October at Friskens fotogömsle in Sweden
In October 2024, I made my third visit to Friskens Fotogömsle in southern Sweden, returning earlier than usual this year with one goal in mind: to capture wild eagles and other birds of prey set against the stunning autumn colors – and perhaps, to finally see the elusive Golden Eagle or Black Kite.
About Friskens Fotogömsle
Friskens Fotogömsle (Swedish for photo hide) is a premier wildlife photography hide in southern Sweden near Vittskövle. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting twice previously with fellow photographer @mariusfolkmann. During our trips, we captured fantastic images of White-Tailed Eagles in their natural habitat.
Friskens is known for offering exceptional opportunities to photograph eagles, kites, and other birds of prey up close. Unlike many other hides, there’s no glass barrier between your camera and the wildlife; instead, the lens is placed through a small opening in the wall, allowing for unobstructed shots right outside the hide, providing ideal conditions for bird photography.
Like many photography hides, you must enter Friskens before sunset and remain inside until the sun has fully set in the evening. We usually arrive the day before our shoot and sleep in the hide, allowing us to wake up at 6 AM and prepare for the day ahead. Starting in 2024, Friskens offers nearby accommodation, but we still prefer the experience of sleeping inside the hide, ready to capture the first light and the wildlife it brings.
Could it be?
We woke about 6AM and prepared the hide and camera equipment for the day. As on previous visits, the morning began with a flurry of activity in front of the hide just before sunrise. Around 10-15 White-Tailed Eagles soared overhead, joined by about 10 Red Kites circling the feeding grounds. But amid the White-Tailed Eagles, something unusual caught our eye. There it was—our first Golden Eagle at Friskens Fotoglömsle! What an incredible sight!
Golden Eagle
Short video of the Golden Eagle in front of the hide
The Golden Eagle is a large bird of prey, but it’s highly cautious and quickly detects any sudden camera movement. I suspect it noticed us in the hide at one point, as it flew 10-15 meters away and stared intently at the hide for a while. We stayed perfectly still and avoided moving our cameras, which eventually convinced the eagle to return to the feeding frenzy in front of us. This gave us plenty of opportunities to photograph it.
While the Golden Eagle was the highlight of our trip, we also captured photos of the White-Tailed Eagle, Common Buzzards, Red Kits and even some Common Starlings.
Read more about Friskens Fotogömsle at friskensgomsle.se or see my previous posts about my first visit in January 2023 and second visit in November 2023.