On our arrival saturday morning only 6 Common cranes (Grus grus) were present (4 in this picture) - with a few geese, gulls and ducks.
Prolonged cold had delayed the migration from the south. We expected to see thousands - like we've experienced several times before!

Instead 2 White stork (Ciconia ciconia) came in quite close. They are part of a re-settlement project going on.

Greylag goose (Anser anser) are - like many other migratory geese species - very common in this area this time of the year.

Bäckaskog Castle, where we stayed for the 3 nights during Easter - fine rooms - delicious meals - magic athmosphere!

I've never seen this before - sunday and swans in the morning dense snow!

Who have had the power to split the giant Kjugakull rock into two - could it be trolls - or Jötunn (Jætter) - Frost Giants?

The very big Ivösjön lies right opposite Bäckaskog Castle - and was still frozen over.

- more cranes in the sky - but far from the thousands, that we've seen several times before!

This time the great surprise were the Whooper swans - I've never seen so many in one place before!
Courtship is going on here - note, that the birds have not moved their feet after the snow stopped falling!

A Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) came across in the woods - I heard it before I saw it - as usual.
It flies very fast - hard to get a clear shot in flight in the woods!

One of the few cranes taking off - in the far distance - over the woods on the far side of Pulken Wettlands.

Many ducks were present despite the cold - including Common shellduck (Tadorna tadorna).

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More geese resting in a waterlogged field in the low temperatures - and snow.

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Adult and young Whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) resting in the snow - by the hundreds!

Right outside the windows on sunday!

Swans, geese and ducks of many different species at Pulken after the snow stopped falling on monday.

The first 2 cranes to arrive on monday morning - 2. Easter Day 2018.

We got to see the cranes, that we came for - but in very small numbers. We had a good time anyway!
We saw many more on the way back - and in the sky over Copenhagen the following days
- but no camera at hand on these occasions !

Copyright Kenth Esbensen 2018.