Summer Field Recording at Västerbotten; The Hällögern Files #2

Late summer is a fantastic time to be in the far north of Sweden. In July 2024 I spent a month on the tiny island of Hällögern, field recording the many breeding species present on the island. This proved to be an overwhelming success. Because I had such a generous amount of time available to me, I was able to observe the birds carefully at the location, often managing to get my microphones into optimal positions. The result was a large amount of extremely high quality audio, which I will be sharing with listeners in this episode. This episode will transport you to the coast of Västerbotten in summer and allow full immersion into this wonderful part of the world..

Transcript

 

You are all very welcome to Wild Bird Acoustics. I'm your host, Alan Dalton, and I'll be taking you on a journey into sound.

Now welcome everybody to another episode here at Wild Bird Acoustics, in this episode, the Halle Garn Files two.

We're 📍  gonna be looking into the wonderful summer sounds along the coast of Vata Button in Northern Sweden. A wonderful part of the world.

As I sit and record this sound magazine, it is mid-September 2025. I'm actually going back up to the island in just a few days time for some autumn migration. Can't wait to get up there, do some field recording and collect yet more audio from this absolutely incredibly quiet location. It's a wonderful, wonderful place to record, in the meantime, let's just get stuck in, and I'm gonna start you off with Arctic turn. This is a very, very common species on the island, although this year there were less than usual. I'm gonna start you off with a wonderful Sennheiser recording.

Very, very clear recording, and it is of Arctic Turn at the north end of the island. Just giving some alarm calls over the coastline as I put my microphones down. A wonderful recording of these species. This is Arctic. Turn

  📍  

Now Arctic turn is not the only species of turn on the island, and Caspian turn is very, very regular. And summer, I have had them breeding on the island in a number of seasons, although this year I don't think they bred on the island, but they did breed summer close by.

I got some wonderful recordings of the species. I'm gonna start you off with the calls of an adult bird on the 21st of July, 2025. This bird just coming in in the evening to feed a young bird that was present on the island. A wonderful raucous call. Quite incredible. Quite like Gray Heron, but a little bit different.

I, I'll play the recording now. This is adult Casian turn.

  📍  

Here's another recording from the same evening, the same adult birds moving around the island, and some slightly different shorter calls here. Again, Caspian turn adults and it's notable just the background here of insects, the home of insects in the forest. And it was quite remarkable to get this kind of background in the recordings.

This is Adult Caspian Turn once again.

  

 📍 Now as mentioned, there was a juvenile on the island and juvenile Caspian turn sounds entirely different to the adults. In this recording, you're gonna hear both juvenile and adult calls starting off with a juvenile flying in looking for the adult. The adult gets up and starts flying around, and you will hear the ruckus calls of the adult bird as well.

Now this recording was made with a Drop R

the microphones were long uc micros, and these have been an absolute boon in 2025. Again, there's a wonderful, wonderful drone from the insects here in the background. There some herding goal as well. But listen carefully, this is a wonderful recording, both juvenile and adult Caspian. Turn. I.

  📍  



 Now before we move on from the species, one more recording of Caspian turn. Quite wonderful. This one as well. This one with the Sennheiser array, and again, it's in the evening. Again, it's Caspian terns In the background, there's various gold species. There's also a waiter species Closer to the microphone, you can hear some wing flutter, and I think even some sort of a bill snapping episode that goes on at one point.

But the main species here, once again is Caspian turn.

  📍  

No, we'll move forward to the first couple of days of August and. At that time, a number of bramlin moved onto the island, and this is quite normal in early August. The species breeds around the woods on the mainland, and in this recording you're gonna hear some calls of bramlin just moving around the forest, some young birds and some adle birds, as well as a calling lesser white throat.

Now there've just been a shower of rain and I got the recorders out, these sennheisers, and in the background you can hear some dripping onto a metal roof here. Which is a little bit distracting, but the main species here is Bramlin calling in the woods and listen carefully for the ticking call of lesser white throat, as well as the calls of Gold Crest in the background.

The.

  

 📍  

Another recording of Ling and Chaffing. Now, this time recorded with the La Micros, the e lavalier mics. Again, a drop break Recording. This is a very, very typical sound in the Woodlands and also in the background,

and also in the background, as you will hear, the calls of young blots moving around the woodland, just behind the cabin on the island. Have a listen, folks. I.

  📍  

Next up a beautiful recording of a very, very common species, which is common chaffing. Now, common chaffing is probably one of the most common species here in Sweden, but as I always say, never overlook common birds, and the background here is quite nice. There's just a creaking branch, which I always like as a bit of ambience in the woods.

This was taken early in the evening on the 28th of July, 2025. This is a calling. Common chaffing against the background of Woodlands.

  Um,  Uh,

Um,

Um,

Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um  Um,  uh,

Uh,

uh  huh.

Uh  huh.

I  don't  know,  but  I'm  gonna  take  a  minute.   📍 Alright,  I'm  gonna  start  recording,  and  then  I'll  let  you  know.  Bye.  Bye.  Bye.  Bye.  Thank  you  for  watching.

Now I absolutely love the island in the summer, and there's certain sounds, just bring me straight back there. And one of those is common goal. Now common goal is common breeding species on the island. And each year I kind of go around the island. Just meaning to record more of them is quite a wonderful sound.

I'm gonna play you an early morning soundscape here, and in the background you're gonna hear feeding arctic turns, but the main species here is the calls, various calls of common goals, a pair just sitting on a boulder close to the recorder, giving some wonderful, wonderful sounds. Also listen out right at the end for a fly by red breasted ganzer.

But once again, the main species here is common goal.

  

 📍  

Now when I'm on the island in the summer, I just love to sit out in the evening and just listen to the sounds of the various bird species on the island. And common goal quite often just dominates the soundscape. I'm gonna play one more recording here, A typical recording of the evening display of common goals on the islands.

Like I say, it's just typical of the island, and as soon as I hear recordings like this just. Brings me straight, straight back up there. This is a particularly nice recording of a pair of Dueting common goals in the evening on the 29th of July, 2025.

  

 📍  



 Now the next sound recording I have for you is a wonderful dawn soundscape. It's quite a lot going on here. It starts off with a great spotted woodpecker calling in the woods, followed by various calls of hued crow, very typical species up north now there's also the calls of green chank in the background.

Quite a lot of common sandpipers moving around offshore, giving various calls, then white, white tail flying over as well as goldcrest in the woods. But after a couple of minutes comes the bugling call the dawn display of common crane just drifting across the water over to the island. And for me, this is one of the iconic sounds of Northern Sweden.

It's quite beautiful. This is a wonderful, wonderful sound. This is the sound, the Dawn display of Common Crane in Northern Sweden on the 29th of July, 2025.

  📍  

Now another early morning recording for you, and again, an awful lot going on. Before I play the recording, I will say the main species here is field fair, and on the island there were a few pairs breeding, and by the mid part of July. There was quite a few juveniles moving around at little parties giving calls, and I got this wonderful recording on the morning of the 15th of July.

Now, as mentioned, an awful lot going on in the background. There's red breasts and ganzer moving around, calling Red Cross pills, going over lap wing and the distance. Listen carefully for the calls of Wood. Sandpiper already starting to go through on passage. The high calls of song thrush from nearby Hood Crow.

Of course Arctic Turn in the background. As always, a couple of calls of Blackboard and Blue T. We'll have a listen to the recording now. It's a fantastic recording of a party of juvenile field fairs.

Just moving around, feeding and calling. I.

  

 📍  



now, what a difference a day makes 24 hours later. Same place, same island, same species. This is recording of field fair once again, but by this stage the wind was up and it was moving through the forest at a rate of nuts leading to an incredible ambience in the background Now very, very windy. As I say, a lot of noise from the forest in the background and also the high squeaking of various branches in the trays.

Sounding almost like common goal at times, but the main species here is juvenile field fair, giving much quieter calls. This time, just listen for them sitting in dense cover, waiting for the wind to pass over. This is field fair. Juveniles once again at Halligan on the 16th of July, 2025.

  

 📍  

Next up, what I'm sure is going to be a very typical coastline sound for many listeners and is the long call of Herring goal. It's actually quite a common species on the island. It's something I hadn't really recorded properly until this year, and I was delighted to get this recording of a bird long calling.

You can hear one distance and then it's answered by the closer bird to the microphone. Again, this is with the Sennheiser array, an incredibly clear recording, and I quite like this one. This is herring gold, giving long calls on the morning of the 29th of July, 2025.

  A a, a 📍 

Now one of the things I like to do when I'm on the island is a little bit of fishing and some evenings what I do is just go out. I do a bit of fishing, catch a bit of tea, and bring it back and prepare the fish for eating.

And of course, I have a lot of awful leftover now. Often what I do is put down the ER array and leave the awful out on the rough. And it doesn't take long before the goals come in. And that's what you're gonna hear in this recording. It's birds coming in to feed on awful. I've left out. It's quite remarkable.

Quite a racket. When it gets going, you can hear them assemble at the beginning. This common goal, blackhead a goal herding goal. And listen for the really deep guttal calls of great black back goal. That's laris. Marinas, the biggest of them all. I quite like these recordings. Very, very loud, very, very boisterous.

And the birds are just arguing or fighting over food. I'll play it for you now. This is recorded on the 2nd of August, 2025.

 Water!

Water!  Water!  Water!

Um,

Uh,  Uh,  Ha  ha  ha  ha  ha  ha  ha  ha  ha  ha  ha  ha  ha!

Um,

Uh,

Um,  Um,  Ah,

Hahahaha!

Um,  Um  Ah  ah,  um,  Um,

Um

Um 📍 

.

Now when I got to the island this year, I was delighted to find that there were plenty of common kestrel around, including an adult male and a batch of newly fledged juveniles.

I got some wonderful recordings of these birds, and in this next recording you can hear a number of juvenile birds moving around. Begging for food from an incoming male bird. This is a very nice recording. In the background is common goal. Also red breasted ganzer, as well as some singing goldcrest calling Goldcrest in the background.

But the main subject here is common kestrel. I.

  

 📍  

Now we'll stay on Kestrel for a minute. Slightly more atypical calls here. Not what I'm familiar with at all. And this came from an adult male bird on the evening of the 1st of August, 2025. Once again, adult male common kestrel. This bird was molting quite heavily and spent quite a lot of time on the island, and sometimes I think it was just seeking a bit of peace from the juveniles.

We'd spent most of their time on the mainland. So once again, some more unusual calls from adult male kestrel.

  📍  

Now another breeding species on the island is red breast Ganser very, very common and a regular site around the island in the summer are large broods of this species. They often have crush systems and you might see one or two females or up to 30 or 40 young on occasion. They do make some wonderful sounds.

I'm gonna play a recording now of these species just flying around, going very close to the Sennheiser Array, and this is quite a nice recording. There are a few song thrush here at the beginning of the recording. Also in the background, some common goal, but no mistaking the main species here.

Very close to the microphones at certain stages. This is flight calls from red breasted Meg answer.

  Um,  uh,  Um,

Uh,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um,  Um  uh,  uh,  uh 📍 

Now next up, one of my favorite summer species, red Cross Bill. By July, these birds are moving around the forest in large flocks at times, quite often moving over the mainland, and I do get quite a few on the island. You're gonna hear a lovely recording of a flock of birds just moving through at the back of the cabin and in the background, some blackhead of goals and common goals as usual.

But one of my favorite recordings, quite a short recording. From the summer period, late July, 2025, this is Red Cross Bills.

  

 📍  

Now coming towards the end of the episode, I'm gonna play you an absolutely wonderful recording now of red throw to diver just moving out over the island at dawn. The feed at sea.

A sound. You will only hear a fairly northern latitude, so quite a special sound. I think in the background. Here is some red breast Ganza calling and moving around some gold crest, a few other species.

There's no doubting the main sound here. A wonderful recording with the Sennheiser array of the flight. Call of Red Throat at Diver. Have listened to this folks.

  

 📍  

Now the last recording I have for you, I think quite a rare recording and it's a species that's very difficult to actually sound record and that is velvet scoter. Now I'll put an awful lot of effort in for the species over the years, so I was thrilled to get this recording this summer. I'd been at it for a few evenings.

I knew I'd been watching the birds where they were coming into roost. They did change location quite often, but eventually I struck gold. Now what you're gonna hear in this recording is a large group of velvets coders, seven or eight birds, probably mostly juveniles and possibly a single adult female.

Quite difficult to tell from the plumage, but certainly all female colored birds and mostly juveniles, something spooks 'em at the start. They're in roosting on the rocks and early in the morning they're suddenly flushed off the rocks. But the fantastic thing about this recording was he stayed in the area.

They return, they circle, they return, they circle, and they give some wonderful fly calls as they move around the microphones. It's a stunning recording with these Sennheiser array. Once again, in the background, there's Blackbird tucking away and some calls of song thrush, but an absolutely wonderful recording here of Velvet Scoter at Halligan on the 26th of July, 2025.

  Thats

it! 📍 

So there you go folks. That's another episode done, and I hope you have enjoyed the recordings. It's wonderful to be on the island, but it's also wonderful to have so much time on your hands, and that gave me the time to get the recordings I was looking for. And that's the key. Sometimes, you know, you're not too rushed. You can watch the birds, you can stake them out, you can just see what they're doing, where they're returning to, all that type of thing, and you can get your microphones into position. And with the Sennheiser microphones, you know, if you can get them close to the birds, the sound is quite incredible. They're really, really amazing microphones, and I think that will stand out in this episode. It's very, very nice to get such high quality audio, not just of common species, but of some of my target species as well, Northern specialties, like red tr diver and velvet scoter.

So at the end of the day, I was just very, very happy to get these recordings and I'm very, very happy to be able to share with you guys the listeners here at Weill Bird Acoustics,

that's all from me, Alan Dalton here at the podcast. We'll see again folks in a couple of weeks. Take it easy. I.

 So that brings us to the end of another episode of Wild Bird Acoustics, and I hope you've enjoyed it. As always, you can find us on YouTube by simply searching for wild bird acoustics. We do have a mailing list also, and if you want to be part of that folks, you can drop us an email at Wild Bird acoustics@gmail.com.

Now all feedback is greatly received here at the podcast. And if you'd like to write review of the podcast, you can do so at the buzzsprout header page. In addition, if you'd like to make a small financial donation to the podcast, you can do so using the buy me a Coffee button, and you'll find that also on the Buzzsprout header page.

We will be back in a couple of weeks with more from wild bird acoustics. Until then, take it easy, folks, and as always, don't be afraid to get out into the field and relax and just listen to the wildlife out there. Maybe even do a little bit of field recording of your own. We'll talk to you soon, folks.

Take it easy. That's all from Wild Bird Acoustics.