virens!

Sandön is always good for an osprey or two.

Number 2 and I headed out to work the coast between Sandön and Rönnen this morning. Sandön was packed with birds and very exciting. Ducks were few and far between but did include five pintail. Waders held my attention for longer with a large flock of calidrids including a number of great birds. Two sanderling darting about quickly caught my attention and skulking in amongst a huge flock of over 100 snipe was a single dark and mysterious adult broad-billed sandpiper. It stuck out like Johnny Cash at a Hari Krishna get-together. Amazing numbers of little stints too with 17 counted and probably more. Just six curlew sandpipers and a small flock of 35 knot rounded off the action. Overhead two ospreys searched for fish and a 1K black tern hawked about.

Rönnen in a quick look produced more waders, notably a single avocet and eight curlew sandpipers.

After lunch we all went for a quick look at the sedge-mire at Gånarp. Fifteen minutes here was enough to secure Lestes virens for the year-list. Plenty of Aeshna juncea flying here too despite light rain and overcast conditions. A pleasant end to the day.

Lestes virens is a smart little damselfly. I just need to find a colony in BK...

Mmmm... stunted lower appendages!