that's more like it (20150620)

The highlight for me this morning was my first Pseudoips prasinanus - a stunning little moth.

Rosentorp produced a bumper haul this morning (by this season's standards anyway) that actually took some time to process. Totals: Korscheltellus lupulinus (1), Korscheltellus fusconebulosus (14),  Hepialus humuli (1), Drepana falcataria (2), Timandra comae (1),  Xanthorhoe montanata (2),  Xanthorhoe fluctuata (1),  Cosmorhoe ocellata (2), Ecliptopera silaceata (1), Colostygia pectinataria (2),  Dysstroma truncata (1), Hydriomena impluviata (2), Opisthograptis luteolata (1), Hypomecis punctinalis (7), Biston betularia (2), Siona lineata (7), Deltote pygarga (2), Charanyca trigrammica (1), Apamea crenata (2), Diarsia rubi (1),  Pseudoips prasinanus (1), Calliteara pudibunda (11), Spilosoma lubricipedum (2), Spilosoma luteum (1) and Eurrhypara hortulata (1).

 

My first Pyrochroa coccinea actually landed on Number 1 as she was walking along, she had the presence of mind to quickly pot it and run it to me. Getting them trained up nicely!

Number 2 had a poor session today but typically produced the goods with this smart staphylinid (Platydracus fulvipes). Only 8 records for Skåne for this species on Artportalen at the moment, so she got the prize for best find of the day.

In the afternoon we all went out searching out invertebrates. Just before we got to Frestensfälla we bumped into a huge female moose with a tiny youngster as they crossed the road. Big! Frestensfälla was great if a little cool and windy and we found some great stuff. Number 1 did well today finding a nice cardinal beetle (Pyrochroa coccinea), only to be trumped by Number 2's Platydracus fulvipes - a smart little staphylinid that has only been recorded in Skåne eight times! There were also a pleasing number of new micromoths during this session...

first BK dragonfly of the year

My first teneral BK odo fluttered into view today at Frestensfälla - surprisingly it was an Anisopteran - Leucorrhinia rubicunda. The first April record for BK and my earliest by two weeks.

Could not resist a day out today. Started off checking the big field at Ljungbyholm. Dotterel are moving and there is a surprising amount of freshly tilled soil available... No sign though this morning just 41 golden plover and a curlew.

Did a number of sites quickly during the morning. Ranarpsstrand was great with a pair of garganey and a single common sandpiper providing year-tick action. Also here a single male gadwall and four white-fronted geese through north. Out on Grytskären were another couple of male gadwall and two female pintail.

Påarps mal next. Lesser whitethroats were blasting out their song and the calm sea allowed an appreciation of the sheer number of common scoter well offshore, at least a thousand birds stretching from Hallands Väderö down towards Dagshög. Torekovs rev provided another year-tick - a little tern. Also here six purple sandpipers, greenshank (1) and whimbrel (1). Nearby Flytermossen had a single male marsh harrier.

In the afternoon I headed along the high ground, picking up a crane at Atteköp whilst listening unsuccessfully for wood warblers. Nearby at Frestensfälla I had a single teneral Leucorrhinia rubicunda at the pool and tree pipits were singing here.

Last stop of the afternoon was at Klarningen. Rather quiet here but nine wood sandpipers and seven ruff were entertaining. Two wheatears were my first on site for the year and the wetland over the river in Laholm kommun was obviously busy with a marsh harrier flushing a flock of ten shoveler into the view at one point.

The afternoon was also notable for the great sandhill crane excitement, I was looking after the kids after school and could not take part in the hunt for Sweden's first record of this species.. It may have passed north over the eastern boundary of BK...

autumn

Got some pond-dipping in with the team in the afternoon by carefully dodging the downpours whilst driving between sites. We tried the small pond at Petersberg first and caught some water beetles that looked seriously confusing to the untrained eye. Not sure what this one is yet but am going to have to work out a good way of photographing them, I may have to build a small tank for on-site underwater photography. This one is so shiny that you can see a reflection of both me and Number 2 in the photo!

Actually got out early this morning for a look at Klarningen. It really felt autumnal just after dawn and birds were on the move. The access track held yellow wagtail, wheatear and whinchat and a small flock of 21 golden plover was present in the fields. Greylag geese are massing too with over 300 on site this morning. Working through the wildfowl produced a couple of pintail and two shoveler. The spotted crake was still dashing about like a mad thing along the edge of the large Juncus bed. Everything spooked briefly when a sub-adult hobby (2K?) flew down the river. Waders included some dunlin (6), ruff (1), common sandpiper (1), spotted redshank (2), greenshank (4) and 11 wood sandpiper. At least 68 yellow wagtails left the site and headed south during the session perhaps the most memorable event of the day.

Checked out Petersberg and heard what may have been a brief snatch of song from a great reed warbler, I tried tape-luring to confirm but got no response...

Mid-morning saw us all out dodging heavy rain showers whilst doing some pond-dipping. The sunny spells produced some great dragonfly action. At Petersberg we had three Aeshna species bombing about and we turned up a great crested newt and a grass snake. The pond at Frestensfälla was busy too with Sympetrum danae and Aeshna juncea all busy breeding. But more rain threatened so we headed for home a lie-down.

Low-level pan-species listing continues to provide both headaches and enjoyment, this lovely hopper (Cicadella viridis) at Frestensfälla gave itself up pretty easily but many identifications elude me and the list of TBI is growing daily. Just have to hope we get snowed in this winter I guess.

Lestes sponsa are present in good numbers at most waterbodies in BK. Still no sign of a breeding location for Lestes virens though.

lovely longhorns

 Took this shot believing it to be a longhorn but it is actually a chrysomelid - one of the reed beetles Donacia marginata. Thanks to Mark Telfer for the id.

 My rapidly increasing passion for invertebrates is turning up some really interesting species groups for me. Hoverflies have been a huge hit and I will try and post some photos soon. Another great group is the longhorn beetles which are just mega!

 Rutpela maculata - it might be common and widespread but it looks good. This was taken today on a walk around Blickling Lake in Norfolk.

Strangalia quadrifasciata - a BK longhorn spotted around Killeröd last month.

Stenurella melanura in BK at Frestensfälla last month.

the weekend that was

 Rhagonycha fulva (a type of soldier beetle) is everywhere at the moment in BK.

The trouble with pan-species listing is that the learning curve is so steep it makes your brain hurt a lot and the identification process for even the common things can get rather lengthy! Spent the weekend walking and photographing mostly on Hallandåsen. Did a bit of birding with Klarningen being rather disappointing on Saturday (water levels too high for waders after the rain) but had some nice encounters with young red-backed shrikes just out of the nest at Älemossen. Sunday saw some serious invertebrate searching in Sinarpsdalen near the house and we found a nice male black woodpecker (amazingly my first BK bird of the year!!) as well as a possible first for Skåne in the shape of a huge female sawfly Xeris spectrum. An afternoon picking blueberries at Älemossen produced more invertebrates including a monster puss moth caterpillar.

Nice to see a few familiar invertebrates during the weekend, such as this Coenagrion hastulatum.

Number 2 found this nice Chrysomela populi at Sinarpsdalen.

Bee beetle (Trichius fasciatus).

The big one, the nationally near-threatened sawfly Xeris spectrum, this may constitute the first record for Skåne, a great find in Sinarpsdalen yesterday.

Black woodpecker, whistled in for good views at Sinarpsdalen but difficult to capture with a macro lens!

Top beast at Älemossen was this enormous puss moth (Cerura vinula) caterpillar caught wriggling feverishly across the trail.

A presumed female ichneumon at Älemossen yesterday. Anyone?

Number 1 found me this roosting four-spotted footman (Cybosia mesomella) at Älemossen.

southward bound

I have given up looking for adults and we are now familiarising ourselves with the larva of Sweden's Odonata, this one is Leucorrhinia dubia I reckon. We were just getting started on our first-ever family pond-dip in the afternoon when the heavens opened and we had to run to the car. It's starting to piss me off...

Yesterday evening we were all up at Salmon Height's enjoying a BBQ in a heinous westerly with occasional showers. Overhead a steady stream of swifts were heading west - so soon? 

This morning the westerly wind continued and after a late night the best I could do was an 8 o'clock start! Spent nearly three hours at Ripagården and was pleased to log a light passage of waders that consisted mainly of dunlin (46) but also grey plover (2), knot (10 - BK year-tick), bar-tailed godwit (8 - BK year-tick) and turnstone (1). A young peregrine idly pursued an oystercatcher past my position and then the tables were reversed and the oystercatcher chased it off. Perhaps the most enjoyable bird though was a full summer-plumage Slavonian grebe that dropped into a raft of eider just offshore and looked fantastic.

early icky

Two male firecrests were singing at Dömestorp after lunch.

Got out a little earlier this morning and hit Eskistorpsstrand again hoping for a flyby white-billed diver or for one of the two Yank scoters to the north of BK to stray south. None of the above happened sadly! In fact the black scoter flew north back to Påarp. They are sure to transit BK I guess but the chances of me witnessing it are slight! I contented myself with going through the available scoters and enjoying a flyby female merlin.

Onshore winds made for difficult viewing conditions and eventually I decided to have a poke around in the coastal scrub. Really quiet with no migrants at all until I reached the carpark at Mellanvägen when a short burst of song lead me to a ridiculously early icterine warbler (not the first in BK this year though, Mats L had one yesterday).

Klarningen next predictably enough. Still rather quiet but a thorough examination revealed three garganey and a nice Temminck's stint. A pair of red-necked grebe were nest-building and at least six wood sandpipers remain on site but no other migrant waders today.

Dashed back to pick up the team and we headed out to Dömestorp for a picnic. En route we checked for dragonflies at Frestensfälla (nothing doing, temperature failing to hit double figures...). Dömestorp was great with nice views of two male firecrests and a frustrating time trying to get a photo of the frenetic little buggers.

On the way home we checked Bränneslätt, no Odos here either, but my first green hairstreak of the year. Finally a great roadside hawfinch fed on the ground for us to admire as we drove through Atteköp. A better session.

Grey-headed wagtails moving

Had a bit of time in the afternoon to check out Klarningen and a few sites up on the hill. Klarningen is drying fast but looks good for waders still. Ducks have moved on though, just three teal and a handful of mallard remain. I am amazed that the site did not attract a garganey this spring, still time I suppose. Waders included the usual residents plus one greenshank and 16 wood sandpipers. At the back at least four yellow wagtails, included my first grey-headed wagtails of the year.

Up at Frestensfälla a cuckoo was singing. Nearby at Hulrugered, I screeched to a halt for a female ring ouzel, typically shy I never saw it well except in flight. In the same hedgeline were two male redstarts, four song thrushes and a pied flycatcher. Last stop of the day was at Ehrenstorp where a big flock of grey-headed wagtails (30+) and meadow pipits (40) were feeding in a recently harrowed field. Also a female whinchat here.

Dawn patrol

My first dawn start of the spring, saw me out in the field at 0430. In the half-light of dawn at Petersberg I had my first cuckoo of the year. Next stop was just off-patch at Dömestorp where an hour in the woods produced five singing wood warblers and a firecrest - both year ticks. Nice to hear wrens here too, they are rather scarce this spring.

Klarningen next, water levels are dropping here again, hopefully intentionally to attract waders and not an indication of a partially disabled field drainage system. Certainly favours the wood sandpipers, a good total of at least 25 and perhaps 30 here today, also golden plover (7), ruff (2) and snipe (1). Wildfowl were scarce but varied with wigeon (2), gadwall (1), teal (9) and shoveler (4). The big news though was the pair of coot on the pond at the back, they have finally hopped the river and made it onto my site list!

On the way home I walked Frestensfälla and Älemossen, loads of tree pipits everywhere and after a bit of searching I finally tracked down a singing whinchat - my first of the year and very overdue. A wood warbler singing at Atteköp was a BK year-tick.

In the afternoon the kids and I had a quick look at Sandön - common tern (11), Arctic tern (6) and greenshank (1) and then went ot Hasslarp. Hasslarp was packed with year-ticks - sedge warbler (1), grasshopper warbler (1) and sand martin (2 - every year this is the last hirundine to fall!)

What a drag!

Took the team for the annual blueberry/dragonfly walk today. I love this day, I potter about catching odonates and listening to the kids mucking about and scoffing berries.

Sympetrum vulgatum (female) - a big emergence of Sympetrum was underway at Bjäred våtmark, the first site on our itinerary.

First up was a rare visit to the man-made wetland near Bjäred. Number 1 and I did a circuit picking up a few good birds, including green sandpiper (2) and a pair of honey buzzards. But it was dragonflies we concentrated on, picking up Anax imperator (a recent colonist to southern Sweden), Libellula quadrimaculata, a patrolling male Somatochlora metallica, Lestes sponsa, Erythromma najas, Enallagma cyathigerum, Coenagrion puella and Ischnura elegans.

Driving past Ehrenstorp we spotted a pair of cranes feeding in the wet valley near the lake. A red kite cruised past.

The pools at Frestensfälla were our next destination. The weather was a bit unkind at this point and the sun hid behind clouds a lot. Nevertheless we managed a few more dragonfly species; Sympetrum danae, Leucorrhinia dubia and rubicunda, Coenagrion hastulatum and Pyrrhosoma nymphula.

Coenagrion hastulatum, showing the diagnostic S2 'arrow-head' mark.

An early Aeshna subarctica was a great find at Älemossen.

Our last stop was Älemossen which gave us three more species, bringing the total recorded during the day to 16, not bad considering the weather. I think 25 would be a good day total and I may try next year. The new species were a brief Aeshna grandis in the woods and then the small very dry Sphagnum pools provided one teneral Aeshna subarctica and an egg-laying Somatochlora arctica. A brilliant end to the day and the blueberry crumble was superb!

My second ever Somatochlora arctica was this egg-laying female, it flew with its anal claspers and S10 up in the air, you could see the eggs building up in a ball before they were slapped into the wet Sphagnum.

Caught this male Somatochlora arctica at Älemossen on 27/07/08, it was my first. The site was a lot wetter that year, huge volumes of water are being lost at the moment to the rail tunnel currently being drilled through Hallandåsen. The site is drying rapidly and will never be the same I fear.

Same individual, showing the fantastic 'earwig-style' male appendages.

Birding - 7/7/10

Dragged myself out for a look at Torekov this morning before breakfast. Flytermossen was buzzing with a spotted flycatcher greeting me on arrival. The wetland had calling young marsh harriers in the reedbed (about to fledge I suspect), as well as one calling water rail. The rev was quiet and almost covered with water with just a couple of dunlin to recommend it. The woods behind had two singing wood warblers, they must be going for a second brood.

In the afternoon took the team out to look for blueberries at Frestensfälla, but we were too early, looks like 2010 is still two weeks behind last year, despite all the hot weather lately. Great spot this though. Heard at least two honey buzzards and siskin were buzzing about. The dragonfly pond had Leucorrhinia dubia, Coenagrion hastulatum, Pyrrhosoma nymphula and Lestes sponsa in a quick look. Nearby at Älemossen we stopped briefly for a group of 15 swifts and a pair of red-backed shrikes.

The business end of a Lestes sponsa, lower appendages long and straight.

Had our first BBQ at Klarningen at tea-time. Work continues on the tower, it might well be ready for the autumn at this speed. The vegetation is now so high that you can see little open water from the carpark now. Although we had no time to check the site thoroughly we had a flyover yellow wagtail and at least 20 swifts here too.

The tower at Klarningen is starting to take shape. Will it be tall enough? Will I have to buy a x60 eye-piece? Will there be BBQ facilities?

Walking Älemossen

We all walked across Älemossen to Frestensfälla with my sister's family today. Beautiful blue sky weather and plenty of things to look at. Birds were quiet, the highlights being a singing siskin and a smart displaying male honey buzzard. Invertebrate highlights included this pearl-bordered fritillary...


A 'blue' female common blue...

and this exciting black adder, probably the biggest individual I have ever seen...

Club-tail

A day out with the kids to give Mrs B a break turned into an invertebrate session. We started at Klarningen where we booted out the first patch Odonates of the year - my first club-tailed dragonfly in Sweden and a nice beautiful demoiselle too. The only bird highlight was a lonely-looking golden plover.

Club-tailed dragonfly (Gomphus vulgatissimus) - a nice, if predictable tick at Klarningen this morning.

Beautiful demoiselle Calyopteryx virgo, Klarningen

After a quiet spell on the beach we headed round Älemossen (red-backed shrikes and whinchats) to the dragonfly pools at Frestensfälla. Here we had yet more species of Odonata; both Leucorrhinia rubicunda and dubia, Libelulla quadrimaculata, northern damselfly and large red damselfly.

Another patch first for me at Frestensfälla was this map butterfly.

Northern damselfly Coenagrion hastulatum at Frestensfälla today.

Large red damselfly Pyrrhosoma nympula at Frestensfälla today.

Birding - 02/03/10

Plenty of goosander on patch at the moment, this male was with a female at a potential breeding location.

Out the door again for some exercise and fresh air, our only solace at the moment. Stomped about in the snow in the woods between Frestenfälla and Älemossen, but very little noted. A jay called in the distance and a few blue tits were singing. Birds are hard to come by on the patch after nearly three months of snow on the ground. The track to Klarningen was still blocked so we headed to Kattvik next. Very quiet here too, good numbers of great crested grebe (12) offshore, but nos sign of any scoters and just 35 eider.

Later in the day Mrs B and I had a quick walk at Hemmeslövstrand, where there was no sign of yesterdays buildup of goldeneye in a a biting westerly. On the way home drove up Sinarpsdalen and had a pair of Canada geese on the ground in the valley mire. Hard to spend so much time in the field without seeing something good, but we managed to do it today!

Birding - 28/11/09

This grey weather is not conducive to early rising and we staggered out for a late walk in the morning. Checked out Frestensfälla for an hour, getting some good birds. Eight long-tailed tits were most welcome and we heard a crested tit. Overhead a sparrowhawk appeared briefly and then we went home for lunch.

After lunch I headed out for an hour and half. First stop was Axelstorpsravinen were I found a dipper in just two minutes by the bridge. Result. Time saved was spent at Bösketorp, where a staggering 8,740 bramblings flew over to a roost somewhere nearby. We had a heavy beech mast crop this autumn but where are these birds feeding? Other birds included a good selection of thrushes, including 20 redwing and 5 mistle thrushes, as well as bullfinch and black woodpecker heard.

A little way inland there have been reports of up to 20,000 bramblings this winter! Good news too if you are thinking of coming this way soon, the adult gyr falcon was seen at Farhult today, it's back!

Dragging - 23/08/09 and some birds

Another mid-afternoon walk, saw us all visiting the dragonfly pools at Frestensfälla. The late afternoon was warm enough for several species to be flying. A number of Aeshna juncea were patrolling and it was good to catch one to compare with yesterday's subarctica. Also on the wing were Sympetrum danae (small numbers) and Lestes sponsa (still abundant).

Aeshna juncea - in the hand pale spots were noted on the occiput and the underside of the thorax was plain.

Whilst we were looking at dragonflies, a flock moved through the trees and we heard both willow and crested tit. The former is hard to find here but does breed on the patch, the latter is hard to pin down in the breeding season but come the autumn and winter is much easier to see. Last winter a cresty took up residence at Torekov rev and could be watched feeding out on the seaweed with rock and water pipits!

On the way home we watched the 'retro-farmers' at Ehrenstorp cutting a crop with a horse-drawn reaping machine. On the other side of the road the family party of cranes was feeding quietly. A horse field nearby had at least ten yellow wagtails feeding in it. Nice afternoon session.

Birding - 06/08/09

Klarningen - more water (we missed a lot of rain whilst on holiday). Ruderal growth has been good over the late summer and as the site floods up it will be rich in seeds and very good for duck. No aquatic macrophytes yet but plenty of aquatic invertebrates scooting about in the warm shallow water.

After a bit of a lie-in, I nipped out for a morning in the field to get my eye back in after the holidays! Klarningen looked great and produced some waders including Temminck's stint (2), greenshank (1), spotted redshank (2), wood sandpiper (4), common sandpiper (1), ruff (5), snipe (12) and lapwing (110). A wheatear (1) along the access track signalled autumn for real. Dragonflies were much in evidence in the warm weather with Anax imperator, Aeshna mixta, Aeshna grandis, Sympetrum striolatum, Ischnura elegans, Enallagma cyathigerum and Lestes sponsa. A big surprise was a superb female Onychogomphus forcipatus sunning itself on the bare substrate at the water's edge (my first in Sweden).

Sympetrum striolatum - present in good numbers and ovipositing at Klarningen

A big surprise at Klarningen was this female Onychogomphus forcipatus

Before lunch I nipped up to Frestensfälla to check out the dragonfly pools. The sun unfortunately went into cloud but I managed to get Aeshna cyanea, Aeshna grandis, Sympetrum danae, Coenagrion hastulatum and Lestes sponsa. Butterflies were good too and included silver-washed and high brown fritillary.

Silver-washed fritillary at Frestenfalla, flying with high brown fritillary today

Aeshna cyanea - caught patrolling over a small Sphagnum-choked pool in the forest

Coenagrion hastulatum are getting thin on the ground at Frestenfalla

In the afternoon we headed out to Torekov rev, which was jam-packed with sun-worshippers. The kids got into the water and I checked out the waders. Not bad here considering the crowds with a scattering of stuff including; dunlin (25), greenshank (3), spotted redshank (1), common sandpiper (5), bar-tailed godwit (1), grey plover (1) and little ringed plover (1). Last stop was Ripagården where there were few waders - wood sandpiper (1) and common sandpiper (5) but the sea off the breakwater was refreshing.

Birding - 11/07/09

Slipped out mid-afternoon whilst the kids went to buy their Saturday sweets... Spent an hour at Klarningen - quiet here with curlew (2), green sandpiper (3), common sandpiper (1), lapwing (60), ringed plover (pair) and little ringed plover (pair).

Next stop was half an hour at nearby Frestenfalla, here some dragonfly pools are always worth checking and today was great. Plenty of damsels with Lestes sponsa, Coenagrion hastulatum and a single Pyrrhosoma nymphula. Big dragonflies were represented by an excellent Leucorrhinia rubicunda, lots of Leucorrhinia dubia, Libellula quadrimaculata, Sympetrum danae and a single Aeshna (prob juncea).

Plenty of Coenagrion hastulatum on the wing today

Sympetrum danae was present in good numbers as tenerals, just one adult located

Leucorrhinia rubicunda, just one present in amongst plenty of dubia. Note the blackish pterostigma, pale costa and the pattern along the abdomen.

A Leucorrhinia dubia for comparison.