thanks Mats! (20150424)

Had half an hour after lunch to twitch off the ring ouzels found by Mats Ljunggren up on Hallandsåsen. Sure enough I found a nice collection of thrushes in a field at Hulrugered that included a redwing and a quartet of great-looking ring ouzels. A lone crane stalked around a field in the distance.

school trip

Took Number 1's class on an outing to Torekov rev this morning. The weather was rather poor sadly, with a strong westerly making things rather difficult. In the end after bagging a little ringed plover (1) and three common terns we headed into the woods to get the kids out of the cold wind. Flytermossen produced seven swallows, two house martins and a singing redstart. Much better!

In the afternoon we set the moth trap up in Förslöv and bagged a nice hawfinch and had our first wood warbler of the spring singing in the woods.

stonechat revisited

A trip to Klarningen was always part of the plan today as I did my rounds of chores. So I was well pleased when I got an SMS an hour before I was due there that a stonechat had been found on site. Bonus. I missed Jan's bird on the 9th and then the site was burned which must have put the bird off somewhat.

An adult white-tailed eagle had a good go at catching something right in front of the tower today at Klarningen.

Sure enough on arrival the tower had residents and they quickly put me onto the stonechat sitting on a fence post in the southern part of the site. An hour-and-a-half here was very productive with more year-ticks in the shape of garganey (one male), willow warbler (1) and a whinchat (1, early record? I guess but the database is down for maintenance so I cannot easily check). Other birds included a hunting white-tailed eagle, green sandpiper (3) and a single wheatear. Nice session.

spring Arctic skua (20150418)

Had a great morning session which netted three year-ticks. Kicked off at Norra Ängalag and sat quietly to see what would fly by. There were plenty of fisherman disturbing the coastline but things were going past - the best bird being a splendid dark phase Arctic skua - a species I struggle with in the spring (usually because I am not here!). A singing male wheatear was new-in and a very welcome sight. Stuff was on the move overhead with a fairly constant trickle of passerines (siskin, pipits and wagtails) and even a kestrel. A single male gadwall dropped in at one point.

Next up was a look at Torekovs rev. Highlights here included the big flock of purple sandpipers (32), a single white-tailed eagle (2K) en route to the island and a migrating merlin (year-tick). Over at Vinga randy razorbills were a feature.

My first Cyphostephus tristriatus - a bug only found on juniper bushes with berries (if my Swedish translation was correct), that is where we found it anyway!

Later in the day we spent some time at Lya ljunghed beating bushes for invertebrates and found a great little jumping spider (Dendryphantes rudis) and a nice bug (Cyphostephus tristriatus) - the latter only found in junipers.

Last stop of the day was Klarningen - a few new birds in including four shoveler and at least seven swallows. Best of the rest included a green sandpiper and new total of five ringed plovers.

spotlighting (20150417)

Number 2 and I went spotlighting and mothing during the middle of the evening. Lots of roe deer about, a few hares and a nice close encounter with a male woodcock (my first of the year) at Bränneslätt. Moth action was seriously affected by the rather cold temperature I suspect and nothing came to our illuminated sheet in the hour after dusk.

failed twitch

Chased a couple fo ring ouzel at Hovs Hallar this afternoon but dipped badly. Plenty of white wagtails on the ground and a few siskin and sparrowhawk in the air. I loath working Hovs Hallar alone (too much cover) but it has undeniable potential for turning up rares.

wet

Fifteen minutes was all I could stand in the tower at Klarningen in the early afternoon. The weather was atrocious and in the short time I was there nothing unusual appeared. One little ringed plover was the highlight in amongst the usual suspects.

more migrants

An SMS that there were two black-tailed godwit at Klarningen got me moving at midday for a quick look. Sure enough on arrival they were guzzling away in the eastern pool. Also here my first little ringed plover of the year, a massive 16 redshank and a green sandpiper. Nice one.

Later in the day I nipped out to Båstad to chase Sandwich terns and got a look at two feeding offshore. Lots of great looking summer plumage grebes in the bay too with five great cresteds, eight red-necked and at least 16 Slavonian grebes.

BKK

Got our very late today - feeling grotty and I fear 'real' flu may be on the cards shortly after exposure to the infectious in-laws over Easter... With temperatures hitting the low 20s I went inland to Bösketorp pools hoping for an early Pyrrhosoma but had to settle for a manic noctule and three barn swallows flying through (my first of the year). An orange underwing (Archiearis parthenias) gave us the runaround.

I eventually got round to reading my sms messages to find that I should have been in Mats' garden for the return of last year's firecrest. Got there eventually and the bird was still entertaining the finder in fine style. I then dragged myself off to lie on a rug on the beach as the day cooled and scored two whimbrel north. On the way home we checked the pond at Lönhult and nabbed a nice common sandpiper for our troubles. Four year-ticks today despite minimal time in the field.

springtime (20150410)

Great weather at the moment so I got out of the house to have a look around. It felt good but I actually managed to connect with very little during the session. Checked the coast between Torekov and Rammsjöstrand at various points hoping for some migrant passerines. Plenty of chiffchaff singing and dunnock have arrived in force too but not much else.

Otherwise highlights for this section of coast were a huge flock of 36 purple sandpiper (Torekovs rev), five scaup south (off Påarps mal), more green sandpipers (2) and a crossbill overhead at Burensvik. I had singing rock pipits at two locations, have I never noticed this spring phenomenon before or have the stayed later than usual [rock pipit does not breed on mainland BK but perhaps offshore on Hallands Väderö most years].

Having dealt with a family emergency over lunchtime we were back in the field in the afternoon briefly with a moorhen on the pools at Lindab in the village being my only year-tick of the day somehow! Checked Klarningen - for four shoveler and a green sandpiper and that was my day.

stoner

Hit Lya Ljunghed straight after the school-run this morning hoping for Jan's stonechat. No sign of the little fellah but I had a nice hour-and-a-half here with flyover redpoll (1), hawfinch (1) and crane (2). A great grey shrike was still in attendance and my first displaying snipe of the year was in the air. Chiffchaffs have definitely arrived with at least three males here. A crossbill called briefly.

Checked Klarningen on the way home. Things rather quieter here than of late with many of the wildfowl having pushed on. But I did get a nice male marsh harrier for the year and heard an elusive green sandpiper. Others included curlew (6), redshank (7), snipe (2) and stock dove (1).

lunch on the beach (20150406)

Had a picnic on the beach today at Vasaltheden. Not much going past during the two-hour session but a few things on the sea (Slavonian grebe and two red-necked grebes). Vasaltheden had many linnets - avoided so far this year. A quick check on the pasque flowers at Greviebackar revealed that they were still there.

out on the moss

Checked Klarningen in the morning. The usual suspects in attendance; shoveler (3) and pintail (male), plus a nice female hen harrier loafing about. Spent another four hours mooching about Älemossen. Not many birds but good to hear about the restoration project planned here. We left the site after a good walk with just two long-tailed tits and four bullfinch noted.

brace of year-ticks (20150403)

Got out for a couple of hours in the afternoon today. Near Boarp a goshawk crossed the road. At Ripagården things were fairly quiet, just a red-necked grebe offshore. Nearby in fields at Vråen a large flock of gull included at least eleven lesser black-backed gulls (my first of the year).

A quick look at Torekovs rev produced a nice grey wagtail (ditto), at least ten rock pipits and a few white wagtails.

another 20 minutes

I seem to be specialising in very short sessions in the field at the moment. Twenty minutes at Klarningen at least netted me a year-tick though in the shape of three shoveler. Only other notable species was pintail (1). Driving north I was disgusted to get hen harrier (ringtail) and rough-legged buzzard from the motorway just off-patch at Skottorp!

windy

Got out for an hour along the coast this morning but had not factored in a very stiff westerly wind. Checked the coast between Stora Hult and Ranarpsstrand hoping for an early wheatear but no dice. The best birds were a flock of 20+ purple sandpipers going north off Ranarpsstrand.

klarningen check (20150331)

Checked Klarningen very briefly in the afternoon. Not much happening here compared to my last visit. Ten curlew were nice and there were four redshank today. On the way home we checked the ploughed field at Hulrugered again but this time just two mistle thrush graced it.