A tour to the Black grouse lek Generally: The tour takes place in the heart of Sweden's wolf district in a remote area north of the city Falun. The surrounding area is very sparsely populated with just a few small huts and cottages. Some of the forest is genuine old with great qualities. A peaceful reminder of how our land once was.

I work with movable hides, canvas hides in size suitable for one or two persons. Perhaps not as cozy as a bigger wooden hide, with installed heat, etc., but it will definitely give you a greater experience of nature’s wonders as every sound around you will be heard, a huge contrast to a wooden-built hide. Another reason for using a movable, canvas or tent type of hide, is its adaptability. They can be adjusted according to the photographers wishes and to what the situation requires as, for example, the actual place of the black-grouse lek can change from year to year due to the conditions (snow, water, ...).

Black grouse lek: Target group: Nature photographers, Birders, Nature lovers. Season: Late March to beginning of May Tour length: 1 day (typically 13 pm to 11 am day after). Adding days is possible after agreement. Participants: Normally 1 - 2 persons. Other sizes of the group can be discussed if requested well in advance. Transportation: One hour by car and then a walk of 30 minutes. Included in price: Transport from Falun and back. A general description of the area and particularly what to take place, what to expect and how to behave. Accommodation in hide or tent at lek place. Sleeping bag, sleeping pad and torch. Lunch, a wilderness dinner and breakfast, as well as snacks, hot water, tee/coffee. Price: SEK 1800 ( EUR 200) per person. Accommodation: Tent or hide (normally). Other options to be discussed. Hide: For photographers I recommend my low one-person hide which also are suitable to sleep in (if you are not too long). Alternatively I have traditional hides equipped with a simple chair. These hides are perfect for two non-photographers or two photographers with not so much equipment. Arrival: By railway to Falun. About 2.5 hours from Stockholm. Alternatively by car. Pick-up at railway station or as agreed. Good to bring: Warm clothes. Cap and gloves. Boots (warm rubber if late season). Early season can need skies (can be borrowed). Tripod or "bean-bag" (photographers). Bring your own back-pack for carrying the stuff. Water bottles (filled up) and other drinks. Also, for males, think of bringing a bottle for the “little thing”, as going out to pee at wrong time can simply ruin the experience. Brief description: Pick-up early afternoon at agreed place in the Falun area. Before we leave civilization you will get some information while we enjoy a nice lunch. On the further drive in to the forest land we will pass a nice place with huts and meadows, a place where people still take their livestock for summer pastures - a transhumance. The last part before we stop and leave the car, can be rewarding. We are now in the

land of the “wood-grouses” and with some luck you might see a glimpse of the mightiest of them all, the capercaillie.   After a quite easy, but sometimes swampy, walk of around 30 minutes we arrive at the hides. Early season visitors will instead of walking have the freedom to take their skies. At place, we arrange our equipment and take place in our hides. We will then enjoy some hours of entertainment, as the birds are coming for their evening play just before sunset, an excellent opportunity to take magnificent photos or just being blown away of their performance. At about 9 pm we will enjoy a well-deserved dinner, hopefully under the stars. Not too late we will go to bed for some hours sleep. Probably we will wake up well before dawn by flapping wings and some morning hoarse black grouse. Among all the wake-up sounds you might, if we are lucky, distinguish a boreal owl or ural owl. If these first sounds will not wake you up, the crane's trumpeting surely will do. This is prime time! 180 degrees around your hide window there will normally be 10 to 25 males in sight and if in the right week, the mating week, also numerous hens are to be seen. Some males can be as close as just a few meters away, an extraordinary chance for close-ups studies or photos.   At about 9 am, after finishing breakfast, we round off and start the tour back to our car. Before lunch, at about 11 am, we will be back in Falun, and there we will say goodby. Then on your way back home you can sit down, relaxed, remembering the black grouses fighting in the morning mist. Hopefully you are now filed with inspiring memories of one of nature´s wonders!