goose panic

Had half an hour at Klarningen this morning. Things were quiet (kestrel 1) until a huge flock of Canadian geese flew in from the west and over the tower. Right at the back of the flock an adult white-tailed eagle chivvying them along!

100!

Bird of the day, an unseasonal 2K tundra swan, found by Jan and twitched off in the afternoon. Most of our tundra's come through in early spring and late autumn.

Got out early chasing a possible gyr falcon reported yesterday on Gröthögarna. Walked from Norra Ängalag to Ripagården and picked up a few good birds but no gyr. Walkign down to the coast at the start I flushed a common snipe from the side of the track. The big freeze is putting them in strange places apparently. A peregrine was out on Tjällran but there was little else of note until I reached Ripagården. Here on the seaweed bank by the harbour were nine starlings and a song thrush. Back at the car later a 2K female goshawk gave an impressive flyby.

In the afternoon we checked out Ranarpsstrand searching for pheasant (!), unseen by anyone this year in BK apparently... We saw a male! Hearing of a tundra swan found by Jan Skidell we drove up to Torekovs rev and were put onto the bird by a helpful birder. Also here at least one purple sandpiper to round off the day. The year-list hits 102 in record time, perhaps three weeks earlier than usual, although it has helped that I have actually been in Sweden during the whole of the month!

pygmy? (23012014)

Walked the long loop at Killeröd this morning in an attempt to year-tick crested and coal tit after missing them the other day. In the end I managed to hear crested tit but did not get a sniff of a a coal. I did hear two distant notes form a possible pygmy owl though at one point. Otherwise similar birds to the other day, with another four willow tits on show during the walk.

kingfisher

A morning birding netted another three year-ticks. First up was the often elusive kingfisher at Båstad, which gave itself up in less than five minutes luckily. Hemmeslövsstrand produced three superb flyby redhead smew and a calling black woodpecker, but the light was too poor to go through the assembled scoter with any confidence. Last stop of the morning was at an icy Klarningen which surprisingly produced some passerines in the shape of a flock containing one reed bunting and four meadow pipits.

chasing woodland birds

Walked the woods this morning, desperate to get fit before my next tour after two-and-a-half months of shingles related problems. This snowy walk also had the potential to add perhaps six year-ticks to my tally. In the end though I had to settle for just three. Willow tits (4) were found within two flocks encountered during the walk. A high nutcracker was heading for pastures a little lower down the hill and at least four jays were feeding at a game feeder in a clearing.

Before lunch I just had time to check the sea off Grytskären for grebes (I still need red-necked and Slavonian for the year...). Nothing doing on the sea but nine purple sandpipers cruised around the islands offshore briefly and a dunnock was skulking in coastal bushes.

Two hours at Dagshög

Target bird today was a black redstart reported a few days ago by a birding chasing the elusive water pipit at the site. Pleased to connect after two hours but should it show so much rufous wash in the underparts?

Had two-and-a-half hours in the field today and headed for Dagshög which netted me three year-ticks. First up was a song thrush over the car park as I got out of the car. Down at the coast I had a possible glimpse of the water pipit and two or three starlings were in the area. I walked south to Burensvik, hoping to reconnect with the pipit but failed. However on my return to Dagshög the black redstart (reported recently by others) was feeding avidly in amongst a mixed flock of rock and meadow pipits.

long-tailed grass lizard

 Spent the day cataloguing photographs and found this excellent animal in the files, a long-tailed grass lizard (Takydromus sexlineatus ocellatus). This species has a huge range in Asia but this individual is the only one I have ever photographed. The incredibly long tail can be appreciated fully in the shot below.

wildfowl count - Torekov to Hovs Hallar

Another morning duck counting, this time in much milder conditions, between Torekov and Hovs Hallar. In between the counting I found a few good birds. A male pintail popped up at Rålehamn. I finally found a raven (!) for the year, one flying noisily around Norra Ängalag. Ripagården produced a treecreeper in a small flock that also included three goldcrest. Tjällran had a roosting peregrine.

After the count I headed for Båstad to have a quick look for the oystercatcher, no sign but 18 whooper swans in the bay. Klarningen next hoping for the great grey shrike that has been reported occasionally over the winter. It was quiet on site but amazingly on the way home I picked up a great grey shrike as I drove up Sinarpsdalen. Year-tick number four for the day but as I opened the door I added another as ten waxwing swept over the front garden.

wildfowl count - Dagshög to Torekov

It finally went sub-zero today in time for part of my wildfowl count. I walked the section from Dagshög to Torekov and my shingles hardly bothered me, at last signs of recovery! The counting was pleasurable but did not provide much in the way of excitement. There was evidence of a little southerly hard weather movement from species like whooper swan and fieldfare during the morning. Best birds otherwise were a single male goosander (scarce this winter for some reason) and at least 12 shags on the rocks off Torekov

I had lunch looking over Torekov rev from the car and picked up another year-tick in the shape of a black guillemot, which flew in from the direction of the island. Also here at least three purple sandpipers and a shag feeding offshore. On the way home I picked up a covey of ten grey partridge in the big field at Norra Ängalag, whilst searching unsuccessfully for the redpoll flock. The partridge were year-tick number three for the day and my first since June.

winter seawatch

 Lightly-oiled kittiwake

Little gull

Rocked up rather late for a winter seawatch this morning in a strong NW blow. Sadly I arrived 15 minutes after a possible Leach's petrel went through... A couple of hours at Yttre Kattvik did produce two fulmar, a few gannets, lots of kittiwakes and three little gulls. On the way home I got close to another (or the same) three little gulls close in at Kattvik and took photographs until my hands froze. I need some winter camera gloves!

yesterday

Had a day out in the field with Paul Cook yesterday and we worked the stretch of coast between Dagshög and Norra Ängalag. Paul inevitably got a few Swedish ticks (being the new kid on the block) but generally things were rather slow although we did spend a lot of time chatting...

The day was notable however for the continued slow passage offshore of good numbers of kittiwake and smaller numbers of gannet. Highlights on this stretch included at least one of the water pipits at Dagshög, three adult shags at Torekov, ten purple sandpipers at Torekovs rev and at least one on Tjällran, a big female peregrine in fields at Norra Ängalag and later perched on Tjällran and single dunnocks at Norra Ängalag and Torekovs rev.

Last stop of the day was a quick look around Kattvik, the sea was calm here but rather empty until Paul stunned me by finding a single shelduck off the harbour. Only my second BK January record and certainly my earliest.

goshawk kill

Highlight of this morning's session was flushing a goshawk off it's breakfast. You have to admire the economy and the systematic nature of this bird when it feeds. The goshawk obviously started at the head of the rabbit and worked it's way towards the rear. The skull (bottom right) when examined had been completely scraped free of flesh and a neat hole cut in the back to allow the removal of the tasty brain!

A bitterly cold southerly wind greeted me at dawn this morning at Klarningen. Not much going on on site, just a lone whooper swan and a fly-through white-tailed eagle of note. Nearby Petersberg produced a brace of year-ticks, first up was a huge flock of 160 tufted duck on the pit and then I flushed a fantastic adult goshawk off a rabbit.

Last stop of the day was Eskilstorpsstrand, the big flock of scaup (182) provided another year-tick and a couple of long-tailed duck and a gannet passed by.