BK tick - the harriers keep coming!

With strong SE winds forecast today it was always going to be interesting in BK, but could I cash-in? I tried Eskilstorpsstrand first thing for a couple of hours. Things were slow overhead here so I went for a walk north to the border and back down the road. A few things were moving notably an osprey loafing north and a black woodpecker heading south. The woods were better with a pair of crested tits and a frustrating two-barred crossbill that called a couple of times before melting away.

Klarningen next. The access track had at least 75 yellow wagtails and 11 wheatears. Water levels rising here with the electric pump on at last but no birds. Fly-through ruff (15) and golden plover rejected the place! Eventually I cracked and walked the site, this confirmed the lack of birds but did produce eight species of Odonate including six Ischnura pumilio, the first multiple occurrence in BK (and Halland). Back at the tower a pulse of raptors went through, including a nice male honey buzzard and an osprey. The phone went too, pallid harrier west through BK at Rammsjöstrand... Bugger!

Klarningen must have a colony of Ischnura pumilio, although I found no proof of breeding today. This is only the third Halland record of this species.

In the afternoon I did some taxi driving and then headed straight back to the patch and the 'big field' at Ljungbyholm. This is as big as the fields get in BK and I have high hopes that one day a dotterel will appear. Instead the first thing I saw when I set my scope up was a rufous 1K ringtail harrier passing very close to me. I willed it to be pallid, but it lacked the pale collar and boa, and instead I had to accept the fact that it was a Montagu's! Either would have been BK ticks so I could not complain. There are just five previous records of this species in BK so it is a hard bird to get. I was pleased and watched as the first of five marsh harriers came through in a busy 20-minute period. Out in the field sat two merlins. Magic stuff but things quietened down quickly and after 1.5 hours I moved on.

Last stop of the day was a date with some two-barred crossbills. They had to be in the larch trees around the Killeröd loop trail and sure enough right at the start near the green hunting hut I heard the first trumpet call. It took a full hour to track down a view but I eventually had four birds perched up in the 'scope. Also here a 1K hobby, willow tit and my best view of a nutcracker this year. A fantastic end to a great day in BK.