Michael Nordeman Photography @michaelnordeman - Tumblr Blog

Mountain hare/Lepus timidus/skogshare. Nåtö nature reserve, Åland (25 May 2026).

#mountain hare #hares #mammals #lagomorphs #åland #nåtö

Grass snake/Natrix natrix/snok. Värmland, Sweden (25 July 2020).

#grass snake #snakes #reptiles #colubridae

Eurasian red squirrel/Sciurus vulgaris/ekorre. Värmland, Sweden (25 July 2025).

#eurasian red squirrel #squirrels #rodents #mammals #sciuridae

Värmland, Sweden (25 July 2023).

#forest #woods #marsh #fungi #photographers on tumblr

A young European green woodpecker/Picus viridis/gröngöling with a muddy bill after digging for ants. Unlike many other woodpeckers, the European green woodpecker often feeds on the ground, where it uses its long, sticky tongue to extract ants and their larvae from nests hidden beneath the soil. Värmland, Sweden (25 July 2023).

#european green woodpecker #woodpeckers #birds #picidae #juvenile birds

European hare/Lepus europaeus/fälthare. Värmland, Sweden (25 July 2021).

#european hare #brown hare #hares #lagomorphs #mammals

It is my great pleasure to introduce the newest member of our little flock, Fjalar.

Fjalar is a young Öländsk dvärghöna (Öland bantam) rooster, hatched last summer. He is not here to replace our beloved Aron, who faithfully watched over the hens for so many years and whose place in our hearts will always be his alone. Instead, Fjalar arrives to begin his own journey, to build his own story and, in time, leave his own mark on our little flock. He follows in a proud tradition established by Rufus and Aron, two remarkable roosters who each cared for their hens in their own way.

I must admit that it feels rather special to hear a rooster crowing across the garden once again. It is a sound I have missed far more than I realised.

The hens seem to have taken the arrival of their new gentleman very much in their stride. And Hedda in particular, who was always especially fond of Aron, already seems quite pleased that such a handsome young man has moved into the neighbourhood.

Fjalar's name comes from Norse mythology. In the poem Völuspá, a rooster named Fjalar crows to herald the coming of Ragnarök, the end of the world. Fortunately, the only thing this Fjalar is announcing here in Käxsundet is a happy new chapter for our much-loved feathered family.

Värmland, Sweden (25 July 2026).

#fjalar #öländsk dvärghöna #bantam #chickens #rooster #my family

Wood pigeon/Columba palumbus/ringduva. Värmland, Sweden (24 July 2023).

#common wood pigeon #pigeons #columbidae #birds #photographers on tumblr

Mallard/Anas platyrhynchos/gräsand. Brussels, Belgium (24 July 2022).

#mallard #wild duck #ducks #birds #anatidae #belgium #brussels

Värmland, Sweden (24 July 2021).

#garden #rowan #plants #photographers on tumblr

Eurasian red squirrel/Sciurus vulgaris/ekorre. Värmland, Sweden (24 July 2021).

#eurasian red squirrel #squirrels #rodents #mammals #sciuridae

White-tailed bumblebee/Bombus lucorum/ljus jordhumla. Värmland, Sweden (24 July 2020).

#white tailed bumblebee #bumblebees #bees #insects #apidae

European peacock/Aglais io/påfågelöga, Silver-washed fritillary/Argynnis paphia/silverstreckad pärlemorfjäril, and Common brimstone/Gonepteryx rhamni/citronfjäril. Värmland, Sweden (24 July 2020).

#european peacock #silver washed fritillary #common brimstone #butterflies #insects

Great spotted woodpecker/Dendrocopos major/större hackspett. Värmland, Sweden (24 July 2019).

#great spotted woodpecker #woodpeckers #birds #picidae #juvenile birds

Your Åland photos are giving me such a nostalgia hit! I used to visit there with my family in the summers a lot when I was a kid, but now I haven't been there in years...

I'm glad they're bringing back good memories for you! I completely fell in love with Åland myself, and I'm certain I'll be back. It has such a special atmosphere (the flora, the history, the birds!), and I found myself wishing I'd planned an even longer stay.

The good news is that there are plenty more photos to come. I've only worked my way through about a third of the pictures I took during my trip in May, so Åland will keep making appearances on my blog for quite a while yet. I hope they'll bring back a few more happy memories along the way.