Introduction
During the period of 1 July - 3 August 1996 I visited (together with my family) Gotland, an island in the Baltic Sea. As we travelled by car and ferry we could pay some attention to the S of Sweden . Most of our trips in the beautiful surroundings of Gotland were on bike, some on foot, few by car. In 1993 we visited this island in August, as well in july-august 2010.
General information
Coming from the south (Germany) the ferry from Travemunde (NE of Hamburg) to Trelleborg (TT-line) brings you to the south of Sweden: Falsterbo is near Trelleborg ! Falsterbo is especially interesting in August-October when migrating birds of prey fly over Ljungen Hede (which is near Falsterbo). You can also travel through Danmark (Helsingör-Helsingborg).
In a day-trip you can travel to Oskarsham, where the ferry (Gotlandslinjen) brings you to Visby (capital of Gotland). Visby is an impressive medieval city with massive walls and lots of historic buildings, a botanic garden (Collared Flycatcher) and several campsites nearby. You should at least visit the museum of natural history and the historic museum ("Fornsal"). The isle itself is also known for its 92 churches ( Gotland has only 40-50.000 inhabitants) .
When travelling to whatever direction you will be impressed by the colourful landscape, due to the numerous flowers, a.o. 35 species of orchids ! Some areas resemble the Mediterranean.
There are mainly campsites along the coasts: N , E and S.
The best time to visit the island is probably May-June (but also in July-August: never a dull moment).In May the island is especially interesting during easterly winds.
The weather is rather good, mostly drier and warmer than on the mainland .
Description of interesting areas
Gotland is the main island, Fårö is a smaller island to the N of Gotland. There are also some smaller (bird-)islands lying near the coast, Stora and Lilla Karlsö to the W being the most famous. The most interesting parts, when looking for birds, are in the south (Fide-Hoburgen), the eastern part and Fårö. They are also less-cultivated areas with woods, alvarets (dry scrub-area with lots of flowers, stones ), coastal areas with reed, capes etc.
* Stora Karlsö, an island which should be visited, either as a day-trip or staying one night.
interesting birds: Guillemot, Black Guillemot, Auk, Greenish Warbler, Barred Warbler and Rose- finch. (trip + stay for one night about SEK 260 p.p)
* Fide-Öja , an area with deciduous woods, agricultural land and reed along the coast.
One of the best areas for Collared Flycatcher, further: Spotted Crake, Corn Crake , Thrush Nightingale, Rosefinch. You should also visit the so-called lov-skog: meadows with a very
rich vegetation. They are to be found along the road from Fide to Oja, near Burgsvik.
* Stockviken, partly an inland lake ("inre") and a bay ("ytre") with a watchtower: ducks, geese,whitetailede eagle,
terns, reedbirds, waders and rarities. Nearby Faludden with Blacktailed Godwit and Avocet.
* Muskmyr (south of Burgsvik), dry stony area with shrubs, trees, lots of open space, a shallow
lake: chances for Montagu Harrier, Golden Eagle and interesting butterflies.
* Hoburgen, most southern part of Gotland, one of the best areas for Barred Warbler, but also
lots of Red-backed Shrikes, migrating birds etc.
* Närsholmen, a cape famous for its breeding barnacle geese, but also interesting for waders and terns.
* Norsholmen (Fårö), the most northern part of Gotland. Outstanding point for migrating birds, especially waders . One of the best places to watch Caspian Terns, Broadbilled Sandpipers and rarities.
* Limmor-träsk (Fårö: Golden Eagle, lots of Hobbies and some Nutcrackers (!) . Don't forget to admire the orchids and the landscape.
Many other areas are worth visiting because of the flowers, the landscape, the geology (especially on Fårö) . Most areas are described in Gotlands Natur, en reseguide
The ferry to Fårö is free, so that should not prevent you to visit this "mediterranean" island.
List of species (1996): see below
| gr crested grebe | kestrel * | common sandpiper | sand martin | marsh tit * |
| gr cormorant | hobby | green sandpiper | barn swallow | willow tit * |
| grey heron | partridge | woodcock | house martin | blue tit |
| mute swan | pheasant | common snipe | rock pipit | great tit |
| greylag goose | corncrake | rednecked phalarope | tree pipit | coal tit |
| canada goose * | waterrail | blackheaded gull | meadow pipit | longtailed tit |
| brent goose | spotted crake | common gull | white wagtail | nuthatch |
| barnacle goose | moorhen * | herring gull | wren | eur treecreeper |
| common shelduck | coot | gr blackbacked gull | dunnock | redb shrike |
| wigeon | crane | les blackbacked gull | robin | starling |
| mallard | oystercatcher | sandwich tern | thrush nightingale | golden oriole |
| shoveler | avocet | common tern | common redstart | jay |
| common teal | gr ringed plover | arctic tern | whinchat | nutcracker |
| pochard | golden plover | little tern | wheatear | magpie |
| tufted duck | grey plover | caspian tern | blackbird | jackdaw |
| eider | lapwing | guillemot | fieldfare | raven |
| velvet scooter | turnstone | razorbill | redwing | carrion crow |
| common goldeneye | sanderling | black guillemot | song thrush | rook * |
| redbreasted merganser | red knot | wood pigeon | mistle thrush * | tree sparrow |
| goosander | curlew sandpiper | stock dove | reed warbler | house sparrow |
| black kite * | dunlin | collared dove | icterine warbler | chaffinch |
| red kite * | broad-billed sandpiper | cuckoo | garden warbler | siskin |
| montagu's harrier | little stint | short-eared owl * | lesser whitehtroat | greenfinch |
| hen harrier | temmincks stint | long-eared owl | blackcap | goldfinch |
| marsh harrier | ruff | tawny owl | common whitethroat | bullfinch |
| sparrowhawk * | curlew | little owl * | wood warbler | common redpoll |
| goshawk | whimbrel | swift | willow warbler | linnet |
| honey buzzard * | black-tailed godwit | wryneck | chiffchaff | common rosefinch |
| buzzard | bar-tailed godwit | black woodpecker | greenish warbler | common crossbill |
| golden eagle | redshank | gr spotted woodpecker | goldcrest | parrot crossbill |
| steppe eagle * | spotted redshank | les spotted woodpecker | pied flycatcher | yellowhammer |
| lesser spotted eagle | greenshank | sky lark | collared flycatcher | reed bunting (= nr. 164) |
| osprey | wood sandpiper | wood lark | spotted flycatcher |
Remarks on some species
- montagu harrier (circus macrourus) is breeding with a few pairs in typical alvaret-like situations (Fårö, Burgsvik-S)
- hen harrier (c.cyaneus) is not a breeding bird; I observed a 2nd-year male on Fårö, possible migratory
- marsh harrier (c.aeruginosus) breeding in increasing numbers (as elsewhere in Sweden)
- golden eagle (aquila chrysaetos) is a breeding bird with about 7-10 pairs, scattered all over Gotland-Fårö
- lesser spotted eagle (aquila pomarina), one adult near Stockviken, also one migrating through Falsterbo; breeding bird in the Baltic states
- steppe eagle (aquila nipalensis), subadult migrating near Falsterbo
- hobby (falco subbuteo), quite common as a breeding bird on Fårö
- spotted Crake (porzana porzana), quite common in the south in coastal reedbeds in 1996
- cornCrake (crex crex) occurs quite common in cultivated land (Vamlingbo, Lina Myr....)
- crane (grus grus) is both a breeding and a migratory bird on the isle
- broad-billed sandpiper (limicola falcinellus) , Norsholmen is one of the better places for this species in Sweden at the end of July
- caspian tern (sterna caspia), widespread though not common, population decreasing (due the Mink?), good areas: Fårö, Östergarn-N (east-coast), Burgsviken (bay in the S).
- little tern (sterna albifrons), widespread, rather common
- auk(alca torda) , colonies on the western coast of St. Karlsö, near the ligthhouse and to the south of it
- guillemot (uria aalge) , same as Auk
- black guillemot(cepphus grylle) , on rocky islands along the W coast, also Norsholmen
- (eur) roller (coracias garrulus), extinct since 1967 , last breeding on Fårö
- wryneck (jynx torquilla), quite common in wooded areas ( even on Stora Karlsö )
- thrush nightingale(l.luscinia) , quite common in the south of Gotland
- blyth's reed Warbler ( acr.dumetorum), expanding its breeding-range, few territoria each year
- greenish warbler (phil. trochiloides, rather scarce but always a few territories every year (St.Karlsö, Fide...)
- barred warbler (sylvia nisoria), I missed the bird, but it breeds on St.Karlsö (lighthouse),Hoburgen (military area, near the radar station) and Limmor Träsk (not every year ?, military area on Fårö)
- collared flycatcher (ficedula albicollis) is especially common in the Fide-Öja-area, very distinct alarm-call, nestboxes should have your special attention
- red-backed shrike (lanius collurio), common all over the island
- nutcracker (nucifrage caryocatactes), breeds at Limmor Träsk (Fårö)
- common rosefinch(carpodacus erytrhinus), a.o. quite common on St.Karlsö and in the Burgsvik-area
- great cross-bill(loxia pytyopsittacus), the most widespread of the two crossbill-species.
literature:
1.Gotlands natur, en reseguide, Bonniers: gives all places of interest and what is to be expected
2. Sveriges natur, Bonniers alba: as 1. but less details and all places in Sweden
3. Miniflora över Sveriges Orkidéer, Naturvårdsverket: when you are also interested in flowers
4. Hur många fåglar häckar på Gotland? Bläcku 1981/2 nr. 7, useful, but not up to date
5. Stora Karlsö, a guide in English (!).
You can also try some Internet-sites and E-mail to local birders through EBN.
Harm A. Meek
de Plevier 7
7591 JJ Denekamp
the Netherlands
meek@xs4all.nl