21 June 2014 and 19 July 2014 A geolocial visit

June 21, 2014
It is being built a house near the parking lot. Are yet a place for parking. This visit is a geological excursion. The valley is known for its fossil-rich shale with trilobites and above all graptolites from the Ordovician 450 million years ago. In a shale wall is also be a centimeter wide stripe formed by volcanic ash for about 460 million years ago. Then Skåne was situated in southern hemisphere and a few hundred meters below sea level.

Next to the trail along the trail Rögle creek is a water-filled pit. Memories of limestone mining. Pawing among the rocks, find nothing here. Make some excursions in the stream. Twist and turn on the shale pieces. Find nothing.

Following the path that goes upstream of the creek Sularpsbäcken in the valley. The path winds on the slope. Signs of Geology signs - G marks. Feels at times like a virgin forest. Passing a large stone. Further up the valley, by a low stone wall, to the left is farm land, is a steep down to a meadow by the stream. A wooden staircase goes down there. Down there is a shale wall visible. Tree struggling to hang on.

A sign tells us that this is a point of reference, a boundary between two different geological time periods. One of the two in Sweden. Read more at: GSSP-Fågelsångsdalen It mentions that there is a golden bolt in the wall. Did not read it properly, so we did not see it at this visit.

In the shale wall is a centimeter wide stripe. It must be the deposit from the volcanic eruption. Searching among shale pieces lying on the ground. Looking for fossils. It shall contain graptolites, a class within the pharyngeal crowding animals, developed during the Ordovician and died out in the Permian. Break a piece of shale.. Something like a graptolit. Do not know for sure, is no expert.

It is a beautiful place. The creek makes a turn. Forming a meadow between the stream and shale wall. Coffee with danish pastry sitting on the edge of the creek.

July 19, 2014
Make a return visit to find the golden spike. Did not know it and did not see it previous visit. Just left of the information sign is the place. Not very golden.

Go exploring the upstream. Starting with a jump of 1.5 meters, short approach, across the creek. It is lush and beautiful along the stream. Leaving the mainstream through a stile.

March 14, 2015
The path goes from the bike path between Lund and Södra Sandby down the valley. Taking the first bridge over the creek to the north side. Following the stream downstream of its northern side. Pathless and a little tricky, fully passable. Find a Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem almost flowering, a Lesser Celandine is flowering. Over the river hang hazel, its small flowers are red. Coming up to the stone bridge over the creek. Here it stops, there is no pass-through may climb over the fence. The bridge is blocked, large holes in the road. Crosses it at your own risk. Then follow the path on the south side of the valley back. At a tree is a great tuft with snowdrops. Go down to the creek. Coffee on a tree trunk, surrounded by snowdrops. Children playing on the other side of the creek.

May 4, 2013: I'm lazy today and drive to Fågelsångsdalen (Birdsong Valley). Do normally take a bike ride there. Four years ago I drove there last time (see below), this time I remember where the informal entrance to the car park is. It will be a short walk in the nice spring weather. Following the path that the sign is pointing into. Going over the brook Sularpsbäcken on the bridge, and up the north slope. There are not so many visitors despite the glorious weather. Short walk because I just want to see some spring bloom and enjoy the moment. Nothing spectacular. Yellow anemones bloom beside the creek. Going upstream. Lesser Celandine stretches. A wood anemone stand alone against the stream. A few meters away from the water, the soil is right waterlogged, is blooming golden saxifrage. Sit down with my lunch by the creek and follow how the sun draws a pattern in the flowing water. On the trail back in the woods I stop at suffolk lungwort and dog's mercury.

October 29, 2010: Cycles through the haze to the valley Fågelsångsdalen along Hardeberga track before Södra Sandby. There are a lot of water in the streams. Framed in autumn colors. Wet trails. Autumn leaves cover the northern slope, which is trampled by the hooves. Sitting on a fallen tree trunk and drinking coffee. In front of me is the brook overflowed, a small fall has been formed. The trees are mirrored in the water. Dusk falls, bicycles home.

24 April 2010: Stop by at the nature reserve Linnebjär northeast of Lund. Here wood anemones is in full bloom. Walk a short visit to the clearing near the pasture in the north. Bikes on to Frueräften, five hundred meters eastward. A sign warn for wild boar. Here I usually visit a small stock with Lesser celandine and violets. In the forest, wood anemones. Thereafter, the goal for today, Fågelsångsdalen at Södra Sandby. Follow the path down into the valley from the bicycle Hardeberga track. Anemone ranunculoides, wood anemone,  lesser celandine, Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem, smell violets meet me. Crossing a bridge to the east. Over the path is a tree trunk, which is overcome. Follow the edge to the valley. Down there the brook Sularpsbäcken meanders . A squirrel is watching me. Nuthatch is running on a tree trunk. The path leads down to a meadow and creek. It is wet. Jump between tussocks. The tussock did not take my weight, and not that either. My feets are wet when I walk along the creek. Lesser celandine lights up in yellow. Crossing a narrow road at Södra Sandby windmill. At the mill is a stile which I walk over and I return to the rushing stream. I sit on a fallen tree trunk for a coffee. A wagtail keeps me company. Follow the stream to Södra Sandby, over a meadow to an angle exit. The stream disappears into the Södra Sandby. I turn back. On the crest before the bridge I am slipping down the slope to the brook. Trees sticks make a natural bridge. On the other side, is an entry to a meadow. Crawl over to the stocks. Crack! Oh-Oh. It barely takes me over. Upstream is a real bridge, it makes me to return to the bicycle. Wild ducks searh food in the water. A cat is walking with her human and dog. Bikes homeward  on the Hardeberga bicycle trail. Lund is expanding. Can barely find my way home.

14 November 2009: Damned, I miss the turnoff to the parking lot. No sign is showing the right turnoff. I have to continue to Södra Sandby and turn back. The car park is a large lawn area next to the bicycle track Hardebergaspåret and the stream Röglebäcken, with an insignificant road in. Hardebergaspåret was once a railway which is now a cycle path between Lund and Södra Sandby. As far as I know, was here an entertainment place, in which case the building is demolished. Over the stream Röglebäcken is a bridge built for the railroad. I follow the path along the stream north to the stream Sularpsbäcken in centre of the valley. Pass some water-filled holes, perhaps remnants of the clay- and limestone quarries that existed here. A dog of the same kind as Lassie come forward and greet. The valley is popular for its rich flora and birdsong. Today is it autumn, nothing is flowering, and no birdsong is heard. A small plant lights up with yellow leaves, the songs of streaming water replaces the birdsong. I'm glad I have boots, it's wet. Small bridges make it easier. Fallen tree lies across the stream. At Sularpsbäcken I turn west. Trees that has fallen over the path has been cut, and kept as home for many insects. The trail winds up and down on the wooded southern slopes, sometimes with steps, sometimes with rails. Here and there are rickety bridges and slippery by the wet, over to the north side pasture. The stream meanders its way between the slopes of the valley. At the end in the western part, I leave the stream and I arrive on pasture, a stile is leading out to a road, the nature reserves west end. Go back the same way. I sit down on a bridge for a cup of coffee, studying how the leaves flying off with water. It glosses quickly, north and east parts of the valley may be for another time.

Map