Photo: Anita EricsonI've been interested in nature and especially birds since the late 70's. Travels, birdwatching and photography has become a lifestyle I can’t give up. I have always new plans for future trips. I prefer travelling in a small group of friends, or perhaps even more so just me and my wife Anita. She shares my passion for birds, nature and photography. Since we met in 2011, we have made 32 trips together, visiting 43 countries!

My photo interest got a boost with the digital revolution at the beginning of this millennium. Starting with “digiscoping” I went on to DSLR’s and long tele lenses. From 2014 and onward, my preferred gear has been a Canons EOS 7D mk2 along with Canon EF 500/4L IS II USM. This equipment has served me well, but now I'm trying out the mirrorless technique and purchased the Canon Eos R5 with the RF 100-500 mm lens.

Climate change subjects arise new questions regarding the impact we make on our planet when we are using aircrafts for travelling. Sir David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg are my heroes and brave role models. Indeed, we need to do better and reduce our CO2 emissions, preferably down to zero or below that! But the issues are so complex. For example, what would happen to that little patch of protected forest in a third world country if the global Eco Tourism ceased? What would happen if the local community lost their income from their restricted range, threatened birds?

Not a long time ago I was birdwatching with my friends along a forest road in Peru. There we met a large group of people from a nearby village. They had come together with tools and gear to build a new lodge. They had noted that foreigners came back to their land to watch birds, and now they saw an opportunity to save the forest, instead of cutting it down to be replaced by pastures and cultivation. The bottom line is that I will continue to travel to support conservation around the world, but in the “greenest” way I can.

Completed trip


2025 Philippines "remote" (up-coming trip)


2025 South Africa - South Atlantic and Eastern Cape (up-coming trip)


2024 Western Australia with Christmas Island


2024 Sri Lanka


2024 Colombia-Santa Marta to Bogota


2023 Guatemala


2023 USA-Canada Roadtrip


2022 Paraguay and Bolivia


2022 Socotra, Yemen with Abu Dhabi


2022 Cambodia


2021 Oman


2021 Southern Italy and northern Greece, combined.


2019 Northern Ecuador and Central Peru


2019 Northern Spain and Andorra


2019 Indonesia (West Java, Sumatra) and Westmalaysia


2019 Jordan


2018 New Zealand with Chatham Island


2018 Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia


2018 Vietnam with a pre-tour week in Thailand


2018 Gran Canaria & Western Sahara


2017 São Tomé & Príncipe


2017 Taiwan & Japan


2017 Cyprus


2017 Western Sahara


2016 Spain (Andalucia)


2016 Angola


2016 Alaska


2016 Spain (Extremadura and Andalusia)


2016 Northern and Western India


2015 Solomon Islands


2015 Malaysia (peninsula)


2015 Spain (Majorca)


2014 Kenya and Zanzibar & Pemba


2014 Papua New Guinea-remote


2014 Canary Islands (Tenerife, La Palma and Fuerteventura)


2014 Ecuador


2013 West Papua, New Guinea


2013 Indonesia (West Java)


2013 Caucasian Georgia


2013 Corsica & Sardinia


2013 Ghana


2012 South Africa


2012 Swiss and French Alps


2012 Cameroon


2011 US (California & Arizona)


2011 Ethiopia


2010 Indonesia (Lesser Sunda Islands)


2010 Portugal (Madeira)


2009 Peru (south)


2009 Syria


2009 Brazil (north-east)


2008 Colombia (with Rio Javari, Brazil)


2008 Russia (sea of Okchotsk)


2007 Ethiopia


2007 Poland


2007 Venezuela


2006 China (Qinghai)


2006 India (north-east)


2005 Iceland


2005 Australia (south-east with Tasmania)


2004 Argentina & Chile


2003 Portugal (Azores)


2003 US (Texas)


2002 Madagascar


2002 Mexico


2002 Philippines


2001 Jamaica & Cuba


2001 Bulgaria


2000 Spain (Tenerife, Canary Islands)


2000 Brazil (south-east)


1999 South Africa


1999 Indonesia (Java, Halmahera and Sulawesi)


1999 Sri Lanka&India (south)


1998 Colombia


1998 Malaysia (Peninsula and Borneo)


1997 Gambia


1997 Israel


1996 Spain (south)


1995 South America. My “Big Year” with seven months in Ecuador including two intence 3-4 week trips in the country including Galapagos. Also a month in central/northern Peru, three months in Bolivia, ten days in Paraguay and a week at Iguazu Falls (Argentina)


1994 Venezuela


1993 Costa Rica


1992 US (northern states)


1992 Kenya


1991 Mexico


1991 Spain & Portugal


1991 China (Sichuan and north-east)


1990 US (California)


1990 Greece & Hungary


1990 US (Florida)


1989 Morocco


1989 Israel


1988 Spain (Canary islands)


1988 Turkey


1987 Tunisia


1986 Gambia


1985 Spain (Majorca)


1983 Spain (Majorca)

Photo: Stefan "Ludde" Andersson
Me and Anita are having a relaxing moment in the back of the bus during the Ecuador tour 2013-14.

Photo: Anita Ericson
In company with legendary birdman Daniel Wakra in Papua New Guinea. After fantastic birding in Huon peninsula there were no reason to look less happy!

Lists (IOC version 5.3) by September 2015

Lists are an essential part of most birdwatchers life. And that was the case also for me. But many years ago I just stopped. I decided to just enjoy birding as it was without thinking about numbers or ranking. But when Anita moved into my life, all that changed again. She had been a keen worldwide birder and enthusiastic lister for years and inspired me to revise and update my lists, but now in an excel sheet, not in an old book like before. Now I really enjoy knowing exactly what I have seen and what I can look forward to....

Lists