Scarce Fritillaries and Clouded Apollo, Mid – Late June

Central Sweden offers a variety of Scandinavian Butterfly species, many of which can only be seen here in Europe. Marsh– and Scarce Fritillary, Clouded Apollo and Woodland Brown can be seen this time of the year.
We stay at a variety of B&B:s and perticular countryside hotels nearby the sites. We try to spend as much time as possible in the field with the butteflies. Lunch is usually taken in the field.
Some days we move 2 hours a day by car/ bus to reach the sites.
Svartådalen is also a very good birding area and we have good chances to see Common Cranes, White-tailed Eagle, Honey Buzzard and Common Rosefinch.

Day 1
Afternoon arrival to Västerås airport 14:50
Pick-nick sandwiches and hot/ cold drinks.
Afternoon excursion to a highly potential butterfly-site in the Black River area. Here we enjoy plenty of Marsh Fritillaries, together with Heath Fritillary, Northern Chequered Skipper, Northern Wall Brown, Reals Wood White, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary and magnificient but fast flying Common Swallowtails.
Transfer to the hotel
Dinner and night at Sätra Brunn Spa & conference hotel

Day 2
Breakfast at Sätra Brunn 08.00
09.00 Excursion to the Uppland coastal area (2 hour drive) with an ancient small-scale culture-landscape where meadows surrounded by deciduous forest hold population of the rare Clouded Apollo.
Along a partly overgrown forestroad lined with flowers, we look for Scarce Fritillary, and Black-veined White as top attractions. Add to that a good variety of Scandinavian butterfly species, including several Blues, like Geranium Argus, Bog Fritillary and the chance of Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoths hovering like tiny hummingbirds over the flowers surrounding us.
Picknic lunch in the field
After a full days ”buttterflying” we return to Sätra brunn for dinner at a decent time.
Maybe a relaxing hour in the hot bath would appeal as well.
Dinner and night at Sätra Brunn.

Day 3
Breakfast at Sätra Brunn 08.00
Excursion to boglands and pineforest-dominated Bergslagen area just north of us, where the target species are Baltic Grayling, Northern Grizzled Skipper, Friggas Fritillary, Moorland Clouded Yellow and Cranberry Fritillary.
A day in exploring spirit. These areas are not very well known in terms of butterfly presence, but has a lot of potential, lying on the south border of the distribution range for several northern species.
Moth night in a garden.

Day 4
Breakfast at Sätra Brunn 08.00
09.00 Departure for Strängnäs area (2 hour drive) with Large Blue, Chequered Blue and Duke of Burgundy Fritillary as target species. We enjoy the picknic lunch at viking grave-fields on a ridge with beautiful views over the countryside and plenty of butterflies, for instance Queen of Spain Fritillary and 2-3 species of Burnet Moths.
After lunch we continue south towards Omberg, where we will be spending the night at a very special lodge, consisting of beautiful, wooden houses in an open deciduous forest – The Eremitage. Just nearby an area of Woodland Brown butterflies.

Day 5
Breakfast at the Eremitage 09.00
Morning excursion to nearby reserve for Woodland Brown butterflies. We also enjoy the scenic surroundings of Omberg, by lake Vättern with plenty of Orchids and butterflies like Glanville Fritillary, Chequered Blue and Duke of Burgundy Fritillary.
After lunch transfer back north towards Svartådalen.
For those interested we put up mercury lamps to attract moths in the lush hotel garden.
Dinner and night at Sätra Brunn

Day 6
Breakfast at Sätra Brunn 09.00
This last day we spend around the Black River Valley forests & wetlands to look for large and magnificient Poplar Admirals, Baltic Grayling and Purple-edged Copper.
Lunch at Sätra Brunn
Transfer to Västerås Airport
Departure at 15:15