Late Night Expeditions

[Sylph]

Although Sweden can be beautiful and idylic during the summer, Sweden has a bad reputation when it comes to Mosquitos :redface: Some summers we get kind of a mosquito epidemics, we are use to it but I still hate it

*check, not going to Sweden in the summer* lol.

I heard certain foods are natural repellants. Can't remember what they are, but it's certainly interesting. Surely Sweden has frogs and lizards to control the population? Otherwise you'd be swarmed with them, because Mosquitos lay countless amounts of eggs, so many that not even 1/4 of populations in still water are eaten by fish and other species's larvae.

[Zet]

*check, not going to Sweden in the summer* lol.

I heard certain foods are natural repellants. Can't remember what they are, but it's certainly interesting. Surely Sweden has frogs and lizards to control the population? Otherwise you'd be swarmed with them, because Mosquitos lay countless amounts of eggs, so many that not even 1/4 of populations in still water are eaten by fish and other species's larvae.

We got frogs, few frogs. I saw 3 frogs tops last summer, but we moved this autumn close to lake Mälaren, so maybe there is more there Our last neighborhood was very close to the woods and neither near Eskilstuna river. I am not sure if we got many frogs in Sweden, I've my self but I've most my life lived in town away from the woods, swamps or lake. But that sounds pretty much about it, remembered one night as a kid we went with out theater group out of town to celebrate the good season. Frankly I've never seen so many mosquitoes :redface: My arms were swinging all time, couldn't let my guard down. I slept in the car that night, but it went ratter cold aswell and I don't like to sleep in a tent mile:

[Zet]

You don't have any fireflies where you live, do you? There aren't any where I live now, but when I lived in the Midwest there were tons of them. They are enchanting.




Edit: As an addendum, another species that is fantastic to watch in nature is the humming bird. I don't think they exist outside of the Western hemisphere, though.

Unfortunately we don't, I am not sure if they exists in Europe although Nature is a piece of art, unfortunately Mosquitoes aren't :biggrin: Doesn't the hummingbird exists in the Amazonian rain forest or somewhere near?

[Sylph]

We got frogs, few frogs. I saw 3 frogs tops last summer, but we moved this autumn close to lake Mälaren, so maybe there is more there Our last neighborhood was very close to the woods and neither near Eskilstuna river. I am not sure if we got many frogs in Sweden, I've my self but I've most my life lived in town away from the woods, swamps or lake. But that sounds pretty much about it, remembered one night as a kid we went with out theater group out of town to celebrate the good season. Frankly I've never seen so many mosquitoes :redface: My arms were swinging all time, couldn't let my guard down. I slept in the car that night, but it went ratter cold aswell and I don't like to sleep in a tent mile:

I heard you guys have something called the "Pool Frog" Pelophylax Lessonae out there, so I wouldn't be surprised .

Also, I heard the Swedish have a dance called the Sma Grodorna which means the little frog. Do you actually do this? :3

[Inchante]

We don't have fireflies . Although if we had them, they'd probably die of predation from our frogs & lizards or from the massive heat during the day and sometimes the night too. It can be warm here.

It's rumoured that we get hummingbirds down here, but I've never seen one personally. They say they come to our garden (known as the Botanical Garden), but I've never seen one there either, although there are reports of them coming here and there's even a flower here that they would feed on in other countries (can't remember it's name x.x )

Fireflies do well in hot humid climates. They tend to be more susceptible to cold climates. So, I don't know why there wouldn't be any where you live unless it is a matter of predation as you said or a matter of migration.

I know there are humming birds in the Caribbean. They range from Alaska and Northern Canada to South America. And, there are many types. You might try putting out a hummingbird feeder to attract them, if you want to see one. I know that come hummingbirds are particularly adapted to feeding on certain flowers, so that may effect whether a feeder would work with certain species. They are the smallest type of bird on the planet and they are very fast, that may be the reason why you haven't seen one or you might have confused one from a distance with a large insect. Here where I live, the most common types of hummingbirds are the Ruby Throated Hummingbird and the Rufus Hummingbirds.







Hummingbirds in the U.S. V.I.



Hummingbirds in Jamaica.

[Inchante]

Unfortunately we don't, I am not sure if they exists in Europe although Nature is a piece of art, unfortunately Mosquitoes aren't :biggrin: Doesn't the hummingbird exists in the Amazonian rain forest or somewhere near?

I agree with the mosquitoes. I hate them. I was looking fireflies up just a minute ago. It looked like they could be found in parts of Europe. You may just be too far north.

As far as hummingbirds. they are all over Canada, Alaska, the United States, the Caribbean, Mexico, the Amazon, etc.

[Zet]

We might got haven't checked it out anyhow :redface:

Haha Yeah thats an old corky Swedish Midsummer tradition :biggrin: Midsummer is wonderful tradition dating back to the Viking ages, it was suppose to celebrate the longest day under the summer solstice and the growth of of everything. In the most Northern part of Sweden (Like Lapland) doesn't even the sun goes down. I have really no idea why you dance "Små grodorna", but what you dance around is also pretty interesting, Its a pole which is suppose to symbolize fertility, but really it is suppose to look like an upside down penis and balls as it is the seeds of humans, our fertility :biggrin: The lyrics to the song translated would go something like:

The little frogs, the little frogs are funny to observe.

The little frogs, the little frogs are funny to observe.

No ears, no ears no tails do they possess.

No ears, no ears no tails do they possess.

Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack,

kou ack ack ack ack kaa.

Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack,

kou ack ack ack ack kaa.

Here is an link of the dance:

[Zet]

I agree with the mosquitoes. I hate them. I was looking fireflies up just a minute ago. It looked like they could be found in parts of Europe. You may just be too far north.

As far as hummingbirds. they are all over Canada, Alaska, the United States, the Caribbean, Mexico, the Amazon, etc.

Huh. I thought Hummingbird was a very exotic bird living in warm climates

I've never seen any fire flies ever, Neither in England, Finland, Denmark nor France, but I might only be there at the wrong season. is it any particular time that they live during the year? :tongue:

[Sylph]

Fireflies do well in hot humid climates. They tend to be more susceptible to cold climates. So, I don't know why there wouldn't be any where you live unless it is a matter of predation as you said or a matter of migration.

I know there are humming birds in the Caribbean. They range from Alaska and Northern Canada to South America. And, there are many types. You might try putting out a hummingbird feeder to attract them, if you want to see one. I know that come hummingbirds are particularly adapted to feeding on certain flowers, so that may effect whether a feeder would work with certain species. They are the smallest type of bird on the planet and they are very fast, that may be the reason why you haven't seen one or you might have confused one from a distance with a large insect. Here where I live, the most common types of hummingbirds are the Ruby Throated Hummingbird and the Rufus Hummingbirds.







Hummingbirds in the U.S. V.I.



Hummingbirds in Jamaica.

Really... I never knew that Fireflies actually like warm weather. I always thought they came out on cold nights, next to ponds and lakes :o . They definitely aren't aren't noticable if they are here.

If Hummingbirds are here, they must be really small, or elusive, because they definitely aren't common. In an Island full of flowery fauna, you'd think they'd be everywhere. We have butterflies and moths and bees feeding on flowers, but I don't think I've seen a Hummingbird. I'd have to definitely look that up. Cause I really want to see one .

[Sylph]

We might got haven't checked it out anyhow :redface:

Haha Yeah thats an old corky Swedish Midsummer tradition :biggrin: Midsummer is wonderful tradition dating back to the Viking ages, it was suppose to celebrate the longest day under the summer solstice and the growth of of everything. In the most Northern part of Sweden (Like Lapland) doesn't even the sun goes down. I have really no idea why you dance "Små grodorna", but what you dance around is also pretty interesting, Its a pole which is suppose to symbolize fertility, but really it is suppose to look like an upside down penis and balls as it is the seeds of humans, our fertility :biggrin: The lyrics to the song translated would go something like:

The little frogs, the little frogs are funny to observe.

The little frogs, the little frogs are funny to observe.

No ears, no ears no tails do they possess.

No ears, no ears no tails do they possess.

Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack,

kou ack ack ack ack kaa.

Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack,

kou ack ack ack ack kaa.

Here is an link of the dance:

That's cute . Kinda odd with the upside down penis thing, but it reminds me of our Gombeys, except they aren't allowed to talk. It's all dance and no talk .