struggling

Leaving half the team ill in bed, Number 2 and I headed out in the afternoon to check out a few birds reported recently. First stop was Axeltorps ravine where it took an hour to locate one of the dippers (a year-tick). We lay in the snow and watched it swimming about, which was great.

Next stop was a walk into the game-cover crop grown near Eskilstorpsdammar, Olofsson had some larks here yesterday but we could not scare any up. A noticeable thaw was evident since out last visit three days ago. The finch flock has dwindled to just 60+ chaffinches and a few brambling and tree sparrow. Three stock doves flew by whilst we worked and we could see a ringtail hen harrier hunting over at Klarningen.

It was Klarningen that was our last port of call, chilly here in a brisk southerly wind and we saw little in the short time we were here. A buzzard migrated north and a flock of 55 starlings whizzed past north too.

migration?

Things are moving and the snow is melting. Took the team to Grytskären for an hour this morning and we were greeted with a big flock of 50 starlings and nearly 100 fieldfare. Searching through the duck on the sea failed to produce a smew but did turn up 300 goldeneye. A subadult white-tailed eagle sat on a tall floe out in the frozen sea.

On the way home a quick look at the 'big field' at Ljungbyholm produced a flock of 35 Canada geese and a passing red kite.

Stuck at home in the afternoon finishing the last rarity descriptions for 2011... Meanwhile Olofsson was getting stuck into the fields near Eskilstorpsdammar and finding a small flock of woodlark and skylark. Birds are coming back and just as the thermometer creeps up above zero. How do they know?

Three meadow pipits!

Just appalling weather today, it is always a shock when the rain comes after a prolonged cold spell and it rained all day today. Mrs B and I headed out in the afternoon to Farhult. No sign of the long-eared owls at the roost but they were probably tucked away in the depths of the spruce. The number of pellets here was unbelievable. A walk along the beach produced just three meadow pipits! We were soaked.

Walking with the pink monkey

Took Number 2 on the walk out to Eskilstorps dammar this morning, chasing Jens' birds again. This time reed bunting was on the menu, a difficult winter bird here usually found in big finch flocks as it proved today. I was also hoping for a stock dove, this area seems to throw up winter records and it did today too!

The walk out on treacherous black-ice was fun for all and Number 2 soon warmed to the task in hand. We found the flock of finches, mainly chaffinch, quite quickly and picked out a nice male reed bunting when they flushed up into trees on the side of the field. A flock of spooked woodpigeon also produced the distinctive shape of a stock dove. Job done.

We walked on to the pools though and were rewarded with a nice half an hour with a great grey shrike, that sallied out from small trees and fenceposts nearby. Over the rank grassland area my first BK kestrel of the year hovered briefly. A productive session but over too quickly as we had to move onto mundane domestic chores...

garden

Lunchtime looking out into the garden produced a nice crop of good birds. A hawfinch appeared briefly at the feeders. Then an adult white-tailed eagle flew through, escorted by a hooded crow and tailed by a red kite.

thrush

I seem to be off the pace this year and chasing other people's birds, this song thrush (a great February find) was spotted by others yesterday at Ripagården.

Spent a day in the field today. Kicked off at Ripagården for a look around. The song thrush reported yesterday was still feeding on the seaweed bank by the harbour and whilst I watched it I heard skylark migrating north overhead! Also a male hen harrier past.

Torekov was amazing, the brisk northerly and the mild conditions conspiring to break up the sea-ice and send it streaming south through the sound. The noise of the ice-laden rollers breaking on the reef was like a passing jet. Bird-wise the highlight was the pile of seaweed, which was busy with four redwing, seven fieldfare and ten starling, as well as the usual dozen meadow pipits. No sign of any rock pipits today. Out on Vinga a lone white-tailed eagle looked out over the mess of ice.

In the afternoon I tried walking the Killeröd loop for birds but it was rather tiring in the snow and I saw no birds. I did hear common and two-barred crossbill though. A drive around to Hålehallstugan produced my first-ever February great grey shrike, a confiding and rather satisfying bird. Also here a pair of bullfinch and a single female common crossbill. A good day out, the BK year-list finally creeping over the ton.

Finally a February great grey shrike for the boy. I found this one from the car at Hålehallstugan at the end of the day. Always excellent.

White out

Went to see BK's long-staying rare again today. He is sporting a new ring and is apparently in good shape, despite the weather.

Had just half an hour in the field this morning, before the fog and snow sent me scuttling home. Spent my time watching the eastern black redstart at Rålehamn, it was feeding together with a number of pipits, a wren, and some robins and blackbirds. These birds have excavated a number of tunnels into the bank of seaweed and seem to be thriving. Checked Torekov rev briefly on the way home, it was completely iced up.

A casual glance along the beach at Rålehamn revealed no birds, but closer inspection showed that they were all under the seaweed in small feeding tunnels!

jack!

A very cold dawn greeted me this morning, so I stayed in bed! In the afternoon the team headed out for a walk on Skalderviken, plenty of people skating about on the thick sea-ice, it really looks like the bay might ice-over completely.

Our walk between Vejbystrand and Stora Hultsstrand produced a handful of teal, about 45 starling, three meadow pipits and best of all a jack snipe that flushed from between my legs as I crossed a small stream. Always nice to get one on the year-list.

Scratching about with Number 2

Spent three hours in the morning birding with Number 2, it was cold and we did not see a great deal. We went to feed the ducks at Båstad first, the ducks were wary but our efforts pulled in all the gulls in the area. No white-wingers or the much lusted-after Med gull sadly. Laholmsbukten has completely frozen over - a first in my experience and testimony to the very cold conditions of the last few weeks. A collared dove flew by here, my first of the year!

We also checked out the mouth of the Stensån where a big flock of roosting Canada geese (1000+) slowly headed inland to feed. Also 22 whooper swan here.

Driving over to Torekov to warm up we checked the rev. Here a large flock of goldeneye, included on closer inspection a variety of other ducks. Most exciting was a male pochard, always a surprisingly scarce bird in BK, this was only my tenth record in five years. Also here two long-tailed ducks and a dozen scaup (my first Torekov birds). A quick check of Svarteskär and the sewage works produced a blank and then we drove home to make biscuits.

Shrike hunting

Had a good look for great grey shrikes on the top today with no luck. Dropped in on Klarningen for half an hour too. A nice male hen harrier was new here, plus the usual ringtail and a rough-legged buzzard. Otherwise rather quiet with just 14 starling although a flock of 20+ meadow pipits was perhaps an indication that spring is actually around the corner. Easy to believe as we bask in the relative warmth of just sub-zero.

In the afternoon a trip into town netted another hen harrier and rough-legged buzzard around the airport.

So long Gordon - 28/07/61 to 6/02/2012

Gordon Allison died in his sleep on 6th February after a day in the field, I only just found out and I cannot stop crying. You will be missed Gordo!

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft star-shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.

Gordon birding the Royal Mile at Budongo in the trademark baggy shorts. I first met Gordon whilst working for the RSPB, but it was on a trip to Uganda in 2004 that I really got to know him. He was a great travel companion, good birder and had a wicked sense of humour, but above all he was a lovely guy.

peeeeeeegmy!

Today's star bird, a cracking male pygmy owl, whistled in for great views. I have heard two birds in BK before without converting them but this one surrendered nicely.

After mucking out the house yesterday I reckoned that I deserved a day in the field! Kicked off by looking at the 'big field' at Ljungbyholm, which had a nice adult peregrine sitting in the middle of it. Storahultsstrand was quiet, plenty of ice offshore and the sea was holding a good-sized flock of goldeneye (200+). Nearby on Grytskären an adult white-tailed eagle was making a nuisance of itself and another (or the same) adult peregrine was in attendance too.

Walking Ranarpsstrand produced a handful of meadow and rock pipits and five starling. Slim pickings.

After lunch I decided to try and bag a few easy year-ticks by going for a walk in the woods between Killeröd and Önnarp. This worked well, two hour's of walking in the snow produced the desired sackful of year-ticks, including a nice pair of singing common crossbills, calling nutcracker, crested tit and at least five willow tits. The best though came at the end when a male pygmy owl burst into song nearby and a hectic chase through the woods eventually produced good views before I had to go for the school-run. Sweet.