Nature

Jul

2019

Summer at the Big Dam

Summer at the Big Dam Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

Yesterday neighbor and I took a walk in the woods by the Big Dam (in Tumba, Sweden). We do that now and again at different times of the year. There and back is about 8 kms.

Summer at the Big Dam. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

It is a magical place. I shoot almost the same pictures of it every time we are there. Yesterday was no exception. Water was still, no wind and the sun was shining.

Summer at the Big Dam in Tumba. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The water was TOO still. Brown stillstanding. Smelled rotten. The flow down to the creek was blocked by treestumps and dead branches.

Summer at the Big Dam in Tumba, Sweden. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

Still, it is a beautiful spot. As there was no wind, the clouds got mirrored in the water.

Summer at the Big Dam in Tumba, Sweden. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The trees in the middle of the summer are as green as they can be. There is fish in the dam.

Summer at the Big Dam. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The dam seem endless when you stand at this point. It is supposed to flow down into the creek and further on to the Small Dam further down. There is a place there with logs to sit on to contemplate the view. I wouldn’t recommend swimming in this brown still-standing water though…

flower, bumblebee — Flower by the Big Dam with bumble bee. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

By the dam there was a group of these flowers. Have no idea what it is but the bumble bees seemed to love them.

On out way back home we always pass this old treestump by the path. I take a picture of it every time to see the change of it. It is the remains of a large tree that fell over the path during a storm some years ago.

Feb

2019

Blackbirds

blackbird, koltrast — Blackbird on the bow surveing the neighborhood. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

Across the road in the tree I see from my outside place and the livingroom the blackbirds sit daytime. I feed them during winter and have done so for several years. They always come back. They are fun to look at. I recently stopped feeding them as a mice had discovered their feed and I want to get rid of that. But the below are the visitors this winter. They normally were 6 in numbers but occasionally they were 13 at the same time.

In the tree across the road

Waiting for the bus?

In the feeder

Blackbird on the bow surveing the neighborhood

In the feeder

In the tree across the road

Resting in the cold

Today 2 of them were back again since I stopped feeding them. They have to find food elsewhere from now on. The blackbird restaurant is now closed for the season.

Dec

2018

The Tree Across the Road

The tree across the road on december 28th 2018 at 09:56

Since Februari 2018 I’ve documented the tree across the road on and off.

I just updated the album with more images. You can find the album with the tree images here. I update it infrequently with new images.

I still do not know which kind of tree it is. It is full of white flowers in the spring for a short time. The blackbirds still spend a lot of time in it wintertime.

Apr

2018

The tree across the road

The tree across the road 20180222 at 17:14hrs. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

The tree across the road

The tree across the road that I see every time I look out through the window in the door to the patio is fascinating. I have no idea (presently) which kind of tree this is, but it is decorative and the skies behind it are always fascinating. Except when they are totally grey and boring… This tree is where the blackbirds spend their time in daytime. At least in the winter. I don’t know about other seasons yet. I sometimes call it the blackbird tree. Here they sit and and watch the surrounding area. From here they fly to my patio to get food (in the winter). Just below it is the bus-stop for the bus from Tumba to Skäcklinge. I’ve managed to avoid taking pictures of the bus so far.

I started taking pictures of the tree across the road on February 22nd 2018. And I’ve continued taking pictures of it and will go on doing so. Eventually the tree will bloom and get green.

I’ve alternately used my Canon G15 and my iPhone 7 (smaller model) for the pictures. They are all shot from the same spot through the window in the door to the patio. Which camera is used depends on which one is at hands when I remember to shot the picture.

I will continue to take pictures of it and add to this album as time goes by. Just to see its change over the seasons. The album is shown in order of the date the pictures are shot. Click image to see a larger version. Hover over image to see date taken.

Return to this album to see how the tree changes over the seasons.

February 22nd 2018 at 12:35 hrs

February 22nd 2018 at 12:34 hrs

February 22nd 2018 at 13:29 hrs

February 22nd 2018 at 17:14 hrs

February 22nd 2018 at 17:15 hrs

February 23rd 2018 at 16:48 hrs

February 24th 2018 at 10:20 hrs

February 24th 2018 at 13:00 hrs

February 24th 2018 at 13:01 hrs

February 25th 2018 at 10:03 hrs

February 25th 2018 at 14:55 hrs

February 25th at 14:55 hrs

February 27th 2018 at 15:34 hrs

February 27th at 15:35 hrs

February 28th at 12:01 hrs

February 28th 2018 at 12:01 hrs

February 28th at 2018 at 18:00 hrs

February 28th 2018 at 18:00 hrs

March 2nd 2018 at 12:48 hrs

March 2nd 2018 at 15:31 hrs

March 4th 2018 at 13:56 hrs

March 7th 2018 at 13:46 hrs

March 9th 2018 at 18:35 hrs

March 14th 2018 at 11:42 hrs

March 15th 2018 at 12:53 hrs

March 15th 2018 at 12:54 hrs

March 15th 2018 at 14:20 hrs

March 16th 2018 at 12:28 hrs

March 16th 2018 at 12:29 hrs

March 17th 2018 at 15:22 hrs

March 18th 2018 at 13:15 hrs

March 18th 2018 at 19:16hrs

March 18th 2018 at 19:17hrs

March 20th 2018 at 11:36hrs

March 20th 2018 at 11:36 hrs

March 21st 2018 at 11:11hrs

March 21st 2018 at 11:49 hrs

March 23rd 2018 at 17:54 hrs

March 23rd 2018 at 19:50hrs

March 23rd 2018 at 19:51hrs

March 30th 2018 at 09:59hrs

March 30th 2018 at 09:59 hrs

April 3rd 2018 at 19:20hrs

April 6th 2018 at 19:29hrs

April 6th 2018 at 20:13hrs

April 6th 2018 at 20:14hrs

April 21st 2018 at 19:29

April 23rd 2018 at 11:45 hrs

April 23rd 2018 at 11:46 hrs

April 26th 2018 at 10:56 hrs

April 27th 2018 at 15:42 hrs

May 1st 2018 at 10:57

May 1st 2018 at 20:51

May 1st 2018 at 20:52

May 7th 2018 at 18:11

May 8th 2018 at 19:01

May 8th 2018 at 19:02

May 8th 2018 at 21:07

May 8th 2018 at 21:08

May 9th 2018 at 10:18

May 9th 2018 at 10:19

May 9th 2018 at 20:47

May 9th 2018 at 20:48

May 10th 2018 at 07:12

May 12th 2018 at 07:58

May 15th 2018 at 10:18

May 17th 2018 at 10:24

May 19th 2018 at 08:42

May 19th 2018 at 08:43

May 29th 2018 at 08:08

May 29th 2018 at 08:06

June 3rd 2018 at 18:15

June 3rd 2018 at 18:16

June 11th 2018 at 15:07

June 12th 2018 at 08:42

June 13th 2018 at 12:53

June 16th 2018 at 14:03

June 16th 2018 at 14:04

June 23rd 2018 at 08:55

July 18th 2018 at 08:25

July 10th 2018 at 10:14

July 18th 2018 at 08:25

July 29th 2018 at 15:43

September 26th 2018 at 17:18

September 26th 2018 at 17:17

October 16th 2018 at 12:01

October 16th 2018

October 16th 2018 at 12:01

October 19th at 18:04

October 19th 2018 at 18:04

October 19th 2018 at 10:44

October 19th 2018 at 18:04

October 22nd 2018 at 13:16

October 22nd 2018 at 13:15

October 28th 2018 at 09:12

October 28th 2018 at 16:00

October 28th 2018 at 15:59

October 28th 2018 at 09:45

October 30th 2018 at 09:55

November 16th 2018 at 13:21

November 16th 2018

November 16th 2018 at 13:21

November 22nd 2018 at 15:21

November 26th 2018 at 14:14

November 29th 2018 at 10:53

November 29th 2018 at 10:54

December 16th 2018 at 22:31

December 17th 2018 at 06:43

December 17th 2018 at 11:23

December 19th 2018 at 13:27

December 25th 2018 at 15:31

December 28th 2018 at 09:56

December 28th 201 at 09:56

Apr

2018

Icy walk in the woods

Icy walk in the woods. Photo:©nini.tjader.2018

An icy walk in the woods

Day before yesterday, neighbour and I took an icy walk in the woods. The intention was to walk around the two dams we have here in Tumba, the big one and the smaller one. This path is popular for skiers in the winter when it is snow-covered, for walkers and runners when snow-free.

Pinetrees. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

Snow was more or less gone among the trees.

Icy road. Photo:©nini.tjader.2018

The roads were covered with ice… You had to be very careful and keep to the sides of the road so you wouldn’t slip and fall and slide down the slope.

By the big dam. Neighbour Gullis on the other side. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

We finally made it down to the big dam by small steps and carefully moving in order not to slip. By the dam and the road there, there is a fence you could hold on to. The fall from the big dam was all ice too.

The Big Dam in Tumba. Photo: ©ninoi.tjader.2018

The big dam was still ice-covered.

Waterfall from the Big Dam. Photo:©nini.tjader.2018

The above is the waterfall from the Big Dam. All icy but water still streamed strongly there. A couple of weeks more and ice will probably be gone.

Ice on the Big Dam. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2018

The ice is now melting and dangerous if somebody would risk to try to walk in it. There were signs of walking on the ice. I would never… Some years ago an elk drowned here when it went through the ice. But the ice is melting close to the shore and where the waterfall is under the tree-bridge.

The Big dam with ice. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

Unreliable ice on the Big Dam. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

When we passed here there was a cyclist from the other direction with very thick wheels on his bike. He somehow managed to pass and get up the slope with his bike.

Resting place by the Big Dam. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

This corner of the Big Dam later in spring is a mating place for frogs and the water then is full of frogs, the path also full of frogs passing from the below the waterfall up to the dam. And the dam itself for a while is filled with frogs and baby-frogs. Just now the path is slippery with ice, then it will be frogs instead…

The small dam. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

We made it all the way to the smaller dam too. At this time of the year you can actually see it as the trees and bushes have no leaves. Later on it disappears behind the greenery.

The Small Dam. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

The ice looked thicker at the small dam. And its’ waterfall for transport of the water further down the slope was blocked by tree-branches.

The waterfall from the small dam. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

The waterfall from the small dam was more icy and less water than the one from the big dam. It is unnerving to take photos from above at these spots. You don’t want to drop your mobile here…

Not far from here there is a way out of the woods, down to the main road. We opted to leave the woods here as the remaining path we usually take is in shadier parts of the woods and therefore probably even more icy and slippery. We were pretty fed up of the slipping on ice by this time.

Icy roadside. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

By the roadside there were ice-falls from the slope above. That’s what happens when the snow melts and then freezes again. Reasonably warm daytime, freezing at nights.

Ice by the roadside. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2018

The icy roadside is pretty interesting and beautiful I think. Last years growth still stand up through the ice.

Ice by the roadside. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

I’ve always been fascinated by the icefalls you see by the roadside at this time of year.

When we were home again after approximately 10500 steps, we saw the first tussilago by the lawn in our garden. Despite all the ice out there, it now must be spring… right?

The first tussilago. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

Jan

2018

The blackbirds

The tree across the road where the blackbirds sit. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

The blackbird is Swedens national bird. I love blackbirds.

I have some blackbirds that always visits me. They spend a lot of time in the tree across the road, opposite my outside place. From there they can watch if I go out and fill the feeders. Then they fly over the road and eat at my feeders (when the cats are not around). I like watching the blackbirds.

Birdfeed in December. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

One of the feeders is in the garden near to bushes and I can watch it from my kitchen windows. That bowl with peanuts flew off last week when it was very windy. I took it indoors for cleaning and haven’t put it back there yet.

Birdfeed. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

This winter I also feed the blackbirds on the table on my outside place. Here they get peanuts and sunflower-seeds. And another bowl with mixed goodies for birds. Dried flour-worms among other things that the birds like.

Birdfeed. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

This winter it has been difficult to feed the birds as it until recently has been an extraordinarily warm and wet winter with no snow and plenty of rain. At times the birdfeed was swimming in water and had to be regularly thrown away and replaced…

Last week it snowed. This morning we hade -12.7C°. Warmer now, but still a bit below zero. The birds are hungry.

Birdfeed with blackbirds and a great tit. Photo:©nini.tjader.2018

I feed them the year around, but particularly in the winter when they really need it. They compete of course for the food with the smaller birds, like the great tits and the blue titas and the occasional nuthatch. And during spring-summer-autumn also some woodpeckers.

Next weekend it is bird-counting weekend in Sweden. That’s a recurrent activity every winter. We count the birds and report them to an organisation that collects the results and by that can see if certain birds in certain areas decrease or increase. I use to participate best I can. I am not a “bird-nerd” but I find them interesting to watch.

The blackbirds are fun to watch. They are always arguing with each other and competing for the food even though there is plenty of it. The females rule and chase everybody else away from the food, male blackbirds and smaller birds alike.

I take pictures of the blackbirds when I can. Both with my iPhone 7 and my Canon G15. Always through the window, which means I don’t get all that close. This time of the year the natural light is also extremely poor so not that easy to get good pictures. But, here are some of my blackbird-pictures. And one of a great tit that took the opportunity to get food when the blackbirds weren’t there.

The tree accross the road where the blackbirds sit. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

Nov

2017

Frosty morning

Frosty morning. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2017

It was a frosty morning yesterday and today. Today I managed to go out and catch some pictures of the frost as I was up and about much earlier than usual as I had to meet the guys who are installing a radon sucker thing in the house-ground just under my bedroom. Had to give them access to measure where the floor is and to check from where to take electricity and to provide them with water as that side of the house doesn’t have any outside water. I used the time before they arrived to go out shoot some pictures of the frost. As much as I dislike winter, cold, snow the frost is still beautiful.

Here is some of what I saw this morning. Reload page to make pictures re-sort themselves.

Frost IS beautiful.

Frosty morning, November 9th, 2017. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2017

Aug

2017

Summer flowers

Summer flowers. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

There are plenty of summer flowers in our garden. They come and go over the summer season. Some come in early spring, early summer, or in the middle of the summer or, like now towards the late summer. In most cases I let them run wild and grow where they like to grow. Except for those planted in the flower beds, but those are not covered here. Some are planted from seeds over the years. Others the birds have brought, like the smaller red and orange poppies and the digitalis. Yet others have spread by themselves over time.

I love the summer flowers. They bring color to the garden. I have plenty of different flowers and I think they now follow each other in time for blooming in a good way. It has taken a couple of years to get to that. The bumble-bees and the bees love our garden and there is no shortage of either.

This has been a rather odd summer as it has been extremely dry. In many parts of Sweden watering the garden has been forbidden for that reason. Not in my area though we have been asked to use watering in the garden sparingly. That is clearly seen on the lawns which are more brown than green. Watering the lawns has not been prio number one. Watering the flowers and shrubs and so has been more important. The dry conditions have also caused some of the flowers to bloom earlier than usual, and some later than usual. Some have become taller than usual and others smaller than usual. All have had shorter blooming seasons than previous years.

Summer flowers in the garden. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

Below is a gallery of some of the summer flowers in no particular order.
A rather wild garden… Enjoy.

Reload page to see them in a different order. Dubbel-click an image to see a larger version. All pictures are ©nini.tjader.2017 and shot by me.

Jul

2016

Garden and greenery at its peak

The summer in the garden is green and inviting. It cannot get any greener than it is just now outside. The greenery is at its peak. There are still flowers that will bloom that hasn’t done so yet. But they are coming along just fine.

The weather has been good this summer. Mainly dry, sunny and warm. But of course there has been days with some rain and thunder too. Not many though. Feels like I’ve never before had to water the garden as much as this year. It is so dry.

The astrantia major (the pink flowers in the picture) are taller and more plenty than ever. The hortensia is green and coming but I doubt it will get any flowers this year. The chives unfortunately looks poorly this year. The oldest one has nearly died. The giant verbena in the black tub will get tall too after some problems with it in the beginning.

astratniamajor, garden, flowers, greenery

The astrantia major is much loved by both bumblebees and bees. They create a constant buzz there.

I have two hollyhocks. The one above is in the regular flowerbed around my patio. It is pink and yellow. This year it is also tall and healthy. No holes in the leaves so far. No bugs have eaten on it. Yet.

The one below is dark pink. It grows near to the anti-noise-fence, just as last year. I make sure every year to spread the seeds from them as they only live for two years. I love hollyhocks.

Above the view from the backgarden, behind the patio. At the most narrow point I’ve put a rose-bow for the two old honey-suckle plants that I cut down to almost nothing last autumn as they were sick. They’ve grown a lot this year and only just now started to flower. They’ve had lots of lice on them though, black lice. But after some thorough showering with water they now look more or less OK. I think the lice-season is over for this time.

The american blueberry-bushes that I moved last year to the back-garden are coming along fine and they have now plenty of blue-berries that just started to turn blue. Can soon be picked. Still not too many berries, but at least more than previous years. They never liked the previous location.

Lousy picture of the blueberries… but you get the idea…

A funny comparison. The veggiebox in the back-garden above in april this year. And just now in July below.

It has grown there… Lots of parsley and french tarragon and lemonbalm (though something has eaten a lot of its leafs). The chives here is fine and so is the sorrel in the frontmost corner. The sorrel and teh lemonbalm survived from last year. I had two oreganoplants between the parsley and the sorrel, but I had to move the oregano to a large pot of its own as it became too crowded in the box and I really want to get as much oregano as possible to last me until next year. I cut and dry it when large enough to be bundled.

The two kinds of thyme (regular and lemonthyme) and the mint are coming along fine in the back garden as well. The mint I also cut and dry to have in tea until next year. When it is fresh I use it in salads and drinks. The thyme I dry as well and use both dried and fresh in salads and other food.

Another fun comparison is the flowerbed along the outside of the patio. Below from 2011…

flowerbed, hostas, echinacea, garden, greenery

Notice the two hosta plants and the echinaceas. Notice size and spread.

The above is the same flowerbed in July 2016. Particularly the green hosta has grown a lot this year (now blooming). And the echinacea behind them have spread quite a lot. They were good last year but I think they will be even better this year.

This part of the flowerbed along and behind the patio comes late as it is less sun there. In the spring it is almost empty with only krokucuses. Then the rest come, slowly. Every year it looks like the hostas are cone for ever. Choice of plants has been difficult for it but I now have mix that works well there. Between the two hostas there is actually a japanese anemone. They are almosts hidden by the hostas this year.

I have two kinds of echinacea. One pink, one white. Neither is blooming just yet, but they are on their way. They get very tall and last long into the autumn.

In the backgarden, after my area ends, still grow these roses that spread like a pest via their roots. Plan it to dig them all up and use the area for something else. Our rhubarbs will move to their space. The flowers have a strong fragrance and the bumblebees love them, but… (click on this link to see a short movie with the working bumblebee).

Even though the echinacea flowers are not ready yet, the bugs are there… like this ladybug.

I’ll stop here. This was only the backgarden and part of the flowerbed along the patio. I’ll show you more of the garden another day.

In the foreground, two white astilbes, one pink astilbe and the pink-yellow hollyhock. In the background the back-garden and the rose-bow.

May

2016

Flowering trees and bushes

This time of the year is wonderful when it comes to all the flowering trees and bushes we can experience. It last for a too short while though. The apple trees of various kinds… lovely flowers.

And then there are the lilacs of all colors that just started to open their flowers in my area. And their scent… wonderful. A promise of a coming summer.

Our new bush in the garden reached its flowering peak recently.

The flowering was nice, but it is over now. Insects of all kinds took advantage of the flowering.

Earlier on all the fruit-trees in the villa gardens in the area were in flower.

Quite overwhelming. All gone now. The trees really have a very short period to flower, before the leaves come. And, later in the season, eventual fruit.

I love this season. It is too short though.

Jan

2016

It is cold outside

It is cold outside.

After a very warm autumn and what was supposed to be winter, winter finally came the other day. With severe cold and some snow. Not much snow though.

The above is my busstation, just outside where I live. One on this side when going down to Tumba, one on the other side where I get off. I live on the ground floor in the 2 story house just behind the red fence against road noise.

This morning we hade -17°C where I live (Tumba, Stockholm-area). It is a few degrees “warmer ” now (-8°C) after a couple of hours where a pale winter sun has been seen.

I am no fan of winter and snow. Snow is nicest in pictures and not in real life.

Snow can be beautiful though and quite fascinating. Particularly when it is really cold outside.

The small christmas tree outside looks nice with snow on it. The cold plays badly with the lighting though. Last night it was lit the whole night, and blinking… the whole night. Either it is the cold causing it, or the batteries are about to quit. That would be about the right time for them to run out of power.

Some of the flowers still stand in the flower beds. All withered and brown, but still stand as there has not been so much snow. Yet.

The grass where Gustav (my neighbors male cat) loves to sleep during the warmer season) is still standing. It looks nice in the snow with frost in it and the sunshine coming through it.

I am also fascinated by the trees south of the road. When the sun shines through them on a really cold winters day like today, they are particularly beautiful.

Above is the tree just across the road, straight out from my patio. A very pale blue winter sky.

It is winter also on the patio. The the black chairs (one above) can manage snow and cold quite well (of you don’t try to sit on them). They have been kept outside for all years that I’ve had them. The table I normally take off the legs of and lean it toward the wall but this year I didn’t. It can also stand the winter and the snow.

Did I go outside in the cold to take these pictures? No. Most of them are shot through the kitchen windows and the door to the patio. It is too cold outside.

Gustav´s path in the snow is still there, or there again. He is not outside much when it is this cold but I can see that he has been here. There is bird-feed in various places, but almost no birds except for the blackbirds. Wonder where to they disappeared …

Oct

2015

Autumn skies

This time of the year, if the sky is relatively clear, and you remember to look outside in the early evening when the sun is setting… then you are rewarded with the most fantastic autumn skies.

All this red from the setting sun, with patches of blue in between the thin clouds.

It is simply beautiful.

(So where did I disappear to the last couple of days? I updated the OS to Al Capitan. And got some problems with it. Updating the OS always means it takes some time to come back and have everything working again).

Jul

2015

Walk in the woods

The other day – unfortunately a rainy day again – I made a walk in the woods. I regularly do this particular walk as I enjoy the surroundings the path is passing. Hadn’t done if for quite some time now though. I’ve always been fascinated by the high firs in this particular wood.

The path is arranged and lighted and maintained by the municipality. I never go here when it is dark though. It passes two dams, the Big dam and the Small dam and is situated in Tumba, Sweden, just outside Stockholm, not that far from where I live. There are bridges over the dams outflows. In both cases it creates small waterfalls.

It is a beautiful place. I always enjoy coming here. Even in the rain.

Water in the Big dam is presently high. Partly because of all the raining this summer, partly because of all the wood floating around both in this dam and the smaller dam and blocking the outflows.

Here are some more pictures from the same walk. All ©nini.tjader.2015. Walk was done on Sunday July 12th 2015. You can click on an image to see a larger version. Reloading the page re-sorts the thumbnails.