The Caatinga
The Caatinga is the largest dry forest region in South America and certainly one of the riches desert vegetations in the world. It encompasses the interior part of northeastern Brazil and about 10% of the surface area of the country. The habitat is a xeric shrubland and thorn forest, which consists primarily of small, thorny trees. The name "Caatinga" is a Tupi word meaning "white forest" which is understood to represent the dry period of the regions two distinguishable seasons: a hot and dry winter, and a cold and rainy summer. During the dry winter periods there is no foliage or undergrowth, as plants try to conserve water. With all the foliage and undergrowth dead during the drought periods the Caatinga has a yellow-grey, desert-like look. The drought usually ends in December or January when the rainy season starts. Immediately after the first rains the desert-like landscape starts to transform and becomes completely green within a few days. This is the breeding season for most birds and the time of the year when I made my one week visit in 2019.
This unique scrubland provides habitat for an array of flora and fauna. The birdlife consists of over 350 species, whereas 50 of those are endemic to the region and includes two of the most threatened birds in the world, the Indigo Macaw and Spix Macaw (now believed extinct in the wild). Unfortunately, this is a biotope under severe threat. At least 50% of the Caatinga has already been either completely converted from its native vegetation or modified in a major way. This makes the Caatinga the second most degraded ecosystem in Brazil, following the Atlantic Rainforest which has lost over 80% of its original cover.
Wild Scandinavia
Growing up in Stockholm, Sweden meant that the Scandinavian nature was the first and most accessible source of inspiration. The Scandinavian countries experience four very distinct season from the cold, snowy winters, the blossoming spring with the arrival of migratory birds, followed by the summer months of midnight sun and lastly the typically colorful but darkening autumns. Swedish nature is often associated with the northern mountain range that connects with the arctic tundra in the far north. Home to unique shorebirds, grouses and passerines during the summers. This is one of the best places in the world to see these birds in their breeding plumages and in an open, undisturbed landscape. Another typical habitat is the deep boreal forest that dominates the interior landscape from north to south. A visit in a Scandinavian boreal forest is a opposite experience to a forest in Southern Europe, or even more so, a rainforest in a tropical region. The biotope of a Nordic forest is much more monotone, and the fauna is quite small. Large mammals such as bears, wolves, and lynx call this their natural habitat but are rare to see except from of an established hide. Likewise, it can be a struggle finding the birds, but this is the home of some very iconic species such as the Western Capercaillie, Black Woodpecker and several Owls. I have spent many hours in the field to capture these birds and every encounter is a huge reward.
Amazonia
The Amazonian rainforest is the largest and most diverse ecosystem in the world and the majority of the forest is exist within Brazil, with around 60%. This spectacular habitat is home to about 2.5 million insect species, tens of thousands of plants, and some 2,000 birds and mammals. One in five of all bird species are found in the Amazon rainforest, and one in five of the fish species live in Amazonian rivers and streams. Scientists have described between 96,660 and 128,843 invertebrate species in Brazil alone. Wet tropical forests are the most species-rich biome, and tropical forests in the Americas are consistently more species rich than the wet forests in Africa and Asia. As the largest tract of tropical rainforest in the Americas, the Amazonian rainforests have unparalleled biodiversity. One in ten known species in the world lives in the Amazon rainforest. This constitutes the largest collection of living plants and animal species in the world. The facts listed above can only give a small image of the huge importance to protect it. The rainforest has been in existence for at least 55 million years but has never seen such quick changes as in recent years.
I am very thankful to have made two trips to this wast state and ecosystem in western Brazil. The first visit in 2010 was to Pousada Rio Roosevelt in the southern part of Amazonas. At the time this was a newly opened lodge with one option of access, by plane. Together with my dear friend Edson Endrigo, me and my family flew a propeller plane for one hour over an untouched mass of green to land on what was simply a dirt road in the forest. This visit gave the opportunity to observe newly discovered species to science in a very unexplored terrain. My second visit started in Manaus, which is the largest city in the Amazon basin with its 1.8 million inhabitants. Despite being a huge city, the rainforest is ever present and a quick drive outside the center takes you to a canopy tower that gave fantastic views of Woodpeckers, Puffbirds and Tanagers. This trip was later continued to the northern most state of Roraima on the border to Venezuela.
The search for the Aquatic Warbler
The Aquatic Warbler is considered vulnerable and its’ overall breeding range has contracted significantly during recent decades. About 80% of the world population is concentrated to very locally distributed places of the right habitat in NW Ukraine, NE Poland and SW Belarus. Together with some friends I made a weeklong trip to Poland in search for this threatened Warbler. The preferred habitat is open, eutrophic marshes dominated by sedge up to 80 cm tall. Finding these well camouflaged birds is based heavily on knowing their song, but even that proved challenging in areas with large numbers of similarly sounding and looking Sedge Warblers. After two days of searching we found a place with at least five pairs in a well-protected area.
Southeastern Brazil
The southernmost states of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina marks the beginning of the South American Pampas. An area of lowland vegetation dominated of a treeless grassy prairie in which numerous species of birds are specialized too. During the winter large numbers of shorebirds and waterfowl from North America concentrate along the coasts. The culture of the pampas is dominated by farming. The gauchos are a national symbol in Argentina and Uruguay but is also a strong culture in the far south region of Brazil. The skilled farmers became greatly admired and renowned in legends, folklore and literature and an important part of the regional cultural tradition. The strong connection with the nature is embedded in the culture and has contributed to an interest in the wildlife even if these habitats also remain threatened by other forces.
The Faroe Islands
This North Atlantic archipelago is located 300 km north-northwest of the United Kingdom and about halfway to Iceland. It is famous for a beautiful landscape of small islands with a dramatic scenery of waterfalls into the ocean, steep cliffs and high mountains. The isolated piece of land in the Atlantic Ocean have also become a heaven for many seabirds. My visit in the beginning of May was timed with the start of the breeding season for Fulmars, Puffins and Gannets. And it was a great opportunity to observe the huge quantities of birds breeding in these waters. The constant noise, the sheer numbers of birds and the vibrant life of a bird cliff is an unforgettable experience.
Besh Barmag, Azerbaijan
Both the breeding bird population and the potential of migratory birds are unexplored in Azerbaijan compared to other places in the Middle East which made this trip very exciting. Besh Bermag is one of the most famous mountains in the Caucasus and a sacred place for regular visitation by pilgrims. My short stay in late autumn was a collaboration with the youth organization for Swedish Birdlife with the interest in the location as a bottleneck for birds. A bottleneck means that the migratory birds are forced to pass over the site as they are pushed in from both sides, the mountains to the west and the Caspian Sea to the east. The place has become famous in recent years for the large numbers of Little Bustards and larks during the autumn. Above that our group found the very rare Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti) which was only the 5th record for Azerbaijan at the time. But also, a Yellow-browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus), which was later published as the 1st record of the country in the scientific magazine Sandgrouse by OSME.
Ebro Delta, Belchite & Pyreneese, Spain
Spain holds one of Europes largest diversity of birds. The famous Doñana National Park in Andalusia with marshes, shallow streams, and sand dunes and the equivalent lowlands in the east at the Ebro Delta. The mountains and forests of Extremadura in the central of Spain to the Pyrenees on the border to France. The big national parks are sanctuaries for birds of prey, songbirds and waterfowl. European specialities such as the Dupont Lark, Spanish Imperial Eagle and Wallcreepers are sought-after species.
Wonders of Costa Rica
Costa Rica stands out in the region of Central America by its long-standing and stable democracy and for its highly educated workforce. Its economy, once heavily dependent on agriculture, has diversified to include sectors such as ecotourism and nature preservation. Costa Rica has very successfully incorporated its natural resource in a sustainable way. A coast to both the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east diversifies the nature and explains the nearly 1000 bird species observed in the country. The national bird and the icon for this ecotourism is the Resplendent Quetzal.
Italy from north to south
The architecture in Rome is world known. The colosseum with the roman remains, the Vatican church and the river Tiber shapes the city. It this city of culture small pockets of nature is inhabited by birds. Gulls patrol the riverside and find opportunities too get food from tourists. In the Italian south outside the coast of the Italian mainland lays the island Sicily, another Italian paradise. The summer here is shaped by a hot Mediterranean weather.
The American East Coast
The East Coast of the United States is the coastline along which the Eastern United States meets the North Atlantic Ocean. From Maine in the north to Florida in the south. This gallery consists of a road trip in New York, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The stretch consists of many national parks. The Cape Hatteras is a thin, broken strand of islands in North Carolina that arch out into the Atlantic Ocean away from the US mainland. For thousands of years these barrier islands have survived onslaughts of wind and sea. Long stretches of beach, sand dunes, marshes, and maritime forests create a unique environment where wind and waves shape the topography. The oceans outside is home to numerous rare seabirds and much of the beaches are protected for threatened shorebirds. Further south in Tennessee lays the Blue Ridge Mountains. These forests are home to many songbirds and animals as well as a beautiful scenery. The mountain range are noted for having a bluish color when seen from a distance.
Sal & Santiago, Cap Verde
Cape Verde is an archipelago of 10 volcanic islands in the central Atlantic Ocean about 500km outside Africa’s east coast. It forms part of the Macaronesia ecoregion, along with the Azores, Canary Islands and Madeira. Cape Verde has few natural resources. Only five of the ten main islands normally support significant agricultural production and over 90% of all food consumed in Cape Verde is imported. Despite that the country has seen significant economical growth and development. Tourism has been an important part in that. The small island of Sal, which means salt, is largely covered in sand. During my visit the beaches were slowly taken over by construction sites for new hotels. Despite that the local culture remained prominent, at least when I made my visit. The island of Santiago is an opposite ecologically, very green and with high mountains. Because of the islands isolated location it has a handful of endemic birds and unique wildlife.
Pamukkale, Turkey
Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli in southwestern Turkey. The area is famous for the carbonate mineral left by the flowing water. Tourism is and has been a major industry in the area for thousands of years, due to the attraction of the thermal pools. As recently as the mid-20th century, hotels were built over the ruins of Hierapolis, causing considerable damage. An approach road was built from the valley over the terraces, and motor bikes were allowed to go up and down the slopes. When the area was declared a World Heritage Site, the hotels were demolished, and the road removed and replaced with artificial pools. Pamukkale is situated in Turkey's Inner Aegean region which is a place full of birdlife.
Atlantic rainforest
The Atlantic rainforest, also known as Mata Atlântica, encompasses a variety of tropical forest habitats—from dry forests to moist forests to coastal mangroves that previously extended along the entire Atlantic coast of Brazil and inland as far as Paraguay and the Misiones Province of Argentina. Historically this tropical rainforest made up over a 1.2 million square kilometers (about a quarter of the size of the Amazon), but after centuries of deforestation for timber, sugar cane, coffee, cattle ranching, and urban sprawl the Atlantic rainforest has declined by well over 90%. From approximately 1,233,900 square kilometers originally to 99,950 square kilometers means that it survives largely in small, degraded patches and protected areas today.
Although nearly adjacent to the Amazon rainforest, the Atlantic rainforest has always been isolated from its larger neighbor. It is, in fact, more ancient than the Amazon. Being cut off from other tropical forests has allowed the Atlantic rainforest to evolve unique ecosystems, which harbor a large number of species found no-where else on Earth. The Atlantic Forest is characterized by a high biodiversity and endemism, 60% of Brazil's endangered species are in the Atlantic rainforest. The enormous variety of species can partly be explained by the fact that the Atlantic winds makes this forest cooler than the Amazon, with average temperatures that vary from 14-21 C. This contributes to the enormous variety of ecosystems with specialized plants and animals that the forest shelters. The endemic species in this region are especially vulnerable to extinction due to fragmentation because of their small geographic ranges and low occurrence.
California, United States
California is a huge state, the 3rd largest in the U.S., and has despite an expanding urban sprawl and large agricultural presence held a long tradition of natural conservation. One of the most iconic national parks in the country, the Yosemite NP, is the third oldest national park in the US. Conservation. It may also be the most diverse in the United States of America. Of the Lower 48 conterminous states, California has the greatest diversity in climate, terrain and geology. The state's six life zones are the lower Sonoran (desert); upper Sonoran (foothill regions and coastal lands); transition (coastal areas and moist northeastern counties); and the Canadian, Hudsonian, and Arctic zones, comprising California's highest elevations. California’s diverse geography gives rise to dozens of different ecosystems, each of which has its own unique native plants and animals.
The state of contains a long coastline to the Pacific Ocean with shores that offers superb wildlife-watching opportunities, including whale- and birdwatching. The cool, but nutrient-rich, Pacific Ocean supports healthy populations of fish, crustaceans and mollusks which in turn feed an abundance of seabirds and marine mammals. The grassy coastal meadows and tangled, ferny woodlands of laurel, oak and alder make for a perfect feeding place for butterflies, foxes and deer. California is also famous for several estuaries and wetlands. Even though only a few of California’s major river mouths and wetlands have been left undeveloped, some are protected, providing feeding and breeding areas for migratory and resident birds. Further inland the state contains a desert grassland. Though plain and brown for much of the year, it doesn’t take much spring rain for the arid grasslands to burst into glorious technicolor. The famous Joshua trees, a distinctive yucca with clumps of spiky leaves also exists here. California’s mighty sequoias, California redwood and the giant sequoia are perhaps the state’s most distinctive trees. This gallery represents one of my first trips outside of Sweden with a camera with visits in Point Reyes, Yosemite NP, Mono Lake and along the coast from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural symbols and as works of art. Historical civilizations are often identified with their surviving architectural achievements. In the beginning of my photographic career I found much inspiration in the urban landscape. This gallery is a collection of architectural symmetry from around the world, but mainly the Scandinavian countries.