Birding Benstead

He's off

2012-01-15T20:10:00.000+01:00

Wildfowl count - Dagshög to Torekov

2012-01-15T19:54:00.004+01:00

Spent the morning walking the stretch of coast between Dagshög and Torekov. This stretch in January usually produces a few winter specialities but today it was quiet, although I did finally year-tick teal! The highlights being just a white-tailed eagle hunting over Hallands Väderö, four adult shags on Svarteskär, and a black guillemot near Torekov harbour. Not a sniff of a grey wagtail or a water pipit, and just one meadow pipit. Eleven waxwing flew into Torekov as I left.

I checked the rev and Norra Ängalag before going home for lunch but all was quiet here too although the latter site did have five meadow pipits and two rock pipits feeding on the seaweed.

Klarningen is full of water at the moment, as are the adjacent wetlands, shame it is freezing up for the winter. Looks like a decent-size complex now and there is much more across the motorway (right of shot and outside BK). It is going to pull birds in.

In the afternoon we checked out Eskilstorpsstrand, spent most of the time looking through the large number of gulls here off Stensåns mynning. No sign of any white-wingers though. The flat calm seas allowed a leisurely perusal of a flock of at least 195 scaup and the oystercatcher was still present. Last stop of the day was Klarningen where I finally added rough-legged buzzard to the year-list and we also watched the hen harrier (female) eating a mouse. The sub-zero temperatures last night have put a decent skim of ice on the water and only 38 mallard toughed it out on the main lake.

Kattvik goes nova!

2012-01-14T13:50:00.005+01:00

Today neatly demonstrated why I am such an inept twitcher. I had intended to go birding this morning but settled into the sofa with the kids and did some Tanzania revision instead. Neglecting my mobile it took me two whole hours to realise that Olof Jönsson had found an Iceland gull at Kattvik early in the morning. I dashed out and found a goodish crowd, just a few of whom were watching a splendid near-adult Iceland gull.

A hoped-for bird this winter after the big invasion of white-winged gulls in northern Europe. Iceland gull becomes my first rare gull in BK and a Swedish tick too.

What I did not realise was that the other gallery was watching a point-blank red phalarope feeding off the little beach just to the west of the harbour. I realised when I got home though thanks to phone calls from Mikael Olofsson and then the tension ratcheted up a notch with the arrival of a second Iceland gull at Kattvik. We all dashed out but we missed the second younger Iceland gull quite easily... The phalarope was behaving nicely though just offshore, nice to get under the belt so soon in the year.

The overall Swedish list hit 200 in record time this year, helped by an extraordinarily mild winter and some winter storms that made available a number of seabirds normally associated with autumn gales. Red phalarope was one of these birds and it was great to catch up with one after missing the bonanza on the 4th.

A good seawatch

2012-01-13T19:11:00.009+01:00

Went down to Kattvik between 0900 and 1130 with Number 2, who behaved impeccably, playing in the car and eating my lunch (as usual). Met up here with Ulf Ståhle and we had a busy seawatch. Red-throated divers were streaming out of the bay first thing with the eventual total hitting 2021 the easy highlight of a pleasant, well-lit seawatch! We sadly missed the great northern diver that went through in the throng during the first half hour... Other highlights were red-necked grebe (1 west), slavonian grebe (7 west), fulmar (1 west and my only year-tick of the session), gannet (30 west), pomarine skua (1) and at least 75 kittiwakes, including up to 25 birds feeding right in front of us. Razorbills and guillemots were going past (perhaps 300 in total) but we could not pick out any other auks. The chiffchaff was still grubbing about in the trees here this morning.

After picking up Number 1 from school, we all headed for a short session at Klarningen before continuing on with our taxi duties. First bird was superb and big 2K female peregrine sitting on a fence post. Klarningen had a big flock of geese (120 Canada and 85 greylag) that did not tolerate our arrival. Mallard have built to 54 and the duck flock included ten tufted duck and four wigeon today. A female hen harrier quartered the grassland and a flock of 41 starling swept by. It was time to go.

Viral birding

2012-01-12T17:46:00.002+01:00

Feeling a bit under the weather at the moment with a weird virus. The wind was strong and in the SW so I checked it out for the first two hours of the day. Yttre Kattvik was quite, with many birds passing a long way out in the gloom and rain. The highlights of an hour here were just three gannets and one red-necked grebe.

Spent half an hour at Ripagården too, stuff was passing much closer here (predictably I suppose) but just one kittiwake in the session soon sent me scuttling for home and some much-needed revision ahead of next week's trip to Tanzania.

Quiet wildfowl count - Torekov to Hovs Hallar

2012-01-10T16:46:00.002+01:00

Spent the best part of the day walking the coast between Torekov and Hovs Hallar doing the mid-January wildfowl count. It started well with a quick look at the rocks south of the harbour where two shags were resting, further offshore on Vinga was a nice white-tailed eagle.

The count proper though was rather quiet, low numbers of most species and no surprises. Highlights were few and far between but I did see two gannets and a red-necked grebe. Very few passerines encountered, with just five rock pipits and four meadow pipits of note.

pom skua!

2012-01-08T15:58:00.003+01:00

Kicked off this morning at Kattvik hoping for the long-staying pomarine skua - a 2K bird that turned up on cue after just 15 minutes and did a number of flybys during the 1.5 hour session. Also here a wintering chiffchaff - my first in Sweden, as well as four black-throated divers, a gannet, four kittiwakes and a good-sized flock of 75 waxwing. A quick look at Yttre Kattvik produced two more kittiwake but I left just before someone found a puffin...

In the afternoon we checked out the storm damage at Grytskären. This is perhaps the most low-lying stretch of coast in BK and the coastal pasture was strewn with sand and rocks. Looks good for shorelark! A single redshank flew amongst the islands offshore - a scarce winter bird lately. Also here a single slavonian grebe and my first grey heron of the year. Walking north onto Ranarpsstrand produced a flock of 40 meadow pipits but little else of note.

Wet morning

2012-01-07T20:58:00.002+01:00

A horrible wet dawn greeted me this morning and the weather got worse during my two-hour session. Kicked off at Klarningen where scoping across the river to Eskilstorpsdammar produced a good flock of feeding geese that included 18 barnacles, two white-fronted geese and yesterday's flock of 25 bean geese.

Next stop was Hemmeslövsstrand where an oystercatcher was tripping along the beach and 17 waxwing bombed past south. The last stop of a day was a quick look around Båstad harbour where the easy highlight was a kingfisher flushed from under the walkways. It took me 12 months to see one last year but predictably was much easier this year.

That's more like it

2012-01-06T16:37:00.006+01:00

Despite a late start I managed a great day in the field today, catching up with a few winter specialities and bolstering the year-list. The late start meant that breakfast looking out into the garden inevitably produced some new birds for the year, most notably at least 1500 brambling that flew north out of Sinarpsdalen. At least 750 more brambling were noted as I went over the top of Sinarpsdalen as I drove down to Båstad.

First stop was a look at Eskilstorpsstrand. Serious damage to the dunes here and the beach has been re-profiled. Sea levels are still high and the beach was covered in foam. Not much here in a short watch, the best birds being a flock of 75 scaup just offshore and a black-throated diver north.

Klarningen was busier with 25 bean geese over on arrival and a total of 22 white-fronted geese also probably newly arrived. As Sweden freezes up to the north we should get a few geese through, it normally happens in November but it has been so mild this winter. Other notable birds here were mallard (22), tufted duck (6), hen harrier (2 ringtails) and 30+ starling.

Drove home over the top where a 5 minute stop at Lya ljunghed produced the hoped-for great grey shrike as well as a complete surprise in the shape of a west-bound merlin (probably a female).

In the afternoon we grilled sausages at Ripagården (meadow pipit and goldfinch) before heading to Torekov. The rev was completely submerged and rather quiet for birds, just 13 wigeon and a rock pipit noted. Nearby the harbour was providing a refuge for a single guillemot and viewing across the sound Vinga Skär produced singles of both peregrine and white-tailed eagle. Last stop of the day was at Påarps Mal where a water pipit performed well before dusk.

Already over 100 species have been logged in BK this year, I added a few today but it will be some time before my year-list hits the ton.

First day

2012-01-05T12:24:00.007+01:00

Both BK and us were knocked about by the storm yesterday. We were on a ferry in the North Sea enjoying the aftermath of the biggest winter storm for some time, meanwhile birders in BK were enjoying a seabird spectacular that it was shame to miss.

Got out late and somewhat groggy for a quick look at Båstad this morning, no sign of any leftovers here in very calm but wet conditions. Met up with Mikael and Håkan, who had seen a pomarine skua and chiffchaff at Kattvik earlier on. I got the year list to 29 before I headed home, highlights were perhaps 8 (or more) long-tailed ducks and two Slavonian grebes. Plenty of red-throated divers going past and you have to wonder if if something good might not come out of all this wild weather later in the year. There is a Ross' gull loose somewhere already...

In the afternoon we did a short walk around the Killeröd loop, damp snow was falling and all we recorded were some calling goldcrests. Driving out we had the first siskins of the year and that was the end of a rather less than inspiring first go at year-listing in 2012. The weather is set to improve tomorrow, so should see more.

Postcard from the UK

2012-01-05T01:14:00.009+01:00

The dead sperm whale at Hunstanton drew large crowds over the holiday period and was one of the highlights of the trip.

Just back from two weeks in the UK, mostly visiting family but also some great birding moments thrown in.

Duty called on the 24th of December necessitating a trip to Norwich cathedral to hear my nephew sing in the choir. Just before kick-off we had excellent views of one of the pair of peregrines which now nest on a platform at the site. It flew repeatedly low overhead. Superb! I used to day-dream about seeing this species around the cathedral whilst trapped indoors at a nearby school.

News after Christmas of a returning adult lesser white-fronted goose with a small flock of bean geese in the Yare Valley quickened the pulse. A chance to add to my meagre UK list! Nipped over on the last day of the year and had excellent views of the goose after a long wait. Also here an excellent supporting cast including bittern (1), taiga bean goose (85), white-fronted goose (180), peregrine (2), buzzard (3+), black-tailed godwit (2), ruff (a few), Cetti's warbler (2), water pipit (1) and bearded tit (1). Buckenham looked great as usual and was full of birds - huge flocks of golden plover and good numbers of wigeon evident.

A vert short session on the afternoon of the first day of the year netted a Coue's arctic redpoll at Titchwell and a confiding water rail that went down better with the kids. Nearby we enjoyed excellent smelly views of the dead sperm whale at Hunstanton, with 15 snow buntings over whilst we gawped with a huge crowd. A barn owl on the way home was welcome.

My last day in the field was another afternoon session after the long-staying western sandpiper at Cley. Sadly we failed to find the bird on the reserve, amidst a blizzard of dubious claims by other birders. Finally at dusk came the news that the bird was at Arnold's Marsh... Too late for me to drag the team up there so I had to let this Norfolk tick go. The only consolation was getting pushed off the boardwalk and flushing a jack snipe which flew silently behind the gallery and dropped in again without being noticed by anyone else. Another barn owl on the way home, one of the birds I miss the most in Sweden.

postcard from India

2011-12-20T11:52:00.008+01:00

One of the joys of India is that wildlife still lives cheek-by-jowl with a huge human population.

Pair of painted sandgrouse near Ranthambore.

Amlidhe, near Ranthambore.

Indian grass mantis (Schizocephala bicornis), never noticed these guys before but they were quite common at Ranthambore this year.

Great thick-knee

Naked-rumped tomb bat, ticking bats has given the cultural days of many tours a whole new focus. We found two species of tomb bat at Fatehpur Sikri this year.

I really unblocked ibisbill as a tour bogey bird this year. One in China was swiftly followed by five on this trip. An amazing total that included two we found inside Corbett.

Hog deer was a great find in Corbett this year, they can be hard to see.

A total of 24 elephants at Corbett this year, including some great close encounters.

Our full day at Corbett will always be remembered for the half hour we spent in the close company of this Pallas' fish eagle.

good cheer

2011-12-12T13:20:00.002+01:00

Another long-awaited species fell for me early this morning, when we found two male cheer pheasants at the drive-to site at Vinayak, near Naini Tal. Splendid! We had to drive away from them in the end.

Tiger, tiger...

2011-12-11T17:24:00.002+01:00

It took eight nail-biting, bone-rattling jeep rides at Ranthambore to see tiger this year. On our last morning we had a superb encounter with this five-year old tigress. I found it too, poaching it from under the noses of my guides and driver!

Tick!

2011-11-28T19:25:00.002+01:00

One of my most-wanted birds in India finally fell today, when we tracked down a pair of white-naped tits at Nahargarh Biological Reserve (just outside Jaipur). Thanks go to my guide Ansar Khan who made all the necessary arrangements for finding this threatened species at short notice.

鳥北京

2011-11-28T17:31:00.005+01:00

After my recent tour in China I was lucky enough to be able to spend two days birding with Terry Townshend in the Beijing area. Terry and his wife Libby looked after me splendidly and our birding netted me a number of new birds.

You can read Terry's account of the two days on his blog (Birding Beijing). We kicked off by visiting Terry's local patch (Wild Duck Lake and Yehayu) in the excellent company of Jesper Hornskov. The drive out to this site is rather long and often the traffic is awful but I know now why Terry bothers. These two sites always seem to throw up something special and our visit was no exception.

Chinese grey shrike was one of the new species for me on the day out to Wild Duck Lake.

In the brutal cold we checked a partially frozen Wild Duck Lake first, highlights here included: Daurian partridge (2), great bittern (3), Baikal teal (<10), Chinese grey shrike (4-5), Asian short-toed lark (13), Chinese hill warbler (4), Pallas’ reed bunting (common) and Japanese reed bunting (1). But also ruddy shelduck, Chinese spot-billed duck, gadwall, ferruginous duck (1 late bird), goosander, merlin (1), sparrowhawk, goshawk (1), hen harrier (4), common crane (120), grey-headed woodpecker and vinous-throated parrotbill.

At Yehayu, after negotiating the fence around the site, highlights included a black bittern (1, a great rarity in this part of China and at this late date too), great egret (1), grey heron (1), upland buzzard (3), great bustard (2 flying past), black-headed gull (2), a common kingfisher dying on the ice, Naumann’s thrush (1), chinese penduline tit (heard only) and pine bunting (2). A tolai hare here was nice too. Towards the end of the day we started losing momentum from fatigue and headed for Jesper’s home for an enjoyable evening meal.

The next day we headed out again, this time to the botanical gardens on the outskirts of Beijing. In the garden proper were berry-laden bushes with plenty of light-vented bulbuls and both dusky and Naumann’s thrushes in good numbers. Azure-winged magpies were common and three introduced crested mynas flew over. At least two Chinese grosbeaks perched up nicely for scope views. We checked an area of conifers briefly for Chinese nuthatch and then moved on to tackle the ridge behind the gardens for a few special birds. The ridge walk produced a small group of curious plain laughingthrushes and we heard the Chinese hill warbler.

When we finally got down (after searching in vain along the busy paths for Siberian accentor) and found a pair of very busy Chinese nuthatches storing pine nuts for the winter. A great bird. A good flock of Pallas’ warblers was present here too, we had seen odd individuals during the day and also a handful of red-flanked bluetails. Mammals seen here were red and Père David’s rock squirrels. Another great day out.

So huge thanks to Terry and Libby, I sat on my flight to Delhi absolutely exhausted after 48 hours non-stop socialising and birding - a great stay in Beijing.

Postcard from Yangxian and Xian

2011-11-27T13:18:00.005+01:00

Sympetrum infuscatum was still on the wing just south of Foping town. Other Odonates went unidentified sadly, next year I will take a net!

Our China trip ended with a short journey south to see crested ibis, something of a conservation success story this species. It has bounced back from a population of just four adults in 1981 to a still wobbly but infinitely preferable 500 or so.

The drive south took us along a wide river valley south of Foping town, here we caught up with spectacular Daurian redstart.

Another eagerly awaited species at this site was ibisbill, no problems finding one on this trip.

A riverside walk outside Yangxian gave us plenty of new birds, not just showy birds like this crested kingfisher but also a chance to look at rosy and blakistonii water pipit. One of the better birds here was a pair of long-billed plover.

Our main target here of course was the crested ibis, we never got great photographic opportunities sadly. The lack of light, a shortage of time and the wariness of many individuals conspired against us.

The tour ended with a mad dash around the Terracotta Army site just outside Xian. It was good but after an hour some of us slipped away to bird the grounds and came away with this male Hodgson's redstart added to our life-lists. I have been after this one for some time, so it was a nice way to end the tour.

Giant panda!

2011-11-27T12:48:00.002+01:00

Giant panda is perhaps the most iconic mammal in the world and this month I got a chance to spend eight, sometimes gruelling, days searching for them in the Foping reserve in the Qinling Mountains of central China. The terrain was appalling, steep valley sides covered in dense bamboo made for some excellent exercise and not a little swearing. We lost four days to rain and low cloud but the other four days netted us two panda sightings.

The first came on our first day in the field and was a rather distant 'birder's' view, binoculars and close observation required. The animal was above us on a bamboo-covered hillside and slowly ate it's way into view before eventually running out of food and moving off out of sight. Nice because it was behaving naturally and the view was long but also frustrating because it was partially obscured and at long-range.

So another sighting was much desired and after a great deal of personal exertion on our third day tracking and huge and expert effort from our local team we had a brief but close encounter with a young, radio-collared male. I made an effort to record this on video (see below). Next year the tour includes an extension to see red panda, it just gets better! Roll on next year!

Postcard from Foping

2011-11-27T04:10:00.009+01:00

Just completed an enjoyable and successful giant panda tour at Foping (China). China was amazing and I cannot wait to return. We saw two giant pandas, so stay-tuned for a panda video in a later post.

One of the mammal highlights of the start of the tour was a close encounter with a group of golden snub-nosed monkeys at a feeding station near the access gate to the panda reserve.

Despite the late date, a few butterflies were still flying in the Qinling Mountains, including this common beak (Libythea lepita).

The area around our chilly accommodation block at Sanguanmiao research station was great birding in the mornings before we headed out and on rainy days when panda tracking was not possible. We definitely developed a patch mentality about these orchards and clearings and enjoyed finding birds like this Asian barred owlet and a handful of late migrants like olive-backed pipit, Pallas' warbler and little bunting.

The Foping forest is in great shape and white-backed woodpeckers occurred at a density I have never experienced before. We got used to daily sightings of this special woodpecker.

Another mammal highlight was a morning devoted to climbing up a valley to see the enormous red-and-white flying squirrel. Our trackers 'encouraged' them to fly down the valley for us. Awesome.

Rufous-breasted accentor was a common inhabitant of the abandoned and overgrown fields on the edges of the nearby village.

An eagerly awaited tick for me was grey-headed bullfinch, we saw small flocks daily in open areas.

Chinese babax was also a bird I was looking forward to and they proved to be common around the research station.

a walk in the woods

2011-11-07T19:49:00.002+01:00

A flock of 60+ waxwing in the Lindab carpark at Förslöv kicked off the day. The men from Glimminge found a pygmy owl at Killeröd yesterday, which prompted a long morning walk around the area. No sign of the owl, but a lot of agitation amongst the local tits and goldcrests when they were played the 'bicycle-pump' call. Highlights included a total of 29 two-barred crossbills and at least five crested tits.

In the afternoon I suddenly found out that there had been a Siberian chiffchaff at Öllövsstrand yesterday, so off I went late in the day for a fruitless search of the coastal scrub. Vasaltheden produced the only good bird of the afternoon, a 1K peregrine flying past south.

Mid-morning wanderings

2011-11-06T16:55:00.004+01:00

Nipped out for two hours mid-morning after a lazy start to the day. The garden had 14 waxwings and then I was off to Klarningen. Plenty of geese reported here yesterday but no sign today. The teal flock is dwindling (146) and just one wigeon remains. The place has a winter feel about it already, which is not helped by the brooding presence of two rough-legged buzzards and a ringtail hen harrier.

A quick look at Petersberg revealed that the tufted duck flock has swollen to 60 but there was little else to excite.

Last stop of the day was Malen, where predictably the kingfisher zoomed past. The shoreline vegetation had a handful of redpoll and a crested tit called in the background. Out at sea the surf scoter pursued it's solo career but a huge tonnage of sea-duck are drifting south towards it and I fear it may get harder to see. The seaducks north of here included 150 eider and perhaps 170 scaup but they were too far for an accurate count/identification.

Spent the afternoon in the garden but it was peaceful, just a few redpolls over.

kingfisher - 223

2011-11-05T16:25:00.003+01:00

Nipped down early to Båstad this morning. It was sunny and bright on top of the hill, but as I descended into town the fog thickened up really well and visibility was very poor. Despite this I headed for the harbour, but before I got there a kingfisher loomed out of the fog. It tried to land on my head and then, realising it's error, beetled off east. Year-tick, at last! Probably the last one too, unless something great happens this week. So after ten whole minutes in the field I headed home.

In the afternoon we lunched at Dagshög under a blue sky - just 92 golden plover over and a goshawk through on the way back to the car. Mrs B dropped me at the bottom of Sinarpsdalen on the way back to chase Martin Ekenberg's pygmy owl but all I got was a decent walk home. Highlights of the trek were a very vocal great grey shrike and a single hawfinch.

Swedish tick in BK!

2011-11-04T19:12:00.002+01:00

Kicked off predictably with a morning walk around Gröthögarna. Gave the Norra Ängalag area a good going over after yesterday and was rewarded with three two-barred crossbills - this species is on the move again here in Sweden and popping up at coastal locations. Also here was yesterday's adult peregrine perched on nearby rocks and offering a much nicer view. The walk round to Ripagården was quiet, but the area around the harbour produced a grey wagtail (over), at least one crested tit and a flock of 15 redpoll. The walk back was uneventful too, but small flocks of waxwing were flycatching from the tops of bushes and bullfinches called from the juniper scrub.

As I drove home a text message came through that Olof Jönsson (of Corvo 2009 fame and Swedish birding royal) had found a 1K Richard's pipit at Torekov! Back at home though the team were far from prepared to hit the field and the next 20 minutes strained matrimonial relations somewhat. But with a BBQ packed and the kids dressed we headed off and arrived to find a small gallery enjoying the bird. Sadly it was not in very good shape, limping heavily with a damaged right leg. Great to see it though and despite it's injury it was feeding strongly on the swarms of flies, brought out by the sun and mild temperature. Nice BK tick and great to be able to watch it for 20 minutes before heading south for a grilled sausage with the team.

"Virusheadf@ckgyrdippallas's?" sort of day

2011-11-03T17:25:00.005+01:00

Team Benstead has been struck down by a cold virus sadly this week and this is certainly impairing my meagre birding abilities, as the story of today will demonstrate...

Having dropped off Ma B at the train station for her return to Blighty, I ran some errands and then headed for nearby Klarningen. Just as I made the turn off the main road the phone went, an SMS stating that an adult gyr falcon had been seen an hour before on Tjällran. I reversed back onto the road and within twenty minutes was at Norra Ängalag quizzing a falcon sitting facing me on the distant island. No way of knowing if this was the same bird but I doubt it, because it was a peregrine! The poor light and longish range were not ideal for being sure though and I gave this bird a thorough going over just to make sure I had got it right. A quick video through the scope and I was happy. Well, actually pretty unhappy as gyr is one of my most-wanted BK birds.

During this process I had occasionally heard a strange nasal 'tchuee' call from nearby. Checking the bushes produced a departing goldcrest flock but the calls stopped and I went on with my falcon. I got home, checked things through, put on Calls of Eastern Vagrants in the background and my heart sank when the CD got to Pallas's warbler... Pretty inexcusable. You snooze, you lose. I got back in the car and headed back but a good walk around the area in the gathering dusk failed to turn up the goldcrest flock, just a single wheatear.

Thanks go to Thomas Svanberg for translating the gyr falcon BMS alarm onto the local SMS network which at least got me close to some birds today!

Flaming November

2011-11-01T19:10:00.006+01:00

Another dawn arrival at Båstad harbour failed to produce a kingfisher yet again. The waxwings all gathered in one tree briefly, allowing a count of 330 to be made, a big flock for round here. The surf scoter made it onto my November list too, how long is it going to stay?

Klarningen was the next stop and rather routine it was until too I heard a sandpiper flying in from the north. WTF! It was a wood sandpiper and dropped in on the main pool, strutted about a bit, had a wash and then headed south. A really late record and my first in BK since early September! The weather is unseasonally mild and there are going to be plenty of late records to be had I think. The two ringtail hen harriers were still on site and other highlights included three shoveler (my first in November) and a little grebe.

Picking up Ma B and the kids we headed out for lengthy tour of BK. First stop was Axelstorps Ravine. No sign of any dippers here in a quick look. Lunched at Kattvik harbour where a solitary red-necked grebe bobbed about and then headed Gröthögarna where we had a great walk. Highlights here included my first November wheatear, 35 waxwing, a showy great grey shrike and a late flying female Aeshna mixta. Last stop of the day under a weak sun was a quick look at Torekov, the rocks south of the harbour had just two shags and then it was time for home.

Bloody kingfishers

2011-10-31T21:24:00.004+01:00

A big flock of 300+ waxwing at Båstad was a great start to the day.

Hit Båstad at dawn today hoping for a kingfisher year-tick but the little bugger is proving incredibly difficult. It has been reported daily for about a week, but it must be hiding up under the wooden walkways or flying in occasionally from the Stensån because I cannot find it. Frustrating.

But a thorough going over of the harbour did produce some good birds; the surf scoter and little auk remain entertaining numerous visitors, also here a huge and noisy flock of 300+ waxwing, a black redstart, and late chiffchaff and blackcap.

Rough-legged buzzard at Klarningen. Klarningen is the only reliable site for this species in the winter in BK.

Klarningen was pretty quiet, the flock of teal (180) also contained a few wigeon (5) and shoveler (3). Two ringtail hen harriers hunted over the wetand and a rough-legged buzzard hovered out the back. On the way home I dropped into Petersberg for a quick look and was surprised to find 47 tufted duck in residence and the flock included a single female scaup (my first freshwater one in BK). Two little grebe here too. Six hawfinch passed over high, calling that high-pitched "tsrrii" flight-call that is often a giveaway to their presence overhead.

In the afternoon we all headed out to look at Farhult and Sandön. Farhult was quiet, no geese here just 9 Slavonian grebes and a lonely shelduck of note. Driving round to Sandön via Stureholm produced a single great grey shrike and again no geese. However when we got to Sandön we found plenty of geese. At least 1000 barnacles and 500 greylag but the only other species I could find were white-fronted geese (about 44).

Black

2011-10-29T18:13:00.005+02:00

Mmmm - waxy goodness. Waxwings are definitely starting to move now, this one was in a flock of 25-30 in Båstad this afternoon.

Morning birding around Gröthögarna for me this morning. Slightly foggy start but it burned off quickly leaving me scratching about for birds. A few goldcrest flocks provided some excitement. All the highlights came at Ripagården; black woodpecker (1) and black redstart (1), although Dalen had two wheatears again and Norra Ängalag a massive total of 12 collared doves!

In the afternoon we all went for a walk around the harbour at Båstad. The surf scoter seems to be making itself at home, together with a female scaup, just offshore. Really rather obliging. Likewise the little auk has made itself comfortable. New birds today though were at least 25 waxwing, another black redstart and a single chiffchaff.

A quick look at Klarningen on the way home failed ot produce anything noteworthy.

The little auk remains in Båstad harbour and together with the surf scoter has drawn crowds of depressed dippers heading home from Kullen and the no-show of the isabelline wheatear this morning.

Hard work

2011-10-28T16:21:00.005+02:00

As Mrs B will tell you I do love a bird with a sense of porpoise.

A mild, calm, perpetually grey day. I was out all day getting some walking in ahead of an upcoming panda thrash in China. I hope I will be fit enough, bamboo always grows on such steep slopes... and pandas only grow on bamboo!

Effectively covered the stretch of coast between Vejbystrand and Glimming plantering today. That's a lot of mileage and with minimal return today sadly. Highlights were the long-staying 1K great skua (still happily married to his porpoise corpse) at Stora Hultstrand, nine twite at the same location, two redshank, a wheatear and a Lapland bunting at Ranarpsstrand and a curlew at Segelstorpsstrand. At the turning point at Glimminge I bagged a chiffchaff. Still plenty of invertebrates about and a good show of late migrants, but nothing to compare with the isabelline wheatear on nearby Kullaberg.

Jack!

2011-10-27T16:47:00.004+02:00

Managed a bit of birding during the morning with a trip to Klarningen first. A walk of the stubble fields whilst I waited for the fog to burn off, produced just a handfull of skylark and four elusive twite. The sun did come out and I moved to the tower. Best bird here was a feeding jack snipe that bobbed off eventually into the grass and away. Otherwise 145 teal remain and just four wigeon. The area was being hunted by a hen harrier (1K) and two rough-legged buzzards.

Moving onto Malen, I was hoping for a kingfisher, they have been scarce this year in BK but recently birds have been reported from this location. I still need it for the year so will have to track them down. No luck today, but did see the 1K surf scoter again and also had the little auk (again).

Grey day

2011-10-26T19:06:00.002+02:00

The news of a chestnut-eared bunting and a possible Siberian thrush in Uppland must have given every Swedish birder a boost yesterday, these easterlies are delivering but will it deliver in BK?

I headed out for a three hour walk around the Gröthögarna circuit and it was very quiet. Thrushes were much in evidence though, fieldfares overhead and a slight fall of robins and blackbirds apparent. Otherwise vis mig was poor. Two wheatears on the weed at Dalen were nice late birds. I encountered the occasional small group of tits and goldcrests in the junipers but camping with them failed to produce any glory. The plantation at Ripagården was deathly quiet. The big surprise of the morning was a water rail, flushed from the base of a stone wall at Dalen, where it was attempting to hide. A definite new-in migrant then!

Disturbed

2011-10-25T17:37:00.003+02:00

All the wildfowl on the rev flushed up this afternoon to greet this young white-tailed eagle.

Been busy the last few days but got out for three hours this afternoon and headed for Torekov. The easterly winds are driving the sea as low as I have ever seen it and there was plenty of habitat to comb through at the rev. I gave it a good go but could not find the recently reported purple sandpiper, but did get a single grey plover and a redshank. The latter my first in BK for six weeks, they seem to be scarce everywhere in Sweden at the moment. Two small flocks of brent geese went south during my watch, totalling 15 birds, it is turning into a good autumn for this species. Also three gannets milling about. I left after a sub-adult white-tailed eagle repeatedly buzzed the rev driving everything away. I think it had its eyes on a dead eider near my position, so I walked off to check the rather quiet woodland inland and left it to it.

Last stop of the day was Påarps Mal where the shoreline produced another redshank and the rocky offshore outcrops at least two shags. Then all the birds were put up again, this time by a hovercraft...

All the wildfowl around Påarps Mal flushed up again, expecting the eagle I was equally surprised by one of the Swedish Army's transport hovercraft heading south.

221!

2011-10-23T17:23:00.003+02:00

My BK year-list hit 221 today, my best ever total and still a few birds to play for. Kicked off at first light with a circuit of Gröthögarna and Ripagården. Nice sunny day with first easterly winds here for some time, and forecast to go on through the week! Could be interesting.

Plenty of in-off finch action on the headland this morning with high flocks coming in from the west and just carrying on east overhead. At least thirty crossbill in amongst the commoner species and a low Lapland bunting called a few times overhead but did not appear to drop in. Bullfinches have started to appear in small numbers with at least eight during the walk. Gannets milled about offshore.

Ripagården produced the best birds in some ways with two grey wagtails, a great grey shrike and my first waxwings of the autumn (25 streaking south).

Picking up the team we all walked to the sea down Sinarpsdalen. I was hoping to make contact with the 1K golden eagle I saw sneaking along Hallandåsen and probably into BK two days ago. Just before lunch I got text telling me there was one offshore on Hallands Väderö. Well at least we knew which direction it would come from if it came our way! We had lunch at a suitable vantage point and blow me if the bird did not turn up flying in from the west just as we were packing up; a nice clean 1K bird and my first in BK since December 2007! It was also 221 for the year! Following close behind it was a rough-legged buzzard.

This young golden eagle was a most welcome addition to the BK year-list. In my first year here I saw two birds and since then nothing, so long overdue for a re-appearance.

Båstad harbour continues to host a little auk.

Walking on into Båstad we enjoyed another quick look at the surf scoter and took in the harbour little auk before taking the bus home. Great day in the field.

More twitching!

2011-10-22T20:39:00.002+02:00

Since saying earlier this week that I could pretty much take or leave twitching, I have mostly been taking it! This morning I had breakfast with the team and then the phone went. Martin Ekenberg had flushed a Lapland bunting from the fields south of Klarningen. I have been trying to find a Lapland bunting here all autumn so off I went. It was in the weedy stubble field that really attracts birds and I found it pretty quickly, along with a handful of linnet, reed bunting and skylark. I flushed it, it showed nicely in flight, called a few times and then was suddenly jumped by a great grey shrike. Wild evasive tactics on the part of the bunting worked eventually but my heart was in my mouth for a few seconds. Needless to say the the bird did not land anywhere close after that. A quick look over the wetland from the south produced the lingering 1K peregrine and it was joined in the air briefly by a hen harrier. Nice 45 minutes.

In the afternoon we all went down to Båstad to look again at the juvenile surf scoter. There it floated, hardly changed position since yesterday, ten gannets fed behind it out in the bay. A walk up to Hemmeslövsstrand produced little of note, although we found a surprising number of 1K black-headed gull wings and a few dead auks.

The winds are going east for the first time in ages, it looks good for a BK yellow-browed warbler, but where to look?

Surf's up

2011-10-21T19:38:00.003+02:00

Another morning birding with the ever-patient Number 2 today. We checked out Kattvik quickly to see if seabirds were moving, they were despite an obviously diminishing westerly. In 45 minutes here we clocked up 18 gannets, three fulmar (including my first blue in Sweden) and a single great skua. Leaving the black redstart to his favourite bank of weed we headed down the track to Yttre Kattvik, hoping for more. Well here it started to quieten down but not before we had scored 34 more gannets and a 1K pomarine skua. Kittiwakes were in very small numbers throughout with just three recorded all morning. My first snow bunting of the autumn flew west just offshore and overhead three crossbills went west too, they sounded different and were probably parrots but I am wary these days about separating them on call.

With time pressing on we headed for an hour at Klarningen. Fairly quiet here, though plenty of wildfowl remain, teal (178), wigeon (35) and shoveler (17). A rough-legged buzzard has taken up residence and the access track had 73 golden plover.

Well, I thought that was the end of my birding for the day until Håkan J rang me in Ängelholm with the news of a surf scoter at Båstad at 1530 and so I dashed to the car. On the way I picked up a 1K golden eagle just 750 metres outside the border to BK whilst crossing Hallandåsen... One for tomorrow, I still need it for the year. Arriving at Båstad I was put on the right track by Peder and Klaas and we quickly got our first views of the bird before moving much closer. This was undoubtedly the same 1K female photographed migrating south off Halland two days ago. I think the observer did not realise what he had until he looked at his images that night! For it to have run out of steam in the classic storm shelter location at Båstad was magic. The views were fantastic, a light swell and the bird no more than 100 metres away. This is my first juvenile in the WP so really exciting stuff and a BK tick to boot (perhaps the second record, the last one a flyby male in 2002). Surf scoter brings my BK year-list to a record equalling 220, can I get more?

Seawatching for owls

2011-10-20T20:31:00.004+02:00

The great skua parade continues. Fifteen great skuas past today. I should have got some great shots of birds coming along the beach but I duffed it up!

Off to to the sea at Ripagården for me today for a six-hour seawatching session that was full of birds and exciting moments, but failed to deliver anything heavy-weight sadly. Winds are on the light side and SW but veered west during the day. Huge numbers of gannets on the move today, I logged 222! In amongst these seabirds I teased out three fulmars (all late in the session), a massive 15 great skuas, one little gull and three little auks. The other big movers today were kittiwakes (52). Eider were moving too with 99 past and I also had two long-tailed ducks heading south.

Raptor migration provided a little entertainment too with hen harrier (1), goshawk (1), sparrowhawk (4), merlin (1) and last but not least my third BK short-eared owl and my first in-off. Fantastic stuff.

Winds continue to blow but from the NW in the morning, so I know where I will be!

interrupit mare vigilo

2011-10-19T18:52:00.003+02:00

With the wind blowing strong from the SW again this morning it was back to seawatching. Mrs B was in for root canal work at the dentist though, so I dodged about a bit between taxi and husbandly duties grabbing three short session and some decent birds.

First stop with Mrs B was a half hour session at Kattvik. This totally persuaded me that seabirds were moving with gannet (20) and kittiwake (2) past. But it was better for late waders with the common sandpiper still in residence and a greenshank over south calling. The black redstart was still hopping about on the bank of seaweed here too.

Delivering Mrs B to her doom I spent the next hour-and-a-half sitting at Båstad, enjoying the best seawatching of the day. Plenty of gannets here too with 67 logged west, just one kittiwake though. A superb close flock of 100+ scaup swept past - the Laholmsbuktens wintering flock doing a flyby. Not one but three sooty shearwaters appeared, one flying close by for a season's best view. Other highlights included; Slavonian grebe (1), great skua (3), little gull (1K) and little auk (1). Then it was time to pick up a barely human Mrs B and go get some lunch.

In the afternoon I managed two-and-a-half hours at Ripagården, where it was more of the same really with Slavonian grebe (1), gannet (49), nine great skuas (huge) and two more little auks. Not a bad session but no year-ticks for me.

Late on Number 2 and I headed up the hill off-patch at Tockarp for some walking, bumping into yet another great grey shrike.

More seawatching tomorrow...

Gröthögarna circuit

2011-10-17T20:38:00.002+02:00

Great grey shrikes are a daily occurrence at the moment. This one was patrolling the shoreline at Dalen today.

Had a three hour walk around Gröthögarna and Ripagården this morning. A light southerly breeze kept me company. Visible migrants were finchy and thrushy today with two goldfinch, five twite and one redpoll competing in the sky with a good number of redwing and a few fieldfare. One mistle thrush was amongst the many thrushes gorging on berries on the headland. A 1k peregrine tabbing south may well have been migrating too. One of the best birds of the walk was yet another great grey shrike, it will be a record month for this species for me no doubt.

Ripagården produced another 1K wheatear, a fresh-plumaged and strikingly rufous bird. A good look in the plantation produced just goldcrests and the usual suspects (including at least one crested tit). The walk back was enlivened by bumping into a female lesser spotted woodpecker, a real surprise.

Getting late for northern wheatear now and every one I glimpse raises my hopes of a rare wheatear. Desert wheatear in Halland today...

Lesser spotted woodpecker - a new bird for me on Gröthögarna.

Patch work

2011-10-15T18:18:00.005+02:00

I do not need much inspiration to work my patch hard, but yesterday's events underlined the great pleasure of finding your own rarities. Rolf's well-deserved and splendid dowitcher here in NW Skåne was eclipsed by the news back home in Norfolk of Rob Martin's equally well-deserved and simply awesome rufous-tailed robin. Read Rob's account on the punkbirder website. Magic stuff.

That said, I put some time in today and nothing amazing materialised just some nice birds. Kicked off at Klarningen at first light. The pools held 11 whooper swans, which moved on fairly quickly once the sun got going. The greylag goose flock pulled down a single white-fronted goose during the hour I spent going through the wildfowl. Fifteen shoveler remain and the teal flock numbered 250 this morning. The great grey shrike remains and was chasing fieldfares today, it seems particularly pugnacious this one. I spent another hour tramping about in the stubble, hoping for something good but had to settle for linnets and skylarks, before heading for Eskilstorppstrand. Nice flattish sea here but nothing offshore and little overhead action either. Looking north into Skummeslövsstrand produced more in the way of seaduck including 17 scaup and one long-tailed duck.

In the afternoon we al went for a walk along the shore between Ranarpsstrand and Segelstorpsstrand. A peregrine was sitting out on Grytskären and the foreshore had a small number of twite, my first of the autumn. Offshore at least five Slavonian grebes, keeping company with a brace of red-neckeds. The sunny weather produced a red admiral sighting, going south. Best bird here though was my latest BK wheatear, a very rusty 1K individual that was not from round here. Segelstorpsstrand had another Slavonian grebe and the gardens produced two chiffchaffs.

On the way home we stopped briefly at Ljungbyholm for 350 golden plover and a great grey shrike.

Not much birding but a Swedish tick!

2011-10-14T17:33:00.004+02:00

I have a very ambivalent attitude to twitching these days. I can pretty much take it or leave it, but today we had planned a trip to walk at Farhult in the afternoon, not knowing it was shortly to be hosting a MEGA. En route to pick up Mrs B from work we learnt of the long-billed dowitcher and drove round to the Jonstorp side of the bay to view it. UK readers might be surprised to discover that this was a first long-billed dowitcher for NW Skåne and only the 20th record for Sweden. Feeding alongside the 112 on the way were two nice white storks.

The dowitcher was close and behaved well, although it was a little sleepy. Great bird. Also here; Slavonian grebe (8), little grebe (1), pintail (10), gadwall (2), scaup (1), long-tailed duck (2) and at least 14 grey plovers.

A quick stop at Sandön on the way out against a tide of speeding birders produced a white-tailed eagle and two white-fronted geese.

Quiet morning

2011-10-13T19:23:00.002+02:00

Had a poke around Kattvik this morning to see if anything was still stuck in the bay. A kittiwake drifted past when I got there but nothing else appeared. A late common sandpiper and a young grey wagtail were the notable species here. Sadly there were a few dead seabirds dumped alongside some damaged herring on the breakwater. Two guillemots, two razorbill and a lovely 1K red-throated diver.

Damaged herring and dead birds presumably discarded by fisherman at Kattvik after the storm, this haul included a 1K red-throated diver, two razorbill and two guillemots. I hate mono-fil netting!

Another shot of the diver.

After Kattvik I checked out Torekov rev (just 64 wigeon of note) and then walked the woods hoping hoping for a yellow-browed warbler. Just one flock located and all it contained were goldcrests and the usual suspects.

to the sea again

2011-10-12T19:09:00.007+02:00

Kittiwakes passage seemed to slow up today but I still logged 65 through Yttre Kattvik in two hours.

More seawatching for me this morning. I arrived fashionably late yet again at Yttre Kattvik to find no parking space in the carpark and the news that I had missed a Sabine's gull and the entire gallery had missed another great northern diver, reported at sites either side as it went west. That's seawatching! Settled down quickly and enjoyed a two-hour spell that produced; fulmar (6), sooty shearwater (1), gannet (38), knot (1), pomarine skua (1K), great skua (6), kittiwake (65) and one little auk. But still no Leach's petrels or red phalaropes, so when a significant contingent departed for Båstad mid-morning I went too and this paid off handsomely.

This time a move to Båstad was inspired and we were quickly watching a close red phalarope, followed by my first Sabine's gull of the day, this little 1K beauty.

The first hour at Båstad was incredible. Arriving we were straight on to a red phalarope just off the pier. A 1K Sabine's gull followed quickly and then the first of two Leach's petrels. Great stuff. Also here seven brent geese (west), a scaup west, three little gulls and a close little auk.

At least seven fulmar through today, including this scruffy individual at Båstad.

During the morning someone told me that a Sabine's gull had been reported on a ploughed field east of Båstad. With a sinking feeling I presumed that it was on the fields along the access track to Klarningen [and this did indeed turn out to be the case]. So when Båstad had produced the goods I nipped up to see if the Sabine's gull was still there. It had gone, but the site's first little gull (an adult) had taken it's place. A quick look at the wetland revealed nothing untoward.

Last stop of the day was a quick 40 minutes at Eskilstorpsstrand, this proved to be inspired as I shared the beach with a fantastic 1K Sabine's gull that shuttled up and down the beach.

More signs of the windy weather and it's impact on birds at Eskilstorpsstrand; this razorbill was looking peeky and apparently there was a dead little auk further along the beach.

Sabine's gull number 2 was cruising up and down Eskilstorpsstrand and was very good value.

Rats!

2011-10-11T19:16:00.005+02:00

Today's signature bird was undoubtedly the great skua, it was hard not to find at least one out in the bay at any point during the session.

Had a great sea-watching session today but I missed two good birds, one a BK tick, so it was a bitter-sweet experience. I spent five hours at Yttre Kattvik, arriving to find a quality team had already assembled and recorded a great northern diver. Not much I could do about that.

One of two Arctic terns sneaking past under the radar at Yttre Kattvik today.

Loads of birds going past, with the flavours of the day being great skua (12+,but uncountable really), kittiwake (241, BK year-tick...) and razorbill (49). Last week's favourite the gannet could only muster 38 individuals today. Other highlights included two Slavonian grebes, four fulmar, three sooty shearwaters (BK year-tick), a rough-legged buzzard in-off, two Arctic skuas, a little gull and five little auks (another BK year-tick). Without a doubt though the best bird was a really close adult Sabine's gull, sauntering past with a gang of kittiwakes. Adults are very scarce in Sweden and this one was very late. Terns were typically scarce with just one Sandwich and two Arctics past. Other non-seabird notables were a great grey shrike and a grey wagtail.

With just 1.5 hours remaining and with no sign of a Leach's petrel I decided to head to Båstad and try there. This was my downfall, had I stayed I would have been the proud owner of a second-hand Cory's shearwater... Gutting. But Båstad is good for close views of things and in the hour here I got great views of five great skuas, a frisky flyby little auk and also a tired-looking little auk which motored into the harbour and back out again. A single barn swallow enjoyed the late afternoon sun.

Seven little auk during the day were my first of the year. Always charming.

Two hours birding before the rain

2011-10-10T19:43:00.002+02:00

Lots to do today but squeezed in two hours in the field before the afternoon rain. First stop was Brandsvig. Forty minutes here produced some good birds including hen harrier (2 1K birds), a peregrine (adult male) having a rest on a pile of soil and a great grey shrike. The latter are unusually abundant this autumn it seems.

Last stop was Klarningen back in BK. An hour here was not nearly as productive sadly. The shoveler flock has built to 15 though and today a single pintail was also present. The teal flock has climbed back up to 250, presumably birds are flying between the wetland sites along the valley. Waders included 13 golden plover, three ruff and two snipe.

First frost

2011-10-09T17:43:00.004+02:00

Out again for sunrise at Klarningen this morning. Just 1 degree and frost on the ground. No sign of yesterday's reported Lapland buntings sadly, despite a good hoof around the stubble fields south of the wetland. Plenty of skylark (50) and linnet (ditto) though. With a light easterly wind blowing there was little evidence of much migration going overhead but the hedgerows produced a few migrants including an impressive 48 goldcrests, two blackcaps and 12 song thrushes. Viewing the wetland from the tower produced my first Klarningen great grey shrike, madly chasing starlings. A hen harrier went through high and south, my first at the site this autumn I think.

After some taxi-driving I headed out to Segelstorpsstrand to look for yellow-browed warblers. There are not many YBW's around in Sweden at the moment so this was likely to be fruitless and indeed it was! Just four chiffchaff and a handful of goldcrests for my troubles.

After lunch we all took a walk between Båstad and Hemmeslövsstrand along the beach and back through the woods and gardens. Båstad produced a couple of grey wagtails and a chilly looking Arctic tern and at Malen there were four barn swallows briefly. We said goodbye to the latter and wished them luck.

Flooding out

2011-10-08T21:00:00.005+02:00

Cranes decided to head south today when the winds went northerly and the big rush saw me logging over 700 south from various locations in BK, including the garden.

Kicked off at Eskilstorpsstrand hoping for left-over seabirds in the dying NW wind. It faded fast and veered more northerly. I had to be content with three great skuas mugging gulls offshore and ignore the reports of Leach's petrel and sooty shearwater from points south of me in BK. Picked the wrong place! Ten scaup offshore here were my first of the autumn and I also recorded a single sanderling (my first October bird in Sweden). After an hour and a half I headed for Klarningen.

At Klarningen it quickly became apparent that birds were moving in big numbers. The first flock of cranes was 130 strong and the total in two hours was 554, many right overhead and trumpeting away. Greylag (172), buzzard (60) and woodpigeon (1060) were also obviously on the go. On the wetland were whooper swan (4), wigeon (89), teal (150), shoveler (14, a site record), lapwing (250), dunlin (1) and ruff (3). A single adult female marsh harrier was my latest in BK and the 1K female peregrine seen last time here was still ineptly chasing waders about.

The 1K female peregrine is still terrorising prey at Klarningen but I have yet to see it kill anything.

Over lunch the garden produced a flock of 55 cranes south as well as two goldfinch feeding in the rowan out the back with a couple of blackcaps. We all went out in the afternoon for a walk in the woods around Killeröd and Önnarp. More migration spotted in the clearings with a flock of 64 crane south and a steady string of buzzards weaving across the sky. Best birds though were four two-barred crossbills and two great grey shrikes.

Two great grey shrikes livened up a family walk around Killeröd and Önnarp this afternoon.

Shambolic sea-watching

2011-10-08T20:45:00.003+02:00

Got out sea-watching on Thursday morning only to be driven back indoors by a morning of torrential rain. That evening I was stuck at home when the sooties started flowing past... Yesterday I managed to spend plenty of time in the field with the kids but still left empty-handed, no sooty shearwaters or Leach's petrels for me. Three hours at Yttre Kattvik did produce a huge count of 175 gannets, two Arctic skuas and five great skuas. Raptors were moving too with merlin (6) and hen harrier (male) in-off.

After lunch we headed out again to check out the action off Ripagården. Here we had a single red-necked grebe (scarce at the moment), 25 gannets south, a great skua and a couple of 1K little gull. A 1K skua heading south was good for pomarine but I had a nightmare day with skuas. One of those days where you get very confused - hopefully a prelude to greater enlightenment.

Middling seawatch

2011-10-05T18:21:00.002+02:00

Reasonable westerlies commenced yesterday so it was a no-brainer that sea-watching might be productive today. Unfortunately the car was in for it's left-hand drive light installation, so I had to take the bus down to Båstad and watch from there.

It was a rather slow six-hour session punctuated by occasional bursts of excitement. I had to wait three hours before the session was totally vindicated by the arrival of a fully-spooned adult pomarine skua, with another, indeterminate age, individual in tow. BK year-tick! During the watch a steady trickle of merlin flew south (at least 8) and also a 1K hen harrier. I love in-off raptors. Gannets were frequently about with 36 logged heading west. I had to wait another two hours for a couple of great skuas to do a flyby and then head back north into the bay to mug large gulls. Hard work but worth it. I missed great northern diver and sooty shearwater though, reported by others nearby...

No thrillers in the mist

2011-10-01T18:52:00.002+02:00

Spent the three misty hours after dawn tramping the Gröthögarna circuit hoping for a yellow-browed warbler (just two BK records...). Some evidence of a fall of chiffchaffs and goldcrests and still a few blackcap feeding in the elders but nothing too exciting until I flushed a jack snipe at close range, which flew low and quietly until swallowed by the mist. Ripagården produced a ringed plover calling out in the mist somewhere, only my second October BK bird bizarrely, also one or perhaps two grey wagtails along the shoreline.

In the afternoon we all checked out Klarningen. A tractor was on site baling silage but the huge mass of birds just moved around on site luckily. Wildfowl numbers remain high with wigeon (30), teal (300), pintail (2) and little grebe (1). Raptors were good, many attracted by the machinery including a record nine red kites. Another record count was the flock of 47 ruff on site. Two swallows hunted close to the tower and as I left a superb 1K peregrine started hassling the teal.

Walking in the woods

2011-09-30T15:28:00.002+02:00

Took Number 2 out for a long walk around the woods in Killeröd and Önnarp this morning. Plenty of birds migrating overhead, mostly brambling/chaffinch and the first appreciable thrush movements of the autumn with both mistle thrush and fieldfare on the the go. Highlights came in the form of multiple encounters with two-barred crossbill (20+) and crossbill (30) and a nice acorn-stuffed nutcracker. Willow tits were calling everywhere this morning with at least six noted during the walk.

In the afternoon we headed out to Stora Hultstrand/Vejbystrand which produced three Slavonian grebes and five grey plover. The single wheatear here a reminder of how many migrants have slipped south already.

Up the rev

2011-09-25T19:46:00.002+02:00

Had a BBQ at Torekov rev with the team at lunchtime. Lovely weather but not much doing in the way of birds. A ringtail hen harrier crossed the road in front of us on the way. Two hours at the rev produced just; wigeon (111), golden plover (111), grey plover (3 1K), dunlin (18) and a single redstart.

All quiet in Laholmsbukten

2011-09-24T20:19:00.004+02:00

Wrecked - guillemots are still dying along the coast in BK.

Spent the morning walking the harbour area in Båstad and north between Hemmeslövsstrand and Eskilstorpsstrand. Båstad was fairly quiet, I was hoping for a kingfisher but had to settle for a grey wagtail, a rock pipit and a 1K little gull. Further north I walked a long way and recorded just four tree pipits. All other sub-Saharan migrants seemed to have moved out overnight. On the beach a flock of dunlin contained seven 1K grey plover and two sanderling. Had time for 50 minutes at Klarningen before home. Loads of wildfowl in here now with 400 teal, 150 wigeon, 12 pintail and 2 shoveler. A family party of three whooper swans arrived whilst I was here, autumn it is. Also here little grebe (1) and ruff (5).

In the afternoon we all headed out for a quick walk between Mäsinge strand and Rammsjöstrand. A single crossbill over was the only bird highlight but we did find a juvenile or eft common newt walking along the road.

This tiny common newt eft at Mäsinge strand this afternoon was a big hit with the kids.

Seawatch delivers another pallid harrier!

2011-09-23T21:29:00.002+02:00

This gannet gave us an excellent close flyby, I don't think it was carrying nesting material! Unfortunately I suspect a hook-and-line are involved.

With Number 2 in tow and a reasonable westerly in progress we headed out to Yttre Kattvik to camp out in the car and get some seawatching done. It was rather quiet for seabirds though with just four gannets, four little gulls and an unidentified skua through in just over three hours. Wildfowl were on the move though and small flocks of wigeon produced a total of five hidden pintail. Strangely a brent goose spent most of the session floating offshore. Dunlin (40) were on the move in a small-scale way and four grey plovers also headed west.

But it was the raptors which really stole the show with two kestrels, two merlin and two peregrines in-off and then the big one. I was playing about with Number 2 when I looked around to discover a large ginger raptor was heading straight for us. I got it in the bins just as it hit the beach and turned west - another 1K pallid harrier. Number 2 giggled as I tried unsuccessfully to get my camera out in time. Well at least I thought of trying to get a photo this time. Maybe my fourth of the autumn will make a digital image! Just a superb encounter and ridiculously close yet again. Do pallid harriers have less fear of man than other harrier species?

Yesterday - more wind from the west

2011-09-23T08:03:00.002+02:00

It started blowing westerly again yesterday and me and the kids got down for an hour at Kattvik in the afternoon. Not much moving for us but the black redstart remains in residence. More today hopefully.

Waterfowl Census Part 2 - Torekov to Hovs Hallar

2011-09-21T19:19:00.003+02:00

Kicked off the day's birding at Förslöv with a single flyover two-barred crossbill. Just wish I could see some at the coastal sites I frequent before they vanish back where they came from.

Today was my chance to finish my survey work and I could not have picked nicer weather, constant drenching drizzle throughout the morning, although it did clear up in the afternoon I was pretty wet. Started at Torekov rev which typically produced the best of the birds; two brent geese, a shoveler and four 1K grey plovers. The walk northwards produced little of note but did include a total of nearly 100 dunlin. Ripagården produced a nice adult peregrine ripping up a small bird (starling?) and I saw the presumably the same bird perched close to the road and looking fantastic against the newly-tilled soil later at Vråen. Shame my camera was drying out in the back of the car!

A quick look at Klarningen

2011-09-19T19:29:00.001+02:00

Had half an hour in the field this afternoon and spent it at Klarningen. Water levels are high and more wildfowl are present as a result. Teal have increased to at least 200, there are 50 wigeon and a mute swan. One little grebe remains.

Waterfowl Census Part 1 - Dagshög to Torekov

2011-09-17T17:33:00.005+02:00

This 1K golden plover hit overhead wires near Slättaröd this morning. I flash-fried the breast fillets and tiny drumsticks for a tasty snack when I got back. You would need a few for a pie though.

It's that time of year again. Time to do the September wildfowl counting. This morning I tackled the section between Dagshög and Torekov and it was rather dull really on the wildfowl front as is often the case at this time of year. The first bird I saw was a bizarre male kestrel with the chestnut back and upperwing coverts replace by the same grey as the tail. The terminal band in the tail and wingtips were perfect for kestrel but it really looked odd! The other highlight was the passerine vizmig overhead, mostly chaffinch/brambling, with plenty of siskin too and a few yellow wagtails, tree pipits and a surprising number of common crossbills. The walk also produced a single shag and the same three 1K grey plovers that were seen yesterday. A 1K hen harrier hunting the foreshore at the sewage works may also have been the same bird seen yesterday.

Duty done we headed out for a walk in the afternoon around Killeröd loop. I was hoping for more two-barred crossbill action and was not disappointed, a flock of 30 hanging around the car park were simply superb.

A flock of thirty two-barred crossbills is a good way to end the birding day.

Sabine's gull waits just long enough

2011-09-16T21:04:00.002+02:00

Nipped out to Båstad at dawn to check for waifs and strays after the big blow. Walked straight to the sea and there at my feet was yesterday's Sabine's gull. Superb. Poor light so poor photos...

1K Sabine's gull - always a favourite.

Mmmm - arty.

The bird saw me and started paddling away out to sea and managed to disappear presumably by flying whilst I was scanning hopefully for the Mediterranean gull (seen again to the north of BK yesterday). Short but sweet. A reasonably thorough search failed to relocate the Sabine's but did produce a rock pipit and three grey wagtails.

Picked up the team next and we had a walk around Gröthögarna. Beautiful weather for a change but not much on the move here. Highlights included a nice 1K hen harrier and another grey wagtail. Last stop of the morning was at Påarps Mal which produced another BK year-tick in the shape of two shag. Also here three 1K grey plovers roosting.

In the afternoon I dropped in on Klarningen, plenty of water on site now and wildfowl are responding slowly. At least 80 teal, 16 wigeon and a few geese around, and best of all two little grebes. The flooded fields to the south were good too with over 200 meadow pipits and 8 dunlin.

Seawatch Part 3

2011-09-15T18:47:00.003+02:00

A couple of embayed Manx shearwaters kept me entertained throughout today's session.

Two spotted flycatchers and the pied flycatcher remained at the sheltered spot in Förslöv this morning. After my taxi duties it was off to Eskilstorpsstrand for more seawatching today. Six hours here was rather pleasant, although I failed to add either sooty shearwater (none seen in Lahomsbukten today) or Sabine's gull (a juvenile stayed further north and sadly as I write this is parading past Båstad...) to my year-list. They will come in time though no doubt.

Two little stints were on the beach today in a mobile flock of dunlin, sanderling and knot.

Little gulls were the signature bird of today's session, good numbers milling around in the bay and occasionally feeding along the surfline.

Highlights of the watch; brent goose (three south, a nice BK year-tick), fulmar (at least two, probably more), Manx shearwater (2 bombing back and forth in the bay), unidentified ringtail harriers (two, crossing the bay and frustratingly losing leeway and passing in overland further north!), merlin (7!), peregrine (1), little stint (2 on the beach), sanderling (6), Arctic skua (1) and at least 27 little gulls. Winds dropping overnight, but might still be worth a clean-up walk to check for strays tomorrow.

Seawatch Part 2

2011-09-14T19:52:00.002+02:00

Day 2 of the big blow saw winds staying stubbornly in the SW, although in the afternoon it did finally veer westerly. I spent five hours at Yttre Kattvik with a large crowd and felt rather claustrophobic throughout, not to mention occasionally frustrated. The first hour or two of the morning session here were rather good with plenty of close Arctic skuas (7) but things moved offshore after that. Just one gannet through during this period - a nice dark 1K bird - and I failed to see a kittiwake. Weird. Other highlights were; fulmar (1), great skua (1) and little gull (1K). Slim pickings in other words.

With more going on on the Halland coast I cursed my decision to abandon Eskilstorpsstrand this morning and before moving on to parental duties I spent the last hour-and-a-half at Båstad trying to catch up. This worked well with the best of it being two superb lanky and grey 1K long-tailed skuas (intermediates both) travelling together and lost in the corner of the bay when I dudishly checked out a very low-flying osprey! Also here a distant and brief view far to the north of the Manx shearwater which was terrifying the inhabitants of Mellbystrand and Skummeslöv. Other stuff through included two ospreys south, a nice close merlin ditto, and at least two 1K little gulls.

Back in Förslöv, my sheltered fenceline still held three spotted flycatchers and a pied flycatcher. The latter now my latest record in BK. Will it stay another day?

Seawatch Part 1

2011-09-13T19:00:00.006+02:00

The remnants of hurricane Katia struck today and I was out at Eskilstorpsstrand after breakfast for a 5.5 hour session. It was still early days though, despite a very strong SW wind, the birds did not get down south to us before I had to leave. Finger crossed for tomorrow though. It was rather slow but the following was notable; golden plover (1), grey plover (2), knot (21), sanderling (6), dunlin (36), ruff (1), Arctc skua (two adults chasing Sandwich terns), Arctic tern (1) and guillemot (9). A swift heading south was my latest in BK but a long way from the record books!

A gang of five sanderling kept me amused.

Two knot fed on the beach and another 19 were counted going south during the session.

Picking up the kids I found a sheltered spot in Förslöv which had three spotted flycatchers and a pied flycatcher. The latter the latest ever in BK.

Dose of merlin

2011-09-12T16:44:00.002+02:00

Busy most of the day with a poorly child but we did get out to look at the wet field near the school briefly (2 dunlin) and in the afternoon we had 40 minutes at Ljungbyholm. No raptors through today in the short watch but a couple of 1K merlins livened things up. They were a male and female and perched very close to each other, they are supposed to pair up on the wintering grounds... Waders were good too with a single adult grey plover looking rather splendid and exotic out in the middle of the field and a flyby by four ruff.

Pallid falls in BK!

2011-09-11T17:58:00.007+02:00

Raptors very much on the menu today, this 2K male marsh harrier went south through Vasaltheden in the morning.

This morning I went out with the intention of bagging a BK pallid harrier and guess what, I actually did! Sweden is groaning under an unprecedented invasion of mostly 1K birds at the moment, incredibly there have been 27 pallid harriers through Falsterbo to date this autumn! The chances of finding one yourself have never been better and I got the ball rolling by finding one off-patch last week.

I started off just after dawn at Ljungbyholm. Two kestrels in the air here and quite a few more were noted during the morning at various sites, a definite influx. A merlin was still dashing about here but and hour here failed to produced any harriers, other than a single 1K marsh. Ranarpsstrand next for a quick look, two grey wagtails were nice, they seem scarce this autumn.

Last but not least I headed for Öllövsstrand and walked into Vasaltheden. A marsh harrier migrated through straight away and there was an osprey on the deck eating a fish. More kestrels (2) here and at one point a merlin dashed south with a crow in hot pursuit. The heavens opened and I just had to stand there and take it as the lightning streaked about. Afterwards I watched a great grey shrike dry himself off and start hunting - BK's earliest autumn record and a hideous reminder that winter is next.

Walking back I was dragging my heels when I was overtaken in Öllövsstrand by a superb 1K pallid harrier. Apart from the 'thing' I saw at Falsterbo I have been really lucky with my views of ringtails this autumn and this bird was very close but heading southwards on a mission. Short but sweet. Result!

Osprey south through Klarningen in the afternoon.

After lunch some of the team accompanied me to Klarningen, water levels are higher than I have ever seen them but there is little use of the site, just two pintail, one teal, three wigeon and a handful of mallard today. Overhead was better with a sub-adult white-tailed eagle and an osprey through together during the hour long watch. At least 20 whinchat on site and the fields along the access track had a dozen wheatear. A great day.

Gardening - oh yes!

2011-09-10T19:36:00.003+02:00

Thought I'd better get some work done in the garden today ahead of what looks like a busy week in the field. I have been hearing crossbills occasionally in the mornings as we get into the car on the school run and it was nice to spend some time in the garden. It all paid off just after lunch when five crossbills sat up in some nearby spruce trees. I ran for the scope and the first bird I looked at was my first ever male two-barred crossbill. Red! The air was thick with expletives, what a bird! Two trees along a female. Superb and a mega garden tick. This invasion really is big.

For tea we all piled down for a BBQ at Ripagården, taking advantage of a complete lack of wind and fine, sunny weather. The obvious thing here was a huge flock of 220 siskins in the seeding spruce trees. A single common crossbill flew through and somewhere in the wood there was at least one crested tit. The flat calm sea revealed five guillemots and a 1K little gull.

Thomas Wallin worked BK during the day and reported a pallid/Monties ringtail and yet more two-barreds. I will be back out there tomorrow.

Finding Lestes macrostigma on the Île de Ré

2011-09-10T12:24:00.004+02:00

Just a quickie with a link to the site where we found Lestes macrostigma this year on the Île de Ré. It is the small wetland nestling in the fork.

Watching the sea

2011-09-09T19:36:00.002+02:00

The weather forecast looks incredible for next week, I could be sea-watching for days on end I reckon. So Number 2 and I got some practice in today in a light westerly. We chose Yttre Kattvik in the morning, a site that allows Number 2 to set up a camp in the car whilst I attempt to watch birds, answer questions and help with 'tent' construction.

En route we had two marsh harriers at Hov and yet another merlin (an immature male) perched close by the road at Kattvik. Two-and-a-half hours of watching here produced some good birds with the highlights being fulmar (1), arctic skua (1) and little gull (2 2K). More raptors here too with three merlins and a marsh harrier in-off crossing the bay. Other notables included black-throated diver (3 west), Slavonian grebe (2 west), Arctic tern (1 west) and at least 14 guillemot west. Along the road a steady stream of siskin passed west, they are really starting to move in numbers now.

After lunch and with Number 1 on board we headed out again, this time in the bright sunshine and therefore to the markkedly more sheltered Kattvik harbour. It almost felt like summer for a while. Four beautiful black-throated divers were in residence just offshore and stuff was still moving on the sea. A 1K Arctic skua passed by very close and a total of five little gulls went past in singles during the two hour watch. Perhaps the best bird though was the 1K black redstart feeding quietly in amongst the huge boulders that make up the breakwater at this site.

Cuckoo!

2011-09-08T19:55:00.003+02:00

I must be bonkers because it was not until after tea last night that I finally went down for the last hour of daylight and what would have been an epic seawatch if I had missed my tea and gone straight away! Highlights were my first skuas of the year, a dainty 1K long-tailed skua that angled in from the NW and bounced off again and at least two Arctic skuas. I managed to miss at least one sooty shearwater and a red phalarope, ho hum. Hopefully more of them later, if the autumn weather continues on in the same vein we could have a bumper year for seabirds. Two grey plover past close were nice. Got home to find that Martin Åkesson had found a 2K Mediterranean gull just up the beach and off-patch of course...

Today I decided to walk the beach between Båstad and Eskilstorpsstrand, in case the Med gull was still around and to see if any wrecked seabirds were present. Highlights on this long and often wet walk were as follows; osprey (1, Båstad), Arctic tern (3), guillemot (2 plus another dead), knot (singles at Båstad and Eskilstorpsstrand), little stint (1 south at Hemmeslövsstrand), sanderling (1, Eskilstorpsstrand) and little gull (4 1K birds south at Hemmeslövsstrand and another resting there on the way back). A fall of wheatears was very evident all along the stretch walked.

Moving on I headed for Torekov, picking up a cuckoo over the car at Lugnet, just outside town. The rev was looking pretty busy. At least 35 wheatears grounded here, quite a spectacle. Waders hanging about included; golden plover (84), grey plover (3), knot (1) and bar-tailed godwit (2). As I watched a magic merlin shot along just above the sea and bumped a flock of starlings feeding in the seaweed, emerging somehow with a greenfinch! A neat trick! Looking south I could see a lot of calidrids feeding on the weed by the harbour. Closer inspection revealed a flock of 60 dunlin which included four little stints. After two sparse years for this species I seem to be back on track.

Last stop of the day was Glimminge Plantering, the beach here produced a single shelduck, seven knot, five dunlin and a brace of greenshank. Then it started to rain again...

Burning up Brandsvig

2011-09-07T16:54:00.002+02:00

With the car at the doctors having it's wheels aligned, I walked out of Ängelholm to nearby Brandsvig - a wet farmland site I enjoy birding on occasion. Plenty happening on arrival with a raptor playing merry hell with a flock of waders that included golden plover (21), knot (1!), dunlin (2), ruff (35) and greenshank (3). Not a bad little haul for an inland field. Also here a few passerines including yellow wagtail (1), redstart (1), whinchat (10) and lesser whitethroat (1).

Spent an hour at Ljungbyholm the afternoon, but nothing notable seen as I hunkered down in the wind and rain-lashed car reading the Owner's Manual...

Late Temminck's

2011-09-06T21:01:00.002+02:00

Had the middle part of the day in the field today. Tried Klarningen hoping for a red-throated pipit but despite flushing quite a few tree and meadow pipits as I walked the northern half there was no result. The sheep pen held a spotted flycatcher that looked, well sheepish I guess. Nearby a dozen whinchat and a few wheatears looked more at home. Water levels continue to rise here and the flooding is making the site attractive to wildfowl again; wigeon (15) and teal (75) on site today. Waders included a total of 21 ruff and three dunlin together with a single Temminck's stint flew through at one point. Snipe numbers remain curiously low with just two recorded.

Raptors were on the menu again with a light passage of buzzards and marsh harriers going on and a nice adult peregrine came through too. Nearby just inside Laholm kommun whilst checking a large lapwing flock I found a fantastic adult male merlin perched up by the road.

Drove over the top to Ljungbyholm, without any birds of note. Ljungbyholm was quieter, still 80 golden plover in site and a female or immature merlin was chasing the only wheatear present all over the place.

Grotty Gröthögarna

2011-09-05T18:50:00.002+02:00

Terrible weather today, the wind went south and we were deluged with yet more rain. Got out in the afternoon for two hours and walked Gröthögarna. Plenty of migrant passerines around with good numbers of blackcaps and redstarts and small numbers of other Sylvias, spotted flycatchers and red-backed shrikes, but no sign of the hoped-for wryneck or better still a barred warbler. Overhead a 1K hobby and a swift were noted.

BK tick - the harriers keep coming!

2011-09-04T20:43:00.002+02:00

With strong SE winds forecast today it was always going to be interesting in BK, but could I cash-in? I tried Eskilstorpsstrand first thing for a couple of hours. Things were slow overhead here so I went for a walk north to the border and back down the road. A few things were moving notably an osprey loafing north and a black woodpecker heading south. The woods were better with a pair of crested tits and a frustrating two-barred crossbill that called a couple of times before melting away.

Klarningen next. The access track had at least 75 yellow wagtails and 11 wheatears. Water levels rising here with the electric pump on at last but no birds. Fly-through ruff (15) and golden plover rejected the place! Eventually I cracked and walked the site, this confirmed the lack of birds but did produce eight species of Odonate including six Ischnura pumilio, the first multiple occurrence in BK (and Halland). Back at the tower a pulse of raptors went through, including a nice male honey buzzard and an osprey. The phone went too, pallid harrier west through BK at Rammsjöstrand... Bugger!

Klarningen must have a colony of Ischnura pumilio, although I found no proof of breeding today. This is only the third Halland record of this species.

In the afternoon I did some taxi driving and then headed straight back to the patch and the 'big field' at Ljungbyholm. This is as big as the fields get in BK and I have high hopes that one day a dotterel will appear. Instead the first thing I saw when I set my scope up was a rufous 1K ringtail harrier passing very close to me. I willed it to be pallid, but it lacked the pale collar and boa, and instead I had to accept the fact that it was a Montagu's! Either would have been BK ticks so I could not complain. There are just five previous records of this species in BK so it is a hard bird to get. I was pleased and watched as the first of five marsh harriers came through in a busy 20-minute period. Out in the field sat two merlins. Magic stuff but things quietened down quickly and after 1.5 hours I moved on.

Last stop of the day was a date with some two-barred crossbills. They had to be in the larch trees around the Killeröd loop trail and sure enough right at the start near the green hunting hut I heard the first trumpet call. It took a full hour to track down a view but I eventually had four birds perched up in the 'scope. Also here a 1K hobby, willow tit and my best view of a nutcracker this year. A fantastic end to a great day in BK.

Aberrant guillemot

2011-09-03T19:59:00.003+02:00

Found this dead, aberrant guillemot on the beach at Båstad on 27/8. The bare part colouration is fantastic. The bill was really pink and the legs are paler than normal too. There have been several recent records of yellow-billed guillemots in the UK in recent years. Would have been nice to see this one alive, but so many of the unusual August influx of guillemots are turning up dead at the moment.

Falsterbo!

2011-09-03T19:52:00.002+02:00

A much slower day today with brisk SE winds coming into play. We did have a lovely pulse of about 25 honey buzzards over the heath at one point though.

A slow start to my day this morning was a bad idea. I missed two pallid harriers (including a male) and two tawny pipits at the point early on. We all had a nice time though today, watching both Nabbben and the heath for raptors and visiting the Falsterbo Bird Show. Raptor watching produced another black kite and nice views of migrating merlin and hobby.

Yesterday

2011-09-03T19:39:00.002+02:00

Two dead guillemots at Torekov rev this morning and this one which did not look too clever.

Spent a couple of hours yesterday, with Mrs B and Number 2, looking at Påarps Mal and Torekov rev. Påarps Mal had a few grounded migrants including a nice garden warbler and several blackcap, whitethroat and redstarts. The coastline produced a flock of 210 golden plover, a ruff and ten dunlin.

The rev had more golden plover (60), six knot, five dunlin and a single guillemot (close in and looking un-oiled but poorly). A nearby freshly dead guillemot was emaciated.

In the afternoon we drove down to Falsterbo for a night's camping. We missed a cracking morning with multiple pallid harriers and both greater and lesser spotted eagles... But we did manage a few nice raptors in the closing hours of play including two 1K black kites going through together, a pallid/Montagu's juvenile and a nice selection of common raptor migrants.

Swedish tick - pallid harrier!

2011-09-01T18:02:00.005+02:00

Those of you who read this blog regularly will know that I stray out of BK (my beloved recording area) grudgingly and with some trepidation. But the area just to the south of me in Skåne is very good birding and it would be churlish not to have a look occasionally... The problem is I occasionally find birds I would give my eye-teeth for in BK. Today was one of those days...

Team logistical reasons suggested a trip to work the coast between Farhult and Sandön today and the sun shone for the first time in ages. Happy days. I kicked off at Farhult just after nine o'clock and this proved to be inspired. Within ten minutes I was watching a juvenile harrier. Picked up as a rufous ringtail coming in-off - I got excited. The bird was heading away in the scope and I prayed for it to thermal and show itself well, which luckily it quickly did. Check out that boa! Pallid! Great bird, a Swedish tick and one of my most wanted BK birds. Shame I wasn't there! But mustn't grumble, I have not been troubling the scorer's much this year, so I was just glad of the find. I forgot to photograph it though, being too busy enjoying it through the scope! Quite a large number of waders here too, in amongst the 175 dunlin were; knot (2), sanderling (6), little stint (10) and curlew sandpiper (4).

Next stop was Rönnen. A huge flock of barnacle geese in here - at least 2200, and all up in the air at one amazing point. Never found the culprit, but a peregrine appeared just afterwards. Waders much in evidence here too with knot (3), little stint (15), curlew sandpiper (14), a massive 16 spotted redshank and two woood sandpipers.

Adult peregrine at Rönnen.

Sandön provided more raptors with two white-tailed eagles and my first merlin on the autumn. Osprey and marsh harrier on the move too. Waders here included nearly 50 knot and six more sanderling. Two juvenile black terns hunted just off the boardwalk.

Osprey and white-tailed eagle over Sandön.

One of two juvenile black terns at Sandön.

Decided to check Halsarevet next, a site near Jonstorp that I have never visited but that has been hosting a few red-necked phalaropes lately. The birds were apparently present earlier but I dipped badly. As I arrived a sparrowhawk did a pretty comprehensive number on the place and every wader was up and off. A few things returned including seven little stints, a wood sandpiper and a turnstone. Great site though and one I will return to.

It was time to guiltily speed-thrash a few sites in BK, quickly worked the coastal stretch from Vejbystrand to Ranarpsstrand but with little effect. Just one migrating osprey at Lervik of note.

A bit of a raptor watch

2011-08-31T19:24:00.002+02:00

No sign of yesterday's common seal pup, perhaps his Mum picked him up...

Had just over two hours in the field this morning and elected to check out Eskilstorpsstrand again. Although still westerly the wind and the sea had calmed down considerably and there was little moving on the sea. Overhead though was a different matter and raptors were on the menu instead many cutting across the bay in front of me to make landfall at Båstad. Two close ospreys kicked things off nicely and I saw another later far out to sea doggedly heading south. Sparrowhawks were coming through at a rate of at least one every five minutes and in amongst them two honey buzzards and three marsh harriers.

Out at sea a massive total of 23 little gulls headed south, the majority in one loose flock. Three shelduck were my first for a while too. The beach produced a nice mixed flock of five waders; two dunlin and single ringed plover, knot and sanderling. The latter always notable in BK. Nice little session.

Marsh harrier - 2K male heading south.

A bit of a seawatch

2011-08-30T14:24:00.002+02:00

With strong westerlies arriving as per forecast I dropped the kids off at school and headed out for a sea-watch at Yttre Kattvik. Here I met Leif and Bengt, who had little to show for the previous two hours and promptly departed. Not auspicious. I stuck it out for two hours and although things were slow I enjoyed it. Highlights here included: seven black-throated divers loafing offshore; a few waders past including ringed plover (1), golden plover (1), knot (6), dunlin (3) and redshank (7); a trickle of terns including one adult Arctic tern and three guillemots.

After two hours I moved and had a quick look at Klarningen - very little - and then moved to Eskilstorpsstrand for another hour of seawatching. This was much better with first a great skua and then a probable Arctic showing distantly. The wind was strong but had backed SW. Waders come in close and fast at this site and I was pleased to catch a few flocks that included more knot (7), dunlin (12), ruff (1), redshank (2) and turnstone (2). A heavy shower eventually sent me scuttling for the car and home.

Icecream and hedges

2011-08-28T19:48:00.002+02:00

Spent most of the day either gardening or attending children's parties. Did manage to slip away with Mrs B for an hour and a half at Ranarpsstrand. A brisk SW wind was in operation and a few waders were flying by including golden plover (30), knot (2), bar-tailed godwit (3), spotted redshank (1) and a massive nine greenshank. A 1K red-backed shrike skulked about in the bushes. Tuesday is looking good for a sea-watch, I love August watches with the mad, southward dash of Arctic waders brightening up the long periods between real seabirds.

Stormy weather

2011-08-27T20:55:00.002+02:00

Got up early this morning but was pinned in the car during the mother of all thunderstorms. Really impressive show. Eventually the lightning drew away and the rain stopped and I could get out and check the weed between Vejbystrand and Stora Hult. Still plenty of waders here but no notable increases; oystercatcher (2), knot (5), Temminck's stint (4), little stint (4), curlew sandpiper (12) and ruff (4) being the best of it. A surprise goshawk male headed south and then I headed up to check the Hålehallstugan area.

Pretty quiet up here but I did hear crossbills briefly. The lake shore produced a red-backed shrike and a honey buzzard appeared overhead as it migrated south. No sign of any Lestes virens here, just a few Enallagma and lots of sponsa.

Picked up the team for a walk between Båstad and Malen. Nothing moving and little on the ground, just three grey wagtails of note. A quick look at Klarningen produced single spotted redshank and greenshank, as well as a handful of whinchat and single red-backed shrike and wheatear.

virens!

2011-08-26T16:35:00.003+02:00

Sandön is always good for an osprey or two.

Number 2 and I headed out to work the coast between Sandön and Rönnen this morning. Sandön was packed with birds and very exciting. Ducks were few and far between but did include five pintail. Waders held my attention for longer with a large flock of calidrids including a number of great birds. Two sanderling darting about quickly caught my attention and skulking in amongst a huge flock of over 100 snipe was a single dark and mysterious adult broad-billed sandpiper. It stuck out like Johnny Cash at a Hari Krishna get-together. Amazing numbers of little stints too with 17 counted and probably more. Just six curlew sandpipers and a small flock of 35 knot rounded off the action. Overhead two ospreys searched for fish and a 1K black tern hawked about.

Rönnen in a quick look produced more waders, notably a single avocet and eight curlew sandpipers.

After lunch we all went for a quick look at the sedge-mire at Gånarp. Fifteen minutes here was enough to secure Lestes virens for the year-list. Plenty of Aeshna juncea flying here too despite light rain and overcast conditions. A pleasant end to the day.

Lestes virens is a smart little damselfly. I just need to find a colony in BK...

Mmmm... stunted lower appendages!

Two bar!

2011-08-25T18:30:00.004+02:00

A really exciting day today with plenty of milestones achieved. BK delivers the goods in spades as usual. Kicked off in the rain at Stora Hult. This stretch of beach has plenty of rotting weed and will be worth keeping an eye on this autumn. Plenty of waders shared between here and neighbouring (off-patch) Vejbystrand; totals included ringed plover (90), golden plover (145), knot (7), little stint (4), Temminck's stint (4), curlew sandpiper (12), dunlin (90), ruff (2), greenshank (1) and spotted redshank (1). Curlew sandpiper was my 200th bird species in BK this year.

A wander between Grytskären and Ranarpsstrand produced a few oystercatchers, three more spotted redshank, four greenshank and plenty of common sandpipers but the site was disturbed by fishermen.

After a lengthy spell of housework I nipped out again in the afternoon, chasing Aeshna subarctica. Despite overcast conditions there were a few males patrolling at the site at Bränneslätt when I arrived and eventually one found it's way into the net. My 50th Swedish dragonfly of the year! As if this was not enough two two-barred crossbills flew over calling, they were chipping away but included at least two diagnostic nasal toots on their trumpets as they went over. BK tick!

Aeshna subarctica can be tricky to identify in flight, although with practise they can be picked out. It is much easier to identify in the hand of course and the key features are illustrated in these photos. The underneath of the thorax has two yellow stripes.

No yellow spots behind the eyes, cf juncea.

The facial suture line (between the frons and the postclypeus) widens at the base (near the eye).

Hungary round-up

2011-08-24T18:42:00.003+02:00

More images from a successful 'bat' trip to Hungary, a surprisingly enjoyable tour.

Just one Sympecma fusca was found, a fresh adult female, in the middle of a beech forest!

Fuzzy wuzzy was an owl. The easy bird highlight of the trip was a superb male Ural owl watched hunting around a forest clearing at dusk, whilst our batmen set up the mist-nets. Amazingly this was a WP tick for me.

Agile frog was nice too.

Once we dropped into the lowlands at the end of the trip we had a chance to chase a few more dragonflies. Ephemeral wetlands produced this fine Aeshna affinis, as well as Lestes barbarus but we could not find macrostigma in the short time available at the best sites.

Our last new dragonfly was Crocothemis erythraea, common at a spot we broke down at on the way to the airport on the last morning!

Female Crocothemis.

Wader go!

2011-08-24T18:15:00.002+02:00

Terrible grey weather with occasional showers put birds back on the menu this morning. Checked out Klarningen for an hour after breakfast. Plenty of yellow wagtails (45+) and tree pipits (30+) on the move this morning, and at one point I heard crossbill calling. Quite a few birds have dropped out too with whinchat (8), wheatear (6) and red-backed shrike (1K) decorating the posts and wires. The wetland itself was rather quiet although a flock of 8 shoveler was my best total to date at Klarningen. Also here a flock of ten ruff and 4 snipe.

In the afternoon I went out to Ripagården to look again for two-barred crossbills. The woodland here was rather quiet but the beach produced a nice little stint, seven common sandpipers and a greenshank.

Torekov rev provided it's usual slow-burn. Seemingly deserted, it eventually produced a respectable diversity of waders; little ringed plover (1), ringed plover (7), golden plover (35), knot (2), little stint (1), Temminck's stint (1), dunlin (21), curlew (1), common sandpiper (1), greenshank (2) and redshank (2).

Back on patch!

2011-08-23T20:55:00.002+02:00

After nearly six weeks away I have finally made it home... Great to be back on the patch and the first job today was to look for two-barred crossbills (several have dropped in to BK in the last two weeks in my absence and I 'need' it). No chance of an early start as normal, but I got two hours in at Killeröd mid-morning. No sign of any two-bars though, but two 1K common crossbills were nice. Two nutcrackers were also welcome but failed to show well. A tit flock here included both willow and crested. Dragonflies started to appear as the day warmed. Plenty of Sympetrum vulgatum throughout and a few Aeshna juncea warming up on spruce trunks.

Aeshna juncea - several flying in the woods this morning. Lower down the hill mixta was flying.

Quick looks at Lindab (Sympetrum flaveolum) and Vysterborg (several Aeshna grandis) were useful for the dragonfly Atlas totals for that square. Last stop of the day was Mäsinge for a quick look at the pond, the easy highlight being a male Anax imperator (a recent addition to the Odofauna in Skåne). One day a female will turn up too. Fancying a bit of birding I checked out Glimminge for waders but just one common sandpiper and one greenshank kicked up in a quick look.

Aeshna mixta at Lindab today.

Just one Aeshna cyanea today, this female egg-laying at the pond at Mäsinge strand.

Postcard from Hungary

2011-08-13T09:47:00.004+02:00

Phil is... currently enjoying Hungary.

The emphasis of the trip is on bats, many different roosts have been visited so far this week from small roof spaces and chimneys to natural cave roosts.

Any late summer trip in Central Europe is going to throw up some great encounters with splendid creatures. We visited one chalk grassland area that was hooching with wartbiters (Decticus verrucivorus).

A first for me was an adult common spadefoot, recorded after rain in Aggtelek NP one night. There are very few records for the park apparently.

Another great find was the Carpathian purple slug (Bielzia coerulans) - here in rather drab autumn plumage.

Dragonflies get a look-in of course. This Orthetrum brunneum was a nice year-tick and we are hoping for many more species when we hit some steppe plain wetlands later on in the trip.

Visiting so many bat roosts is a rare privilege, we have seen 13 species at roost or in the hand so far. Grey long-eared bat gets the comedy award.

Take me to your leader.

Reptiles are proving surprisingly elusive but sand lizards have performed, alongside common wall and green lizard.

La glorieuse Loire

2011-08-06T23:00:00.008+02:00

On our recent trip to France, we were allowed just half a day on the Loire on 28/7, instead of our planned 2-3 days. We had a great afternoon though and are keen to go back. Our first look at a river was a lunch stop on the Vienne at L’Île Bouchard which produced some interesting Odo’s, with Erythromma lindeni taking pride of place, alongside Calopteryx splendens, Platycnemis pennipes and Onychogomphus forcipatus. Later the kids swam at the confluence of the Loire and Vienne whilst I poked about along the bank. Amongst the numerous Onychogomphus forcipatus we did see one (probably female) Ophiogomphus cecilia. But the view was brief and no photos… Also here a single Lestes viridis and yet more Erythromma lindeni. A great insight into the joys of dragging on the Loire, I hope we return.

My first European Erythromma lindeni turned up on the Vienne and the Loire.

Platycnemis were common along the Vienne.

Lestes viridis were on the wing along the Loire.

Onychogomphus forcipatus were very common along the Loire and Vienne, diligent searching produced a frustrating fleeting view of my first Ophiogomphus.

Number 2 found this big European mantis (Mantis religiosa) along the riverbank.

the last Lestes

2011-07-29T21:06:00.001+02:00

The first week of our holiday was a wash-out, poor weather and a car crash put paid to that. Once we were mobile again we finally got down to Île de Ré for our 'week on the beach' with friends. This worked well and had the added wildlife bonus of a crack at the small Atlantic population of Lestes macrostigma. These enigmatic brackish-tolerant damselflies are found here in dense stands of sedges in old salt pans and were only recently discovered on the Atlantic coast of France. With such narrow habitat preferences and a naturally low density I was not exactly filled with confidence.

I need not have worried though because on our first bike ride, I stopped at the first suitable looking 'pool' and waded in to the vegetation, quickly finding that Lestes barbarus were abundant and turning up a fine male Lestes macrostigma. The 'pool' was as dry as a bone but the barbarus were busy ovipositing all the same. Nothing like optimism. This patch of habitat was in fact unusual and we only found one other like it during the week and this did not produce macrostigma despite extensive searching. A return to the original site produced a pair of macrostigma the next day and I left the island feeling rather pleased with myself.

My last European Lestes species - a female Lestes macrostigma - a splendid animal and hard to find on the Île de Ré.

and the male.

Huge numbers of Lestes barbarus were present in the ephemeral wetlands of Île de Ré.

Odd to see Aeshna affinis, another ephemeral wetland specialist, holding territory over dry ponds on the landward edge of the saltmarsh.

Le fin?

2011-07-20T08:39:00.005+02:00

Team Benstead's Tour de France came to an abrupt halt yesterday, when a white van man (L'homme de van blanc) jumped a light in the rain and we skidded inexorably into a T-bone that left Bobby (our faithful Ford Focus estate) a write-off in Orleans. No-one hurt though luckily. The next 8 hours reflected rather badly on our Swedish insurers and we still await new transportation along with our huge pile of camping gear...

Elephant hawk

2011-07-10T17:59:00.006+02:00

Sympetrum danae are on the wing in BK.

Nipped out for two hours today and spent time at both Bränneslätt and Sinarpsdalen looking for dragonflies. The mire pool at Bränneslätt produced ten species with recently emerged Sympetrum danae being a BK year-tick.

Emerging Aeshna juncea were also evident today. Still no definite subarctica but they are always commoner in August, so maybe I will just have to be patient.

Another stomp about in the Sinarpsdalen eutrophic mire before lunch produced a single male Ischnura pumilio, Somatochlora metallica and Libellula depressa but no Odonates on the stream.

This male pumilio was a surprise in Sinarpsdalen today.

This huge elephant hawk-moth caterpillar was a nice find too at Sinarpsdalen.

Map time

2011-07-08T15:56:00.001+02:00

Busy this week bit not so busy as to fail to notice that second brood map butterflies are now on the menu in southern Sweden. The best sighting this week though came on Monday when a superb male purple emperor materialised at my feet.

rOdotrip 2 - the Nehalennia gamble

2011-07-03T19:27:00.005+02:00

With the window slowly closing on the Nehalennia season, I cracked and decided to try and find them on a warm but overcast day. A gamble that just paid off. It's a 3.5-4 hour drive up to Asby in Östergötland from my house, ie a lot further than I normally drive for a day out. But Nehalennia is a special species and a must-see beast. Believed extinct in Sweden until re-discovered in 2006, it is currently known from just five sites.

Arriving at 0930 I quickly located the site, a fantastic mire, quite an open 'sward' in places and a submerged aquatic macrophyte species (hornwort?) growing in amongst the sedge, bogbean and horsetail. I was surprised by it's heterogeneity and also it's accessibility. Sadly I do not think we have any habitat quite like this in BK but I live in hope of turning up a site nearer home. [That said, there is a site in Denmark which is nearer and I hope to visit it soon.] As I cleared the trees around the mire margin a Coenagrion flew up and was swiftly netted, as I expected it was a male johanssoni - a bonus species present here at the southern margin of it's range and only my second encounter in Sweden.

My first male Coenagrion johanssoni for at least five years, S2 in profile is just splendid.

All boded well, but it was some time before I coaxed out a single mature female Nehalennia. Tiny, short-winged, with a short, pale pterostigma, she fluttered up into the net like a teneral, it was sublime! Looking up for a change I noticed a goshawk flying by with what looked awfully like a red squirrel in it's talons.

If Odonata are your thing then it does not get much better than ticking Nehalennia. Nothing wrong with mature females either.

Nice!

Also here my first Aeshna juncea of the year, as well as Lestes sponsa, Coenagrion pulchellum (1), Erythomma najas, Leucorrhinia dubia and Libellula quadrimaculata. With no sign of any sun on the horizon I headed home at 1130.

A 'blue' female juncea, my first of the year.

Female johanssoni are as distinctive as the males.

No time for stopping on the way home and mostly grey and overcast anyway. Did stop at the Smedje near Skottorp hoping for a burst of river warbler, but no luck. Did get the Blyth's reed warbler again though at Dömestorp, which had added green sandpiper to it's repertoire since I last listened. By way of explanation the nearby eastern pools of Skottorps våtmark were crammed with waders. 'Management' is spot on here with a nice draw-down from bankful over the last week that has pulled in migrants. Totals included: wigeon (1), teal (25), shoveler (6), ruff (4), green sandpiper (10) , spotted redshank (4), greenshank (15) and massive 85 wood sandpipers. Along the river were at least four Sympetrum sanguineum, my first of the year. Had to check Klarningen after that just to compare; ruff (1), wood sandpiper (5) and redshank (2). Oh well!

My fourth Odo year-tick today was Sympetrum sanguineum, closer to home at Skottorps våtmark.

caudalis twitch

2011-06-30T20:15:00.002+02:00

As part of my effort to see as many of the dragonfly omissions on my Swedish list this year I had planned a trip to see Nehalennia and coming back through Halland and coshing off Leucorrhinia caudalis. But bad weather has so far delayed the big day. Today I decided to make the most of a sunny afternoon and at least get the whiteface out of the way. So after swim-school me and the kids drove the 90-odd kilometres to our nearest known caudalis site, a small lake near Falkenberg. It turned out to be a popular swimming spot, so the kids got a bit agitated during the 45 minutes it took to track down a single male caudalis - a chunky fat little fella sitting on a lilypad that was a welcome lifer. The kids enjoyed yet more swimming before it was time to head home.

Stopped off for half an hour at Klarningen but the site was being disturbed by machinery and we only managed 7 wood sandpipers before calling it a day.

Chasing dragons

2011-06-29T21:59:00.003+02:00

Yesterday I was at a tree nursery and literally bumped into my first Orthetrum coerulescens in Sweden. It was perched on a plant nicely but I had no camera... I think I will find this species in BK in time and now is the time to look.

Today me and the kids spent the afternoon in the field. We checked Bränneslätt out first. Lovely sunny day so stuff was on the wing. Two Anax imperator dominated the pond. At the back one or two Aeshna juncea/subarctica kept a low profile - a year-tick either way... Nice start, but no sign of any Somatochlora arctica (which has yet to be recorded at this site).

Our next stop was Älemossen where arctica does occur and we did see at least one. It would have been nice to catch it for confirmation but we had to settle for flight views. Not much else here although Pyrrhosoma were still flying here, they seem to have become scarce lately.

Night-birding

2011-06-28T01:19:00.002+02:00

Well I did manage to stay up till it got sort-of-dark and headed back to the Smedje in Lahom kommun. I arrived just before 2300 and I could hear the river warbler chuffing away as I drove past the bridge to park. An incredibly powerful song. Also here a quail in song.

Driving back into BK I stopped for a while at Klarningen, just grasshopper warblers here with one on site and another across the river at Eskilstorpsdammar. Drove home slowly listening at a few spots but just scored a nightjar at Ehrenstorp for my troubles.

Singing Blyth's reed

2011-06-27T20:43:00.003+02:00

Sun at last. Busy with swim-school in the morning, although we did manage to divert by the pond at Mäsinge strand for a quick look on the way home. Still plenty of Orthetrum cancellatum here and just one Libellula quadrimaculata. The only new Odo here was Lestes sponsa, so no surprises.

After lunch we headed out to check out the recently-found Blyth's reed warbler at Dömestorp. Just a kilometre or so outside BK... Luckily a birder was on it on arrival so we did not have to search it out, it was singing splendidly in between bouts of feeding and showing well in a small oak tree. Great bird, just got to find one in BK now. There has been a huge quail influx this year and with plenty of observers in the field at night, things are turning up. Our next stop was a nearby bridge over the Smedje, a small river, where river warbler had also been found! No sign of it singing in the heat of the day though, but dragonflies came to the rescue. Number 1 pointing out a superb male Onychogomphus forcipatus, perched at our feet! An ice-cream moment for the team. Also here Cordulia aenea and Libellula depressa.

Onychogomphus forcipatus - only my second in Sweden.

Last stop of the afternoon was a quick look at Klarningen. A few waders in front of the tower; green sandpiper (2), greenshank (1), wood sandpiper (4) and redshank (1). A night session beckons. Can he stay awake?

New dragonfly in BK

2011-06-26T21:11:00.003+02:00

Instead of risking weather and heavy traffic and going for Nehalennia today I elected to stay at home with Team B. The weather was variable with plenty of cloud but we had a good day looking at invertebrates at a variety of sites up on the hill.

First up was a quick look at the Sphagnum bog at Bränneslätt. I was hoping for an early Somatochlora arctica but the weather was not really warm enough to be sure that they are not flying. We did not see one! Plenty of Leucorrhinia dubia on the wing and some females egg-laying. Also more cranberry fritillaries here, which were so cold you could pick them up, which enchanted Numbers 1 and 2.

More secondary genitalia! This is the hamule of a Leucorrhinia dubia, much straighter than that on rubicunda which I pictured earlier.

Crossing the road we strolled down to the man-made pools and adjacent peat bogs. This area is rather good for Odonata and we had two year-ticks here in the form of both Somatochlora metallica and flavomaculata. Also here an Aeshna grandis.

One of two patrolling male Somatochlora metallica at Bjäred today. New for the year, but regular at this site. flavomaculata was flying here too today.

After lunch we checked out the small stream and large reedbed at Hulrugered. A neglected bit of the patch me thinks, and just as I was thinking it, Mrs B earned the team an ice-cream by spotting my first Swedish Cordulegaster boltonii. It perched nicely for photos.

A long-anticipated addition to my BK list and a Swedish tick to boot. Cordulegaster really is a monster Odo. Kudos to Mrs B.

Last stop of the day was a recce into the mire at the eastern end of Älemossen, difficult to get into but full of potential. Just one Libellula quadrimaculata flying when we were there but some good butterflies including purple-edged copper and idas blue.

Idas blue - another first for me in BK.

A rather tatty female purple-edged copper spotted at Älemossen this afternoon.

Watching the sea

2011-06-25T21:23:00.003+02:00

Cranberry fritillary, a new butterfly for me in BK.

Got up reasonably early for a spot of seawatching. We still had a 8-9 m/s westerly but it obviously was not enough to produce the goods. The three hour session at Yttre Kattvik netted just one gannet, as well as two splendid summer-plumaged black-throated divers and a light passage of southward curlews (18) and one bar-tailed godwit (the latter a BK year-tick). I felt pretty safe leaving at 0930 and only missed a single sooty shearwater some hours later so no damage done.

Later on in the day we all headed out to walk the Killeröd loop track. This track always throws up a surprise or two and today the Odonates recorded were bizarre, the only wetlands on this track are sphagnum-filled mires with little or no open water so why did we find Enallagma cyathigerum, Aeshna grandis and Orthetrum cancellatum? One of the mires had a small colony of cranberry fritillaries, my first in BK. A calling willow tit was my first of the year.

Anyone for crickets?

2011-06-24T16:54:00.006+02:00

Great green bush-cricket - female nymph. One of many in the valley mire at Sinarpsdalen today.

Another lazy start saw us in the field at midday for a look at the valley mire at Sinarpsdalen. Strong westerlies and a cool temperature put down all Odonata activity. Twenty minutes tramping about failed to turn up a single damselfly or dragonfly. But I did find my first BK raft spider (Dolomedes fimbriatus), a shy female close to a web-nest crammed full of young. There were also plenty of Great green bush-cricket nymphs (Tettigonia viridissima) in the wetland today.

A quick look at Klarningen after lunch revealed the site to be empty of waders and ducks but a quail was singing away and as we drove off a 2K hobby dashed about after swallows.

Minky 'magic'

2011-06-21T18:29:00.003+02:00

The kids and I headed out in the afternoon for some birding, still windy and grey which makes dragonfly work a bit tedious. First stop was Ranarpsstrand. An hour here produced three tufted duck, two goosander and seven redshank. I spotted a female American mink carrying a youngster and the kids charged towards it, the minklet was sacrificed as the female headed for cover, allowing us great close-up views of the cute youngster as it mewed plaintively. Not sure what would have happened to it if I had been alone, my boot was twitching but such thoughts had to be abandoned with Number 1 and 2 cooing over it. We retreated back 15 metres and lay down and the female eventually retrieved the infant and carried it away. Nice encounter, just a shame that the introduced American mink population is high enough to make it sadly rather commonplace.

Mink youngster, dropped by the female when she came face-to-face with my offspring.

Mink female at Ranarpsstrand today.

Black-necked grebe at Hasslarps dammar today, birds have been reported on-and-off since spring, maybe the same skulky birds are responsible.

Last stop of the day was a look at Hasslarps dammar, I was hoping to catch up with a couple of black-necked grebes and we eventually tracked them down. Also here a variety of wildfowl with wigeon (male), gadwall (pair) and pochard (two males). Small numbers of waders too with little ringed plover (2), green sandpiper (6), spotted redshank (1), greenshank (1) and wood sandpiper (6). Marsh warbler and grasshopper warbler sung sporadically.

more atlas work

2011-06-19T17:44:00.002+02:00

The rosea form of Nymphaea alba was looking good today at Dagshög.

A single male Brachytron was new for the square today at Dagshög.

Another sluggardly start saw us all heading to Dagshög for a BBQ and dragonfly session. This proved to be an inspired choice as all the nasty looking squalls missed us over the next three hours. A light breeze form the sea did little to suppress Odonata activitity and we had a good look around the various wetlands at this under-watched location. Few surprises but Coenagrion pulchellum, Brachytron pratense and Orthetrum cancellatum were all new for the square.

We left ahead of potential rain and went north to a sunny Torekov to have a look at Flymossen. It was getting late by now and we found no libellulids on the wing here, just Enallagma and Ischnura elegans, as well as my first meadow browns of the year.

Grey

2011-06-18T21:15:00.005+02:00

Both Lestes sponsa (pictured here) and Lestes dryas were sitting around in the gloomy weather this morning at Gröthögarna.

Stuck under a low pressure system at the moment which looks like it is here to stay. Makes dragonfly atlas work rather tedious, just damsels flying and the birding has gone quiet too. Managed to crawl out of bed for an 0830 (!) look at Torekov rev this morning. Fairly quiet although a single whimbrel resting at the tip was nice. A greenshank sped south calling mournfully, these failed breeders are a downer! The rev was very quiet, I think all the breeding birds have left already or failed.

Next up was a walk around Gröthögarna, which was very quiet, just two noisy pairs of redshank and a collared dove. The sedgy wetland did produce a single Lestes dryas and a small number of Lestes sponsa. It looks like Lestes dryas is going to turn up in suitable habitat throughout BK with some searching.

Later I picked up the team and we went for a wet picnic in the tower at Klarningen. A few waders present including ruff (2), spotted redshank (3) and wood sandpiper (1). It kept raining though and in the end we headed home.