gyr!

A close encounter with the BK gyr was the order of the day today, it was reported yesterday sitting on one of the barrows on Gröthögarna, so I headed out that way today. I found it nearby just north of the harbour at Ripagården. You can easily see the contrast between the dark underwing coverts and the pale underside of the flight feathers in this shot.

This is the closest I have got to a gyr in my six years here! BK is hosting both this bird and a hawk owl at the moment - exciting times. It would be nice if this individual became a regular winterer and we got to see it gain adult plumage.

Got lucky with this underwing shot just before the bird flew south.

Nipped out in the morning for a sniff around Gröthögarna and Torekov. The gyr was reported yesterday from Gröthögarna and I was pleased to find it on the beach north of the harbour at Ripagården and get some great images with my P510. Little else of note here although a white-tailed eagle was camped out on Tjällran and another flew north through the site.

With no sign of the hoped-for shelduck, I headed for Torekovs rev, where three shelduck were rapidly added to my BK year-list. A single black guillemot flew north and seaduck numbers are building impressively.This might be the site to watch for this year's king eider?

Last thing I checked Rammsjöstrand, but the NVSA have repaired the sewage leak and I could find no sign of any water pipits or water rail near the stream.