Birding - 25/08/09

Up at the crack of dawn today for a look out from the hill at Haga. It looks like it might make a good vismig location. An hour and a half here before breakfast certainly produced some migrants on the move. Migrants included black-throated diver (2 taking a short cut), golden plover (3), swift (2), tree pipit (53), yellow wagtail (5) and common crossbill (14). Heard a few woodland birds too including green and black woodpecker.

After a morning painting the house, Mrs B and I did a run to the dump (paint-cans!) and then sat for half an hour in our comfy chairs at Kattvik. Swedes love static birding and this is why they are so good at vismigging. After two years here, I am still having trouble staying in one place and it costs me birds every year. The upshot of our sunny 30 minutes was an osprey (in-off) and a single siskin east. Afterwards we picked up the kids and took them swimming at Ripagården. Very quiet here in a quick look - just greenshank (1), common sandpiper (2) and snipe (4). A surprise was a female Calopteryx virgo fluttering along the margin of the small harbour.