Birdwatcher Edvin is passionate about Skaraborg’s birdlife

Something you can do entirely on your own, or an incredibly social hobby where you never stop learning! That’s how Edvin describes his great leisure interest – birdwatching. In Skaraborg, there are plenty of opportunities for anyone who has (or wants to develop) an interest in birds.

Edvin Klein started birdwatching at the age of nine, when he joined his uncle, who is also an ornithologist.

- I was hooked immediately! For me, it’s a lot about the experience of being in nature. Not just all the birds you see and hear, but also other animals, flowers, and butterflies – everything nature has to offer!

Today, Edvin is involved in the local bird club in Skövde, works in the field station group at Lake Hornborga, and serves on the board of the West Sweden Ornithological Society.

- Many people think birdwatching is something you do alone and sure, you can. But if you want to, it can be an incredibly social hobby! In Skaraborg we have many active local associations - almost one in every municipality. They organize lots of different activities. You don’t need any prior knowledge to join either. If you want to try it, just get in touch. And if you really get “hooked,” like I did, there’s no limit to how involved you can become!

Bird ringing at Lake Hornborga

Edvin explains that most of his free time is devoted to his strong interest in birdwatching. But that doesn’t mean he only does one thing. In addition to his work in various associations, he conducts bird counts and is one of those who rings birds at Lake Hornborga.

- Last winter, I had the opportunity to take part in a new project started by Naturum Hornborga Lake. Through the project, several school classes have been able to connect digitally and follow our work with ringing small birds in real time. It’s great fun to show what we do to children. You hope it inspires an interest in animals and nature.

When small birds are ringed, they are caught using large nets. Larger birds, however, require a different approach. When cranes are to be ringed, you quite simply have to run after them.

- Cranes are a bit special because we have to ring them before they start flying. Each year there are about 30 pairs nesting at Lake Hornborga, and we keep an eye on their nests. Just before the chicks learn to fly is the right time to ring them. Then we need to be two people - one keeping watch and one chasing and catching them as they run off.

Edvin is careful to emphasize that the birds are not harmed during ringing.

- When we catch up, they usually lie down and try to hide. That’s when we can pick them up and attach rings. Cranes also receive color rings, and the order we place the rings in shows where they were ringed. That way, we can keep track of which birds are at the lake.

Counting cranes

Lake Hornborga is known as one of the places in Europe that gathers the most cranes in one location when they migrate north to spend the summer in cooler regions. For Edvin, this is one of the highlights of the year, and he helps organize the annual crane count.

- We’ve been counting cranes at Lake Hornborga for 61 years! It’s one of the longest continuous bird-counting series at the lake, and it’s great that we can continue that tradition.

But when there are over 25,000 cranes, how do you actually count them?

- We don’t count them while they are standing out in the lake, but when they fly in during the evening to roost. During the day, the birds are scattered over a wider area searching for food. In spring, most stay around the Crane Dance site, where they feed on grain provided by the County Administrative Board. When the evening flight towards the lake begins, we stand at a good vantage point and use a fixed line of sight across the landscape as a reference. As the cranes fly in, we count the groups crossing that line. This allows us to estimate how many gather at the lake.

The count is not completely exact.

- If there aren’t too many cranes at once, we can count them individually. But if many arrive at the same time, we count in tens or occasionally even hundreds. There is definitely a margin of error, but since we’ve used the same method every year, the data remains comparable over time.

Getting started with birdwatching

If you’re interested in starting birdwatching, Skaraborg is an excellent place to take it up. Besides the many associations where you can quickly meet others with the same interest, there are plenty of great locations for birdwatching.

- Lake Hornborga is fantastic because you can get so close to the birds and see everything from eagles and swans to all kinds of small birds. If you’re a beginner, you can also get lots of help and tips from the staff at Naturum. It’s also a great starting point for a walk or a hike along the lake. The Crane Dance site is on the opposite side of the lake, and it’s spectacular when crane numbers peak. The rest of the year, there are other places that are far more exciting.

Even if you don’t live near Lake Hornborga, there are many other places in Skaraborg for bird enthusiasts. Edvin’s best tip is to contact a local bird club for advice.

- It’s always great when people get in touch! You don’t have to start by becoming a member, you’re welcome to ask questions or join an activity to try it out. The more, the merrier!