Birding with the kids - 23/11/09

Well the weather continues to be grey and drizzly, so rather than submit the kids to a long walk anywhere, I drove 40 minutes to Höganäs and coshed off the 1K barred warbler. The bird was easy to find but harder to keep track of. It appeared at our feet on arrival and then drifted off slowly. If you are twitching with kids though that is the way you want it! We spent just 20 minutes here, also seeing little grebe (1) and coot (10). A November red-footed falcon and now a barred warbler, what next? Perhaps we might just get some real winter weather instead.

Next stop was Farhult for a quick half hour scan whilst the kids played on the beach. Hardly any wader habitat here due to high water levels, so it was mostly offshore. Highlights included black-throated diver (2), Slavonian grebe (5), red-necked grebe (1) and shelduck (4). The latter are probably birds returning north due to the warm weather!

The bridge at Sandön has taken a battering in storms this autumn!

Last birding stop of the day was Sandön. Five oystercatcher were the highlight here, this species is sporadic here in winter, but Sandön is a good place to score. Two white-tailed eagles sat atop Rönnen and that was our lot.