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Practical information
Practical information and advice about Haparanda Sandskär Bird Observatory
Common information about Sandskär is available in the home page of http://www.innala.se, and www.bottenviken.se
The ringing site
The distance from Kumpula is 700 meters. The site is equipped with a small ringing hut and a toilet. There is no drinking water. A thermos bottle and a water bottle are recommended.
The ground where the nets are placed is often relatively dry, but the water level fluctuates considerably and sometimes certain nets are in such deep water that (knee)high rubber boots are needed. The grass is often damp, in particular early in the morning. Rubber boots are also needed when handling the wader cages.
Accommodation
The staff of the Bird Observatory uses a cabin in Kumpula belonging to the County Administrative Board of Norrbotten. The distance between the harbour and the cabin is about 150 meters. The cabin is equipped with four small rooms with two bunk beds with in total eight beds. A larger room with kitchen, a table, chairs and a workingplace. Two gas refrigerators, a gas stove with oven, a wood stove and full kitchen equipment.
There are pillows and quilts. Visitors should bring their own bed sheets (recommended) or sleeping bag and towels. If you bring a sleeping back you should anyway bring sheets and a pillow case.
The cabin is equipped with solar panels that is used for lamps and for the station computer. We do not have a lot of electricity, so remember to turn off the ligths. It is a good idea to bring candles if you come in August, September and October.
Food
Every staff member is responsible for his or her own food. There is no store on the island and you have to count on the risk of bad weather so that your stay on the island can be a few days longer than expected. So be sure to bring enough food!
Drinking water is carried from a well. There will be advise at the wells if you can drink the water.
There is complete kitchen equipment with china, glasses, cooking pots etc. However, you can not count on using the cooking pots to store food, since you share the kitchen eqipment with the other members of staff. If you wish to cook much and save cooked food until the next day you must bring your own jars and bags.
On Sandskär there is an abundance of lingonberries. They are ripe towards the end of August- September. With some sugar in your supplies you can have fresh lingonberry jam. Before the lingonberries there are blueberries and raspberries.
Food purchase
In Sangis is Coop Nära Sangis at Bagarvägen 2.
In Kalix, Strandgatan 8 you find ICA Supermarket.
Stora Coop Kalix, Strandgatan 22.
In Luleå there is Coop Konsum Loet (busstation).
Willys at Småbåtsgatan 3, 400 m SE of the railway station and about 500 m S of the bus station.
Equipment
Clothes for ringing need to be robust and give good protection against vegetation and insects. (There are no poisonous plants though). Avoid garmets with many buttons and details that can get caught in the nets when you extract birds.
During the first net rounds in the morning or after rain there may be much moisture in the vegetation, so that a pair of rain trousers and rubber boots are suitable, even when the weather is good. Rubber boots are also needed when handling wader cages and during periods with high water level. Both rubber boots and rain pants usually get quite a bit a wear, so it is a good idea to use an older pair. The observatory has two pairs of wader trousers for use when the water level gets extremely high.
Everyone is responsible for bringing his or her drinking water and enough food for the entire working day to the ringing site (well in Kumpula). If you wish to have something warm to drink you should bring a thermos bottle.
Sometimes birds get caught badly so that it is necessary to cut a few net strands. It is a good idea to bring a stitch ripper (comes together with a sewing machine) or small pair of scissors. Some ringers use a fine crocheting hook to catch difficult strands.
At the ringing site there are bird books, ringing equipment, first aid equipment and a washbowl for washing your hands that we usually fill with collected rain water.
After the ringing it often feels good with a bath, so bring beachwear and a towel for the sauna. Sandskär also has a nice beach.
From the beginning of August you would bring a flashlight and/or a headlamp.
Order
Keep good order in and around the cabin. When you leave the cabin the buckets and water carriers must be filled.
Garbage
Everyone brings their garbage back to the mainland. Paper can be burned in the stove. There are recycling stations in Sangis. At the recycling station garbage is sorted into the following fractions:
- Soft and hard plastics
- Metal containers
- Glass
- Newspaper
- Paper packages
Vegetable waste is emptied in the compost container located outside.
Personal care
All visitors on Sandskär are welcome to use the wood heated sauna close to the cottage and the new sauna close to the shore. Use is for free.
Toilets (privies) are found along the boardwalk from the harbor towards the chapel and in the west part of Kumpula along the way to the storage hut.
Weather
It is often drier and sunnier than on the mainland, but you must be prepared for rain and strong winds. During times of low pressure and strong southerly winds the water level may rise unpleasantly quickly. For more information about last seasons weather look at the link Väder.
Transports
See special information sheet here.
Internet
E-mail: hapsand@gmail.com
The mobile phone coverage on Sandskär is bad. It is sometimes possible to get contact in a few places such as close to the chapel and at the tip of the jetty. The best way to reach people on Sandskär is to send SMS messages that get through more easily than phone calls. We have mobile broadband and you can use it for WiFi-calls.
Mosquitoes
Do not forget to bring mosquito repellent. Count on both mosquitoes, horse flies, and gnats!
Tetanus and tick immunization
All staff members are requested to check their tetanus and tick immunizations. It is often difficult and expensive to arrange quick transport to a doctor.
Insurance
Everyone is responsible for his or her own accident insurance. During activities within the framework of Studiefrämjandet, the participants are insured with Länsförsäkringar in case of an accident.
First aid equipment
Is available both in the cabin in Kumpula and in the ringing hut.
Fishing
Fishing is allowed. The observatory does not have a boat.
Per diem
Many staff members work as volunteers, but ringers and assistants can also apply for a Per diem. The amount is 70 SEK per day. Per diem is granted to persons up till the age of 25. The Per diem is granted for days when the person is present at the observatory during regular ringing hours and participate in the ringing work. It is also granted if the ringing must be cancelled due to bad weather. The amount can be reduced for people who deviate markedly from following the observatory procedures.
The observatory pays for boat transportation for ringers and assistants between the mainland and Sandskär. For ringers and experienced assistants and persons up to 25 years of age who stay for two or more weeks we pay for verified transportation costs within Sweden up to 1000 SEK. For persons older than 25 we pay for verified transportation costs within Sweden up to 1000 SEK if the person stays for three or more weeks.
Contact information
Sandskärsgruppen
c/o Lena Stenman +46(0)70-667 00 18
Kalix
Boat transport
Rune Lindquist +46(0)923-67 12 53, +46(0)70-631 75 28