Checked out Eskilstorpsstrand this morning. Frost overnight again and a cold start to an otherwise sunny day. The wind has gone east, can it produce? I searched anyway. The sea had 100+ scaup (mostly off Skummeslövsstrand) and good numbers of velvet scoter (100) off the patch and many more off Skummeslövsstrand. More bullfinches again today with 13 seen, many of which were flying over giving the 'eastern' call. Thirteen waxwing south too. The coastal strip of vegetation produced nothing else of note apart from two coal tits, but as I was getting in my car I noticed a small flock of redpoll feeding in an alder with individuals occasionally dropping to feed on the ground. Unlike previous flocks this autumn, they were settled and allowed a good going through. Of the twenty birds present one showed a good white rump and I focussed my attention on it - another Arctic redpoll! It behaved really well, but as the flock flew south, I wondered how many of the twenty had been Arctic, or had I chanced on the only one? Difficult birds to pin down on your own, mostly because they are hyperactive!
Naturally I visited Klarningen briefly on the way home. Water levels are at an all-time high and so were goose numbers. At least 500 greylag in. A thorough search revealed 46 Canada geese, three white-fronts and a single tundra bean goose. Superb. Duck numbers are dropping though as the temperatures plummet; just 15 wigeon and 8 teal remain. A kettle of eight migrating buzzard and a single hunting rough-legged buzzard were the only raptors today. The huge flock of starling present recently had dwindled to one today! Best bird though was my first bullfinch for the site...
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