dark outlines around a slight depression in the ice, which again stood out more white than the surrounding ice surface - simply because a little more snow had gathered there. 

Looking at them I noticed that all of these egg shapes had a pile of goose excrement at the more pointed end and suddenly I realized what this was: Each of these shapes marked the place where a goose had been sleeping on the night that the water froze! During the night the geese had first deposited their excrement in the water - thus the differently colored clouds cast into the ice - later, when the water had frozen, the excrement had landed on top of the ice as little heaps. All the while the body heat from the sleeping goose had held the water open, so that when it left its night quarters a little egg- or rather goose shaped water surface was left. Only then had this water frozen. The dark outline was a result of the ice being pushed just a little by the goose, producing a slight elevation around the depression, and on this elevation it was, for obvious reasons, harder for the snow to settle, which explains the dark outline.

Maybe you can guess what the goose that made the droppings, which I have painted, had been eating on the day before?

 

It turned out that I began painting in the very last moment. As I settled down and anticipated working, snow began falling and while painting my motif turned whiter and whiter. To me this is a new angle on observing the thousands of geese using Pulken as a night roost. It also illustrates a problem. As winters grow ever warmer more and more geese winter in southern Scandinavia. Especially greylag geese, which are now wintering far north of their former winter quarters, and barnacle geese. The latter used to be quite scarce - I managed to watch birds for several years before ever seeing one. Now they are abundant. Both species have experienced a tremendous growth in population. The droppings from all these geese are now threatening to destroy the ecosystems of the lakes in which they spend the winter nights. 

In Pulken, though, I do not think that this is a real problem so far. Here the bulk of the wintering geese are taiga bean geese, 2000-5000 I should say, and as far as I know this is the way it has been at least for decades. On a global basis the taiga bean goose is rather rare, and to them Skåne is the traditional wintering ground. They only migrate further to the south west on a larger scale if Skåne becomes totally ice bound. Some greylag geese are present here this winter, but still their numbers at Pulken hardly surpass 500. A couple hundred barnacle geese are also around while tundra bean geese are apparently scarce, as are white fronted- and pink-footed geese.

Geese on Pulken in the very first morning sun, still at their night roost. This one I painted before the water froze. Oil on cotton paper, 37 cm x 17,3 cm.

 

Me painting on the ice.

NYT PULKEN-KRYDS!

 

 

 

 

Her en hurtig efterskitse af dagens tomt- og Pulkenkryss.

 

 

Ja jeg troede jo, at jeg skulle male videre på mit maleri af engvegetationen i januar, men så sneede det hele dagen i går, og i dag er det skiføre. Jeg går jævnligt ud på terrassen og kigger ud over Pulken. Der kunne jo være noget, og i formiddags bemærkede jeg, at der var en flok sjaggere nede og pille i jorden ved Pulkens centrale kær. Størstedelen af vandfladerne er tilfrosne, men i kanten mellem den snedækkede eng og det tilfrosne kær er der en bræmme mudder, som ikke er helt frossen. Det var den sjaggerne var interesserede i. Jeg smuttede ind efter teleskopet.

Da jeg kom ud igen var sjaggerne væk. Der var stære, ca 50. Og jo, også en sjagger. Eller hvad, næ! Det var en misteldrossel, som nu hoppede rundt i mudderkanten. Det er mit første vinterfund i Pulken. Det er fjortende år jeg kigger på fugle her, så det var ikke en hverdagsobservation.

Frostvejr ændrer betingelserne for fuglene. En mængde fødekilder lukker ned og fuglene koncentreres omkring de steder, hvor føde endnu er tilgængelig. Det var helt tydeligt, at kæret i Pulken i dag var et sådant sted. Jeg gik derfor ud for at se, om der var mere at støve op. Fra p-pladsen kiggede jeg ud mod kæret, der lå en enlig sangsvane. Og så kom en piber spadserende hen over isen.

Jeg kunne se med det samme, at nu var den gal igen. Selvom afstanden var ganske stor, var det tydeligvis ingen engpiber. Bortset fra at overgumpen var rødbrun, og ikke grå, mindede den med sin næsten ustribede, rødbruntonede ryg og sin mere gråtonede isse lidt om en sjagger. Ingen gyldne toner i dragten. Bryst og bug nærmest samme snavset hvide farve som bryozokalk, men undergumpen skinnende hvid. Og så øjenbrynsstribe og et enormt næb med orangeagtig basis. Pulkens første bjergpiber, og dertil et meget sjældent indlandsfund (faktisk muligvis det første) i Kristianstads Kommune, hvor arten iøvrigt nu ikke længere er årligt forekommende. Det er min Pulken-art nr 196. Den forsvandt desværre for mig, mens jeg fotograferede den, men resten af dagen holdt jeg jævnligt øje med kæret.

Kl. 13:40 var den fremme igen – denne gang som matrikelart nr. 177! Jeg ringede til et par venner, og sammen gik vi en lang runde i Pulken, desværre uden at genfinde fuglen. Dog rastede 11 pibere inde i rørene – en blå kærhøg fik dem på vingerne, men desværre uden kald. Trampeturen gav til gengæld tre dobbeltbekkasiner. Og pænt var her- med snedække, som efterhånden heller ikke er helt almindeligt.

Her et par doku-fotos. Ærgreligt, at jeg rystede på hænderne, det øverste foto havde blevet udmærket MED hoved, men man kan da se hvad det forestiller:

 

 

 

 

PAINTING WHAT WE WALK UPON

 

Yet unfinished, still confused. 

Pulken 2021-01-12.

 Oil on masonite plate 40 x 30 cm.

 

 

 

This afternoon I have been painting on one of my favorite spots in Pulken. In the rather dry meadow (in the driest parts even Trifolium arvense and Sedum acre grow) separating the southern lake and the central, swampy part of Pulken there is a small depression. The wetter conditions and probably greater concentration of calcium in the ground allow for a slightly different vegetation here. Most noteworthy are Herminium monorchis, Epipactis palustris, and Pinguicula vulgaris which are all common. That is -. only on the north-facing slope of the depression! To me this outcome of a subtle alteration in circumstances is a thing of beauty. The surrounding meadow is very beautiful too. In early spring Draba verna is en bloom, then Cardamine pratensis and by mid may Saxifraga granulata colours the meadow a deep white (if such a colour exists). Then the meadow turns a pale yellow as Rhinanthus serotinus takes over.

I have painted on this particular spot a few times before: Late August, when the orchids leaves turn yellow and blackish and Cirsium acaule is in bloom, early July with flowering Pinguicula, late July with Herminium only flowering in the very top, and then also today, when the place looked far from spectacular. Cow dung and hoof prints. Everything grazed almost to a golf course. The range of colours sticking to greens and browns with the Plantago rosettas and Carex accounting for the more vivid end of the spectrum.

The challenge in zooming in on such a miniature landscape is that one suddenly finds one self in the world of insects. What in my “scale”, so to speak, appears as more or less level or sloping stretches of land turn out to be holes, canyons, hills and explosiond of grasses and Carex, when reducing the scale to H0. I find it deeply interesting to paint this land on which we tread, the basis of the ecosystem that support yellow wagtails, ruff and lapwings, flowers on parade through spring and summer. Grazing geese and dancing cranes. Moose and fox. I will never se an end to the depths of beauty that this land has to offer.

Today the sun was shining as I settled down to paint. Freezing blue ice covered the inundated parts of the meadows and the reed beds were shining in the palest hue possible. It was a bit hard to turn ones attention to the ground. As hours went the light shifted. In came clouds, and as evening approached snow began falling. By then my fingers were becoming rather stiff. Thousands of geese came in, anxious about me sitting there. They repeatedly took to the wing, then settled again, making it obvious that my presence was no longer wished for.

I went home through the falling snow, letting the geese settle for the night. My painting isn't finished yet. Tomorrow I will again dive into the confusing lack of clear landmarks. 

 

NEW FIELD-PAINTINGS FROM PULKEN

2021-01-01 Inside the alder dominated swamp forest growing in the river Helge Å's former riverbed. Until 1774 Helge Å ran here. By 1775 a new riverbed formed as a consequence of an almost too successful draining attempt. This forest is used by mammals as a north-south going highway. It is criss-crossed by trails made by wild boars. Moose often move through the forest, and in some periods they also use it as a daytime roost. Water colour on 270 g paper in note book.

 

 

2020-12-30 Golden Eagles on the power line crossing Everöds Ängaväg between Lyngby and Sjögård, 

Water colour on 270 g paper in note book.

 

 

2021-01-02 White-tailed Eagle and Crow in central Pulken. Painted from our back door. Water colour and gouache on 270 g paper in note book.

 

2020-12-29 The central part of Pulken. The water in the foregrund is part of the very small, but permanent lake. What looks like an island out in the lake is actually a mat of floating vegetation. The swampy area in central Pulken is being taken over by reeds, a development that I find rather boring. Possibly the spreading reedbed is a consequence of two successive rather wet summers and two very mild winters. Oil colour on acid-free cardboard

CHRISTMAS 2020, PULKEN

 

 

Sketch of Pulken towards south west, painted from the stone row bordering Pulken to the east. Oil colour on masonite, 40 x 30 cm
 

The following is a short description of the bird life in- and around Pulken over Christmas 2020, written in my crude English, for the benefit of those that are not danish-speaking. Maybe you would like to know what goes on around the now inaccesible world, and this is my contribution. Ihopeit can inspire future visits to the area, once the world opens again:

Over Christmas we have experienced a short period of cold weather; morning temperatures dropping down to minus 5°C. This meant a goodbye to the ca 140 and some four Lapwings that had stayed in the area. 

 

           

 

Taiga Bean Geese and Pink-footed Goose. Pulken 2020-12-23. Water colour in sketch book 270 g paper

 

Bird life around Pulken this time of year is dominated by thousands of Geese. Among theese the majority are Taiga Bean Geese, but some Tundra Bean- are also present. Greylag- and Barnacle Geese are still around in good numbers, while Pink-footed Geese are scarce. At most I have seen up to eight. White-fronted Geese are very few. Only single birds are present in the huge flocks feeding on the fields adjacent to Pulken. During migration White-fronts can be numerous, especially during the spring migration when they can at times be the most common Goose species as they migrate a bit later than the other Anser species.

The Geese spend the nights on the water surfaces in Pulken along with Whooper Swans. They arrive late and leave early, making an assessment of their numbers very difficult. They can be seen flying in against an orange evening sky, continuing their arrival to the night quarters into the darkness of night. Mornings they leave already from the slightest sign of daybreak. My best guess is that at least 3000 Geese spend the nights here at present, but their numbers may well be greater.

Every morning White-tailed Eagles pass over Pulken, having spent the night somewhere in the swamp forest of Egeside Träsk. These passing Eagles never fail to arouse the Geese. The experience of Pulken in the early morning is very much a soundscape. The cackling of Geese and mournful cries of the Whooper Swans fill the air. A sudden burst of wingbeats, produced by thousands of Geese taking to the wing, is the sign that a White-tailed Eagle is passing. The cackling rise to a cresendo and soon fleeing Geese form a cloud stretching and converging as the birds circle Pulken. Usually they will land again, only to take flight anew as soon as the next White-tailed Eagle approach. This spectacle may be repeted a number of times, but soon most Geese decide to leave Pulken and disperse towards favored fields in the vicinity. A minority of the birds will normally land on the meadows in the western part of Pulken. Grazing on natural meadow vegetation seems more popular towards late winter.

The Geese show a strong preference for spending the night in the shallow waters of Pulken, but during periods when these are frozen the Geeze will turn to using Helge Å as an alternative night roost. After such periods the birds will return to Pulken as soon as the thawing has produced a layer of water on top of the ice.

Taiga Bean Goose, Everöds Ängaväg 2020-12-23. Water colour 1n sketch book, 270 g paper.

 

Ducks are noumerous in Pulken during autumn, numbers dropping through november. By December species such as Shoveler, Wigeon, Eurasian Teal and Gadwall are usually far ashore but in the mild autumn of 2020 a small number of Wigeons and Eurasian Teals have lingered until the frost set in a couple of days ago. Teals and Wigeons forage in the shallow water inundating parts of the meadows, but as soon as these froze over they left. Hundreds of Mallards winter regularly, preferring the stream Helge Å and even the channel Graften, bordering Pulken to the north. These waters rarely freeze and apparently meet the needs of the Mallards even when only partly open. Right now only a few Mallards are around, though. The vast majority may now be found on the coast, in Äspet and probably also in the “Skärgård” ca 20 km to the northeast.

Pulken is always a good place to see birds of prey, not least during the winter. Red Kites are almost always to be seen. Scanning the horizon will often produce five to eight Red Kites. A couple of kilometres to the south Yngsjö Kapell offers an even better vantage point if one wants to study the Kites. Here up to fourty birds, or even more, may be seen. That is also the place where a Black Kite is wintering. As far as I remember this winter is the third in a row, that this bird is present. From time to time the Black Kite also visits Pulken, eg. on Christmas Day, when it accompanied a small party of Reds and Ravens scavenging on the meadow close to the bird observation tower.

White tailed Eagles are always around. They may not all be visible, but they are there. A good example comes from this autumn, when a young Golden Eagle surprised a flock of grazing Barnacle Geese on Pulken. Approaching low, using the landscape for cover like a Sparrow Hawk, the Golden Eagle suddenly was within the flock of fleeing Geese. Making a rapid turn it seized a Barnacle Goose, and carried it some 100 m. Then it landed, holding the, now dead, Goose in it's talons. Within a minute a White-tailed Eagle landed, on the Goose – which meant that the Golden Eagle was forced to abandon it's prey. It did so without putting up any sign of resistance, apparently knowing all too well that it would stand no chance.

    Very soon White-tailed Eagles appeared from all directions to gather around the Barnacle Goose. What was astonishing was not the number of White-tails; i think five or six birds were gathered at most; it was rather the swiftness with which they reacted to the Golden Eagle. Prior to the Golden Eagles attack only one White-tailed Eagle was to be seen flying in the distance.

White-tailed Eagles are commonly seen perching in the alders in the southern part of Pulken. Up to a handfull is normal, but at times more birds are present, especially during flooding, when up to around 40 Eagles may gather. The highest count of White-tailed Eagles in the Pulken-Yngsjö-Egeside Reservation is just over 60 birds, counted from Ängagården.

Another common raptor is Common Buzzard. As they are often sluggish, spending much time perching on poles, in trees, or even walking on the ground they may easily be overlooked. But on a clear day, when they soar, they reveal their numbers. Hen Harrier and Rough-legged Buzzard usually occur in the form of single birds choosing Pulken as a wintering ground.

Golden Eagle is usually around, but to stand a good chance of seeing this species the right weather conditions are required: A bit of wind and sunshine. But Golden Eagles can be very hard to spot even then, as they can soar extremely high. I have often seen Golden Eagle passing right over head, still barely visible with the naked eye. One has to make an effort out of spotting this species. Pulken is a good place for this, but an other good spot is the power-cables passing Everöds Ängaväg a short distance to the west of the single-file bridge crossing Helge Å at Sjögård. The Eagles sometimes use the power cables as a lookout, which is understandable, as the fields along Everöds Ängaväg is also a place where thousands of Geese forage during the day.

Our cork bird-feeders, build by Aage Kabbelgaard, are now in use and attract tens of Blue- and Great Tits as well as a Scandinavian Nuthatch. Two Treecreepers are accompanying the tits. These aren't very common here and have probably arrived as part of the “bird wave” formed by the tits. Apart from that passerines are few these days. Up to 60 Fieldfares, Wren, Blackbird, Tree Sparrow, Yellowhammer, and a few Bullfinches. Single Goldfinches are also around but no Great Grey Shrike, no Siskins, nor Redpolls or Twites, all of which may usually be found wintering. Supposedly the Bearded Tits are thriving. The safest way to see them is a walk through the reedbed surrounding Yngsjösjön. Alternatively the species may often be seen or heard when taking a walk along the reeds outlining the southern edge of Pulken. This effort may also produce Black Woodpecker, which usually winters in the alder forest, as well as Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. If present Black Woodpecker usually reveals itself. Lesser Spotted require more luck. The latter species is, for some reason, increasingly difficult to find around Pulken.

Over Christmas I have spotted quite a few mammals: Moose, Fallow Deer, Roe Deer, and Hare. Wild Boars are certainly around, but shy as they are they are next to impossible to get a look at. Fresh diggings and foot prints are common, especially around the southern edge of the alder forest now growing in the dried-out former riverbed just east of Pulken proper.

 

 

 

19. AUGUST

Vadefuglemylder i syd-Pulken. Her en tegning fra juli 2020.

Der er spurvehøge i luften og på engen blomstrer djævelsbid mellem kastede trane- og gåsefjer. Vandstanden er faldet betragteligt mens det har været varmt. Mudderbankerne breder sig i syd-Pulken, og her er det nu mest unge vadefugle, som flokkes. I dag bl.a. fire smukt tværstribede sortklirer, 39 brushaner, 45 tinksmede og hele 56 dobbeltbekkasiner. Dertil enkelte præstekraver, almindelige ryler osv. 

Vadefuglene er mere forvirrede over mit nærvær end egentlig sky. Flyver op og tager en panisk runde, blot for straks efter at lande kun et stenkast fra mig. Tranerne er mere sky, ser mig, i det de hen under aften flyver til for at overnatte i vandfladen. De går i stedet ned ude i vest-Pulken. Jeg går hjem, så de kan komme til, og skumringen genlyder af traneskrig, grågæs og bramgæs. Værre var det ikke.

Tranerne samler sig i Pulken i denne tid og hen under aften kan op mod en halvandet hundrede stykker ses. Deres antal plejer at tage til videre gennem august og september, indtil de første kolde oktobernætter sender dem sydpå. Bramgæssene er endnu et efterårstegn. Da vi for fire uger siden var en tur oppe på skærgårdskysten nord for Åhus lå de afslåede på havet, tæt samlede som en flåde. Lokale ynglefugle med deres store gæslinger, som netop havde den alder, hvor de ligner kejserpingviner. Nu kan de flyve igen og når på deres fourageringstogter bl.a. også Pulken.

I øvrigt gik jeg i dag glad og fro ned til syd-Pulken i shorts og t-shirt. Man plejer ikke at møde stort mere end et par myg og måske en bremse, så det tænkte jeg var ok. Lidet anede jeg, at jeg ville blive modtaget af tusindvis af “knott”. Mitter, tror jeg de hedder på dansk. Det er noget jeg ikke har været udsat for tidligere. Deres stik gør ikke mere ondt, end at jeg på ingen måde lod mig forstyrre, men jeg skal da love for, at det brænder nu, jeg er kommet hjem. Særlig hårgrænsen og tindingerne har de været glade for, kan jeg mærke, og mine arme og ben er plettede som en gepard, bare i rødt og hvidt! Noget andet man lige skal være opmærksom på, når man går ud i Pulken, er kreaturene. Pulken er inddelt i to folde, med én flok i hver. Jeg noterer mig altid hvor de er. For det meste holder de sig væk, men af og til bliver de så glade for at se én, at de pludselig kommer galopperende. Særlig ungdyrene kan blive helt overstadige og nærgående, på en måde, som ikke er ulig Tigerdyret. Det er småfarligt, og det er en god idé, at have en flugtvej, f.eks. at holde sig nær et hegn, så man hurtigt kan være udenfor deres rækkevidde. Af og til er der dog ingen anden udvej, end at få dem til at gå væk. Det virker, at gå resolut imod dem og bede dem gå. Frem for alt skal man bevare roen. At løbe væk fra dem er en dårlig idé. For det første er det umuligt, og faren er, at de kan opfatte det som en opfordring til leg.

Det er som om vejret snart ikke længere kan holde sammen på sig selv. Midt på eftermiddagen lød ét tordenskrald, men ingen regn faldt. Der er ingen svalhed at finde, her på sletten - den gennemtræk i huset, jeg forsøgte mig med i eftermiddags, gjorde det bare endnu varmere indendøre.

På markerne bag huset er rugen høstet og høet slået. Det første har tiltrukket mængder af kragefugle og vel et halvt hundrede traner, mens storkene spankulerer omkring i det nyslåede hø. Over det hele svæver glenter og musvåger, slår ned og snapper en godbid. Meget sky er de ikke. Glenten er på jorden noget af en strimmel, kortbenet og langhalet, som den er.

I dag har en tornskade holdt til omkring bålpladsen i baghaven. Bålpladsens sten er gode udkigsposter for en tornskade og baghaven er i øvrigt holdt bevidst “rodet”, det er noget jeg gør mig umage med: Der er en ordentlig dynge grene, partier med kort- og langt græs og køkkenhaven er, ud over grønkål og gulerodstoppe, mest bar jord, hvor græskar og kartoffelplanter nu er godt i gang med at visne bort. Jeg har jævnet de fleste myretuer, dels så vi kan få plads til noget fodbold, dels for at komme førnen til livs. Her er meget af en græsart som på svensk hedder knylhavre. Myrerne slæber sand op i græstuerne, som med årene bliver højere og højere. Som man kan tænke sig, bliver det umuligt at slå, og så danner der sig et tykt lag vissent græs. Knylhavren trives fint med det, det samme gør tidslerne, men det har taget overhånd og det truede efterhånden med helt at fortrænge gul snerre, håret høgeurt, læge-oksetunge, hvid okseøje og hvad her ellers var meget af tidligere. Det er jeg træt af. Nu har myrer og knylhavre deres reservat og de fleste tidsler er hevet op. Kun tornet tidsel, som har en meget begrænset udbredelse i Sverige, har jeg fredet; så må stillitserne tage til takke med dén.

Landsvalerne troede jeg en overgang helt havde opgivet Härnestadsvägen 127, men midt i juli slog et par sig ned inde i udhuset. Det var sent, men åbenbart tids nok. Nu har de to fine, nyudfløjne unger!

Men nu er det nat, klokken har passeret ingenting, og før jeg skal sove, vil jeg gå ud og se, om jeg kan få øje på Svanen og rette teleskopet mod det sorte hul ved Cygnus X-1.