Archive for the 'Geographics' Category

…are certainly uncommon in cyberspace, as the majority of cameras are concentrated on large cities, weather or special places and happenings throughout the world. So it has been with delightful interest to have discovered and followed the happenings of one Puffin hole, or nest, that Shetland’s RSPB group placed near their offices at Sumburgh Lighthouse.

Admittedly, these last several weeks have been a bit boring to watch the streaming camera. The empty hole, both shown from the outside and inside (camera 1&2), has been quite dull and no real activity of Puffins could be watched. I almost gave up until last weekend when I noticed a light-colored stone that had appeared near the base of the interior view. What was this, I asked, and expectations rose that it possibly could be an egg.

Sure enough, two days ago I saw the faint outline of a Puffin lying down on the floor of this nest and this morning I could finally see the Puffin in activity. It sometimes came in the nest to squat down and warm the egg and sometimes it would appear outside the nest; probably to get some fresh air, stretch its legs and checkout what was happening on the cliff below the lighthouse buildings. How exciting!

Now, Puffins are really beautiful and amazing birds and it’s easy to secretly adopt this mother Puffin. One good suggestion in promoting awareness for the species and concern for Puffin survival, could be a small sub-group, or club, of people promoting Puffin adoption of previously ringed birds. Why not start with the little one that is on its way? As you link-up to this Puffin webcam, I would like to ask readers a couple of questions:

What name should the mother Puffin be given?
Any guesses as to when (date) the egg will hatch?
What should we name the baby Puffin when it does hatch?

With these questions, I would also like readers to support this wonderful webcam project, learn more about Puffins and the Shetland RSPB’s work and take an opportunity to explore more Shetland webcams on their new information site at www.shetland.org.

Happy Puffin watching…

…and, while other people are working in their gardens and the smoke from yard fires from burning leaves or branches lingers in the Sunday morning air, Baxter and I went for a walk in Käringsboda Nature Reserve. Baxter is my dog and I’ve brought him back with me to Nynäshamn for the rest of the school year. According to his specifications, he strongly requires (multiple) long walks every day. We’ve been having intensive and continual negotiations about this requirement.

Photo: Nature and humans co-exist in Käringsboda Nature Reserve

We walked a road that I hadn’t been on during the winter. Snow has disappeared and the weather has been warm and sunny thus drying out this road and making it enjoyable to explore. Several things could be noticed along the way.

Firstly, the floor of the oak and spruce forest exhibited scores of common hepatica (Hepatica nobilis) or liverleaf. Found in southern and middle Sweden, this was a new flower for me. The Swedish word is ”blåsippan” and this flower can be popularly adopted by towns or cities as well as represent names of preschools.

Secondly, for some reason the road has been decorated with art. An almost grotesque figure of a head(a remnant of William Wallace?) can be found attached to a high tree stump near the beginning of the road and, later on, a strange looking horse decorates another raised tree stump. Who did this and for what reason remains a mystery.

At one point the road divides and, taking the lesser traveled, I ended at a small beach. There already were two other nature walkers enjoying a lunch and I chitchatted a bit with them before heading back. Again, one thing that I immensely enjoy about Käringsboda is the presence of oak trees. One oak tree, stretching its stout branches like a huge umbrella above the road, was a giant and was as thick in diameter as I was tall. A really beautiful tree!

So, all in all a good day. Now, after Baxter has his 2-3 hour rest, he’s going to want a new 3 hour walk. Geeez!

PS- Six and a half weeks of school left and I miss springtime in Shetland

…is a tract of land on a long peninsula found just south from Nynäshamn. So close to the city that, with just a quick drive by car or a bus ride to its entrance, one can enjoy the archipelago wilderness that is so special for the Stockholm area. Consisting of over 1000 hectares (about 2,500 acres), Käringboda has the Baltic Sea hugging its northern and southern shorelines. In between, a wild growth of birch, fur, juniper, maple, ash and splendid oak join forces with a cultural farming landscape that live harmoniously together through the seasons.

Photo: The frozen bay is an example of the terrain near Kärgingboda Nature Reserve

Responsibility for the reserve’s upkeep and preservation lies on the shoulders of The Archipelago Foundation in Stockholm County. There is one long access road through the peninsula that covers most of the area and several paths allowing visitors to hike deeper into side areas. Toilets and parking areas are quite adequately spaced along the access road as well as natural beaches can be found for recreation. The foundation has a house that can be rented and used for group activities. This is appropriately named “Sågen”, or sawmill, and had earlier functioned with this capacity.

Winter is probably the least likely time to visit Käringboda, but I found several people out skiing across the bay or, like myself, taking a long walk. I was fascinated with all the majestic oak trees, a reminder of my Ohioan background. I was also attracted to the fact that a few farms actively exist within the reserve and mirrored a commitment to a living cultural landscape where nature and humans co-inhabit peacefully.

Photo: Oak trees in co-existence with a living cultural inheritance and typical of many places in the archipelago around Stockholm.

In spite of the dismal grey of winter, the snow gave indications of deer, fox, snowshoe hare and wild swine activity as these live amongst the sharp hillsides, cliffs and deeply cut valleys of Käringboda. One can only imagine what the place will look like this spring and upcoming summer when everything has leaves and is much greener and alive. Well worth a visit anytime of the year!

…for British motorists! With the present snowy road conditions on the mainland, Jeppe wants to give some helpful hints for British drivers. Naturally, if you don’t have to drive, please don’t! Otherwise, here’s what Jeppe has to say…

Photo: Jeppe waiting for an oncoming snowstorm. He’s not worried!

1. BE PREPARED if you take yourself out on uncertain wintry roads. Prepare a thermos of tea/coffee, a couple of sandwiches, some fruit, sweets etc should you drive into the ditch and need to wait for help. Don’t forget to take a torch with fresh batteries. Remember, mobile phones may not always work, so don’t rely on these. Have an extra blanket in the car or even thermo coveralls. First aid kit! Small shovel! Flares! Matches and a small sack of firewood could be good to have for long waits or at night in isolated places. Sacks of sand/grit in the boot is a good idea! Just use common sense and be prepared for personal safety.
2. NO SUMMER TIRES is a great rule! At best, good quality all-weather tires. In the Swedish arctic, we use studded tires with their own wheels that we put on our cars when road conditions require it. So, be smart and not lazy- take a grip on the problem of snowy roads. Snow chains for cars don’t take a lot of space and you should practice putting these on before you need to use them. Careful with driving too fast into slush piles…your front wheels may pull into traffic or off the road. When starting out, carefully test braking conditions on a straight un-crowded stretch of road. Then drive sensibly.
3. MANUAL TRANSMISSION is smartest. Do starts veerrrry sloowwly and with feeling. Even second gear can help. With automatic transmissions, put in low and gentle with the gas. Should you start sliding, gently pump the brakes and look for a soft spot to land. Front wheel drive is good. Jeppe thinks 4×4 are best…but, he’s a little bias.
4. BACK WHEEL drive…a few sand sacks in the boot just over the back wheels. Get some weight on those driving wheels.
5. TRUCKERS- if you can, lift your back wheels slightly up and put more weight onto the power wheels. Buckets of sand/grit on your trailer to spread out on difficult places or on starts/ uphill can help. Almost reached your driving time limit? Be smart and take a nap or just pull over and enjoy life.
6. COUNCIL ROAD PEOPLE…Salt just makes water out of snow. This freezes and requires more salt…freezes…more salt etc. You have to spend the time to plough slush and snow away; not just make it into water. Be better with ploughing and snow removal using correct plows and methods. This may mean 24 hour procedures. Use more sand/grit (with 10-15% salt to make it stick and not blow away) Take a course about roads and snow removal from geographical areas that know how to do it!
7. BEST OF ALL, when it gets bad, take time to play and test snow and road conditions when you can. Not a bad idea to gain experience on oily test tracks etc. And…better late for appointments than dead.

….Here’s hoping some of the above will help. Stay safe out there!
Now, some wintry scenes from West Mainland, Shetland…





Last Photo: Shetland’s “winter woolies”