Subarctica in Skåne!

One of at least three red kites flying through Klarningen this morning. Clean look, shallow tail fork and pale-tipped greater and primary coverts make this a 1K bird.

My first male hen harrier of the autumn, a fly-through at Klarningen. One day my pallid will come.

Number 2 and I headed for Klarningen tis morning for a two and half hour session in a brisk easterly. A few raptors on the move with red kite (3-5), marsh harrier (3), hen harrier (male), sparrowhawk (1) and kestrel (1). A flock of five barnacle geese dropped in briefly before heading off again - my first at the site. Otherwise wildfowl numbers have dropped away with just one greylag, seven wigeon and 47 teal. Likewise waders are getting scarce with just ruff (3), snipe (2) and greenshank (2) and no lapwing! A little passerine vismig noticeable this morning with small numbers of tree pipits, yellow wagtail, chaffinch and siskin evident. A short walk secured a fine male Sympetrum flaveolum but no sign of the recent red-throated pipits. The numbers of wheatear (9) and whinchat (5) along the access track continue to build.

After lunch we all headed out to check a likely wetland near Bränneslätt, it proved to be a little gem of a bog pool, complete with a pack of male Aeshna subarctica. Also here Aeshna cyanea, Sympetrum danae and Lestes sponsa.

My recent prediction that I would sadly be unable to find Aeshna subarctica in the Skåne part of BK has been shown to be so much b**locks, and all in just five days! I am often wrong but rarely demonstrate it so quickly... A great find though.

Across the road at Bjäred våtmark we found a good number of Aeshna juncea and small numbers of Enallagma cyathigerum and Sympetrum sanguineum and vulgatum flying and brought the Odonata daylist to 9 species.

Across the road in Bjäred våtmark Aeshna juncea was flying - allowing a timely comparison.

An egg-laying female Aeshna juncea was hard to resist - I am not that familiar with this plumage.