Swedish tick - Erythromma viridulum!

Nipped out pre-breakfast for a look around Torekov this morning, strong easterlies blowing but still overcast and very muggy. The rev was fairly quiet and the waders were a bit jumpy. A 1K goshawk steamed in at one point from the direction of Hallands Väderö, which may have explained this behaviour. Migrants mostly consisted of waders with; ringed plover (30), dunlin (29), ruff (8), bar-tailed godwit (1), redshank (8) and greenshank (3). A nice 1K red-backed shrike was by the car as I left.

The quest for a good fox photo continues... This was just one of a string of predators scaring the birds at Påarps Mal this morning.

A quick look at the sewage works area, revealed that it was being disturbed, just 2 greenshank flying away and a depressed-looking kestrel were present. Påarps Mal was better, although in the 50 minutes I was there the plover flock was put up by buzzard, sparrowhawk and a fox. This allowed me to estimate the number of golden plover present at about 300 though. Also here; lapwing (80), snipe (6), redshank (4), greenshank (2), green sandpiper (2) and common sandpiper (3). Driving home for breakfast I stopped briefly at a potato field near Dagshög for a big flock of 60 linnets and at least 8 yellow wagtails.

In the afternoon, Mrs B dropped me and the kids at Hasslarp for an hour while she went on to Helsingborg. Hasslarp was good today. The easy highlight was a single male Erythromma viridulum and a range extension for this recent colonist. Is there a colony at the site already or is this the vanguard of the inevitable invasion?

Dragonfly species number 42 for my Swedish list and probably a good find too. Erythromma viridulum has been spreading from the extreme south of Sweden, where it was first recorded in 2004. This sighting may be the most northerly in Skåne and may also be the first in NW Skåne, there are no other records in the excellent national invertebrate database anyway. I reckon I will find it in BK this year if I look hard.

X marks the spot! One of the diagnostic features of Erythromma viridulum is the black cross incised into the blue of S10 (the apical segment of the abdomen).

Birds were good too, with a garganey, a superb broad-billed sandpiper and a good scattering of common migrant waders including a splendid 26 wood sandpipers and 11 spotted redshank.

Number one modelling this year's Aeshna mixta (female) at Hasslarp today.

Last stop of the birding day was an hour at Sandön. The easterly winds had cleared a lot of water off the site and birds were abundant. Wildfowl included wigeon (2), gadwall (2), pintail (1) and shoveler (1). The mudflats held waders galore with three superb broad-billed sandpipers being the best of it, but also knot (6), Temminck's stint (2) and curlew sandpiper (1). From the island the gull and tern roost contained two 1K and two adult black terns, as well as two dinky 1K little gulls. Walking back the reed edge revealed two skittish water rails and a couple of feeding bearded tits. Two ospreys hunted overhead and an adult hobby shot past. A superb day out.