Sweden Autumn migration: Öland and Falsterbo

The exodus of birds out of Scandinavia each autumn is one of nature's great spectacles. From the island of Öland, where the coast teems with waders and wildfowl, to Falsterbo, with its streams of raptors and endless movements of finches, thrushes, corvids and other migrants, there is no better place to witness it than southern Sweden. Join us on this special tour to experience the magic of migration and see exciting birds in unprecedented numbers.

Tour itinerary

22nd-29th September 2007

Day 1: We have an early morning departure from Stansted for the two-hour flight to Malmö, where our guide, Anders Eriksson, will be waiting to greet us. We then drive eastwards through the province of Skåne, watching out en route for Honey and Common Buzzards, Red Kites, Common Cranes and other migrating birds which, if conditions are right, may be on the move in numbers. Later in the day we will reach the island of Öland, crossing the six-kilometre-wide Kalmar Sound via one of Europe's longest road bridges.

Our base for the next three nights is Segerstads fyr.

Days 2-3: Exciting migrants are among the many possibilities of our first morning at Segerstads fyr. Essentially a private bird observatory, this superb site - one of Sweden's finest for rarities - is a working lighthouse set in an isolated coastal migrant trap. In autumn the garden could be teeming with warblers, pipits, chats, flycatchers, thrushes and other passerines. Waders congregating along the adjacent shoreline may include Broad-billed Sandpiper, while offshore ducks, Barnacle Geese, terns and other seabirds may be streaming south en masse. After thoroughly checking the lighthouse garden and nearby areas we will explore Öland's other rich birding areas, including Ottenby lighthouse at the island's southern tip where migrating birds gather in numbers before setting out across the Baltic. White-tailed Eagles are regularly encountered around the island, and among numerous migrants we may find Red-throated Pipit and Red-backed Shrike, or perhaps a rarer vagrant on the 'Swedish Scilly' - we will keep up to speed with local news and keep our plans flexible.

Day 4: There's time for one last check of the gardens and scrub around Segerstads fyr before we say a fond farewell to Öland and head west to Falsterbo. We'll stop as necessary en route, and may find that as we near Sweden's southernmost point migrant birds, especially raptors, become more conspicuous. Falsterbo is our base for the next four nights.

Days 5-7: In northern Europe's most important migration watchpoint, our exact itinerary for the next three days will depend in part on the weather. Tens of thousands of migrants will be on the move, including finches, thrushes, pigeons and corvids, and we will choose our position from which to enjoy the spectacle according to wind direction and other factors. Raptors will be a major highlight, with juvenile Honey Buzzards and Red Kites peaking at this time, but other species including Osprey, Marsh Harrier, Merlin and perhaps a rarity like Lesser Spotted Eagle or Pallid Harrier are all possible. Among the large numbers of familiar landbird migrants should be interesting species like Woodlark and Common Crossbill, and we'll also look and listen for scarcer migrants, perhaps including Richard's Pipit, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Penduline Tit, Nutcracker and Lapland Bunting, with rarities always possible. Finally, we'll also keep an eye on the sea, where divers, seaduck, skuas and Little Gull could be among the many species on the move.

Day 8: After a bird-filled week, we will depart early for Malmö airport and our return flight to Stansted, where the tour concludes late morning.

 Holiday information

Tour price: £999.
This tour is operated for Birdwatch by WildWings (fully bonded and licensed through the CAA, ATOL licence 5429). The tour price includes economy class air travel as per the itinerary, all pre-paid airport and departure taxes, ground transport by minibus, accommodation, services of Birdwatch/WildWings tour leader, WildWings pre-tour information pack and day-by-day bird checklist. Not included are travel insurance (from £15.80 per person), meals (except breakfasts at Falsterbo), drinks, laundry, souvenirs and other items of a personal nature. There is a single-room supplement of £149 for the four nights at Falsterbo.

For further information or to make a reservation, please contact WildWings,

577-579 Fishponds Road, Fishponds, Bristol BS16 3AF (email: wildinfo@wildwings.co.uk) or telephone: 0117 9658 333