More birds
In April you can join for black grouse and the capercaillie display.
In May and June its possible to get close to kestrels.
Black grouse 1st - 30th of April
Photographing and experiencing the impressive courtship display of the black grouses is an immersive and unforgettable experience for every bird lover. Join us at this fantastic adventure.
As we must not disturb the lek, we need to remain extremely quiet during the session. We won’t be able to speak during the session, although in the case of an emergency we will abort as per the briefing which I will run through with you prior to the workshop.
Depending on the amount of snow, it takes about a 15-30 minute hike to the lek. You will have to carry your equipment and we will walk through flat terrain. Once the snow has started to melt, we have to walk from another way. The terrain might be very boggy, high winterboots are an absolute must! You need to be in good condition.
We work with tents so that we can easily pick the best photo spots. On the black grouse lek, the tents allow you to put your lens at ground level. This will allow you to pick a high angle in order to get the ground as background or an extreme low angle in order to get those intense low angle shots which you need for photographing with backlight.
More info:
We will welcome you the day before the session at Wild Nordic gallery. In the late afternoon, a guide will drive to the lek area and guide you there. You will sleep in the tent until you get woken up by the black grouse arriving on the display area (somewhere between 3:00 and 4:30).
Depending on the population size, there will be between 10 and 20 males displaying on the lek. Females visit regularly. The birds will display on various distances from the hides, which means that you can photograph them with a wide range of lenses. Anything from 200mm up to 600mm will work.
To bring:
– Camera ideally with silent settings
– Telephoto lens or zoom from 200mm to 600mm
– Fully charged batteries
– Spare memory cards
– Warm winterboots
– Warm clothing, extra layers
– Head lamp
– Food, snacks and hot drinks ( no noisy wrappers)
Photo period:
1st of April – 30th of April
Price: 1200 SEK per person
Capercaillie 5th - 25th of April
Come and experience one of the most beautiful spring fairy tales, the impressive courtship display of the Western capercaillie.
How does it work?
In order to use the hides photographers must stay overnight in the blind. The hides must be entered 2 hours before dusk. The Western Capercaillie males arrive in the lekking area in the evening. Here you will spend the night until you get woken up by the males displaying on the ground. The display is for a large part a vocal play. This means that the males are constantly listening to the sounds coming from the surroundings. It is very important that you are quiet! Also sudden movements with the camera can scare them off! To limit the amount of sound and movement, all camera gear is set up in the evening already, before the birds arrive.
Recommended Photo Equipment:
The distance to the birds is variable but ranges from 10-50 meter. All sorts of lenses are recommended in the range of 200-500 mm. A larger lens (500mm) is recommended and also extenders.
To bring:
– Photo equipment / Tripod
– Headlight / Food & drinks
– Warm clothing / Sleeping bag
Photo period:
5th of April – 25th April
Price: 1200 SEK per person
Kestrel 1st of May - 30th of June
Step into the biggest hide you will ever sit in and enjoy an eye level view with a gorgeous bird of prey, the common kestrel.
The kestrels have been using a specific nesting box for a couple of years now. These small birds of prey are used to land on the provided perch during this season. It’s a great period to observe their behaviour and to get amazing shots from a close range. Remember, these common kestrels are shy birds so you will have to move your lens carefully.
We recommend lenses from 200mm to 500mm to photograph them, depending on your shooting style. A zoom lens is a good option. Please be aware that these are wild birds so the frequency and duration of their visits can be unpredictable. They do however visit the set-up regularly and if undisturbed, will stay for several minutes at a time. We hope that you will be able to capture a few pleasing images of this beautiful species by the end of the session.
At Wild Nordic Sweden, in every little project there is a conservation role and a goal. Kestrels play an important role in the ecosystem. These birds help control agricultural pests such as voles and mice as its a big part of their diet.
More info:
We will welcome you at the gallery with and provide you information about the specie and the activity before we go on site.
The barn is located in the field around 400mm away from our welcoming gallery. This activity is made for one person at the time, so you will get your own private photo session.
You will sit almost at 3m high on a platform to get the eye level view of the bird. You have to be able to safely climb on a ladder.
When you set up your equipment we recommend you use the gimbal head and the extera camo scarf that we provide.
Photo period:
1st of May – 30th of June
For good light conditions we propose early morning or late afternoon sessions.
Price: 500 SEK per person
- For booking and questions, please contact Pierrick Meuillet
