October!

Enough sun this morning to get the last few Sympetrum danae at Klarningen on the wing.

Well we got to October, conditions look excellent for a 'patch' yellow-browed warbler but can I find one?

Nipped put to Klarningen for two hours before lunch. More work being done on site so after a brief look from under the tower (stairs nearly done!), I went for a walk. The main pool was still hosting the flock of 40 barnacle geese, as well as equally stable counts of wigeon (86), teal (105) and pintail (2). Waders included golden plover (5), dunlin (5), ruff (16) and snipe (6).

The highlight of the walk around the north end was a single jack snipe flushed twice and seen well in flight before it flew across the river to Eskilstorps dammar. Looking over into Eskilstorps dammar produced a single gadwall in amongst the mallard. I still need this for Klarningen but it looked settled today! A glance through a flock of flying wigeon produced a single shoveler. The riverside trees were as usual during migration periods quite good for small birds and produced 5-6 goldcrests, already looks like we are going to see more of these little chaps this year than last autumn.

On the way home more evidence of migration with a hawfinch over the road at Eskilstorp and a jay in Sinarpsdalen. The latter moving in good numbers apparently this autumn.

After lunch went out to pick sloes at Norra Ängalag - rather quiet, although a nice flock of 160 goldenplover on the inland fields. A quick stop for shag at Påarps Mal failed but the garden at the end of the lane had four crossbill and a blackcap.