Woohoo! Five year-ticks and a touch of spring

Common toads appeared at Ilasjön this morning and nearby at Dalen moor frogs were in song.

Had a day in the field today and it was packed with birds. More than a touch of spring in the air today with light winds and sun for most of it. Kicked off by walking the Gröthögarna and Ripagården circuit hoping for another ring ouzel but had to make do with a single wheatear and my first white-fronted goose for the site - a noisy singleton that headed north. Song thrush and chiffchaff were present in small numbers throughout. Redshank have obviously moved in since I was last here too.

After lunch I headed over to Klarningen anticipating an influx of birds here and this was indeed the case. Wildfowl included at least 181 teal and 24 wigeon, as well as a single shoveler, five pintail and best of all a superb male garganey. A pair of red-necked grebes slept at the back of the main pool - an exciting addition to the birds I have recorded at this fledgling wetland. A light passage of buzzards and sparrowhawks was evident overhead and these were occasionally joined in the air by over-wintering hen harrier (ringtail) and rough-legged buzzard (1).

Searching the edges produced three greenshank, a green sandpiper, eight curlew and at least five redshank and hawking over the pools were five little gulls! I was pretty pleased with this haul and as I enjoyed the range of birds present, four swallows swooped by, the icing on the cake of a great day in the field.