Falsterbo Bird Show

It is a long drive to Falsterbo from Newport Pagnell! The round trip including getting lost and pootling about in Sweden was 2,105.8 miles.

They certainly know how to make bridges in Scandinavia. The Storebaelt that links Fyn and Vestsjalland with the SrogØ island lighthouse half way across.

After the aforementioned debacle during the northward journey we were relieved to arrive in Sweden to be met by Erik Hirschfeld and we enjoyed some cracking views of the sunset from his balcony.

Sunset over Denmark from Erik's balcony.

So to the show itself; We set our stand up in short order before the people arrived on the Friday, it didn't take long and we soon filled the tabletop space we had available with our Wader Quest Collectables.

Our stand at the Falsterbo Bird Show

Someone seems to be collecting wrist bands!

We also had some notable visitors to the stand, among them was Dorian Anderson who did a year long project called Biking for Birds in the USA.

Dorian Anderson of Biking for Birds fame from the USA.

Also Lars and Ragnhild Jonsson who were once again visiting the show as last year signing posters and books like there was no tomorrow; but they still had time for anyone who wanted to speak to them (and of course get a photo for their blog with them).

Lars and Ragnhild Jonsson, such lovely people.

There were three main areas for the show; the main permanent building where the talks took place, including ours The Worlds Rarest Waders where we talked about the fact that some birds are rare because they were never numerous and live in remote and particular places and others which were once common are now rare in the main due to human actions. The second area was the main tent where were were housed and the last area was the collection of gazebos in front of the building and tented area. On the roof of the main building they has set up a viewing area to look for the passing raptors that Falsterbo is most famous for.

View inside our large communal tent

Some of the outside gazebo tents

A general view from the viewing platform on the roof of the
main building during a presentation ceremony.

Our presence at the show was entirely due to the 'two lovely ladies' Anna and Eva that we first met at the British birdwatching fair in 2013 when, following our talk, they invited us to go to the Falsterbo Bird Show last year, which of course we did and loved it so much we decided to go back.

The 'two lovely ladies' Anna and Eva who looked after us so well
(Photo taken last year, they were too busy this year to stop!)

On the return journey we stopped over in Holland to revisit our friend Astrid Kant and then headed back to the UK.

The famous white cliffs that symbolise home for us, however much you enjoy travelling, it is always lovely to return home and this is certainly a most welcoming sight as it looms up out of the haze. 

One last stop on the way home at Oare Marshes in Kent where we saw a Little Stint a Ruff, several Pied Avocets one with colour bands, many Common Redshank and Black-tailed Godwits, a couple of Eurasian Golden Plover in among the Northern Lapwing and on the mudflat a few Common Ringed Plovers and Dunlins.

The colour ringed Pied Avocet and a couple of Northern Lapwings.