All quiet on the western front

Headed out to tramp around Gröthögarna this morning. I gave it a good go but the highlight was three singing icterine warblers. Also though an increase to four thrush nightingales, the pair of cranes and a hawfinch. The 'best' bird though came at the end near the car park at Norra Ängalag, a flyby collared dove - a new bird for Gröthögarna.

We all headed out for lunch at Klarningen, but they were working on the site with tractors... Ground-nesting birds get pretty short shrift here sadly. At least they did not harrow them this year I suppose. The best birds were a pair of grey partridge, a species hard hit by last winter and these were my first this year and the first reported in BK too. Good to have them back at this regular site. Whilst we lunched I spotted single greenshank and wood sandpiper and a pair of cranes migrated overhead. Water levels continue to drop, why don't they turn the wind-pump on? I guess I will have to ask!

The rest of the cool and overcast afternoon was spent looking for dragonflies in hardly ideal conditions. We checked out the lake at Pennebo, thinking it was in Skåne and would count for the Atlas, only to find out later that it was in Halland! It looks a great site though and we will go back. Dragonflies on the wing here were Pyrrhosoma nymphula, Coenagrion hastulatum, Leucorrhinia rubicunda and Libellula quadrimaculata. The weather and time got the best of us but we dropped in on Gånarp too for more Coenagrion hastulatum, Leucorrhinia rubicunda and Libellula quadrimaculata. Another off-patch site to revisit next month.

Plenty of teneral Coenagrion hastulatum at Pennebo and a few good males.

Leucorrhinia rubicunda was seen at both sites covered today, this one at Gånarp.