birding the E6 corridor

Had much to do today but still squeezed in some quick looks at three sites along the E6. First up was Brandsvig, wet here this year but no birds to speak of strangely in a very speedy appraisal.

Next stop was Hasslarp, plenty of birds here including white-fronted goose (32), barnacle goose (2), gadwall (9) and shoveler (2). My first red-necked grebe of the year put in an appearance too.

Last stop was Klarningen where five gadwall and four shoveler were present.

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I took it easy on Monday to try and recover from a rather fatiguing virus but missed a great day in BK if other people's results with migrants are anything to go but. Tawny pipit, Med gull and ring ouzel all spotted by others!

The next day I had to take the car for it's MOT and made my annual visit to nearby Brandsvig. This stretch of farmland by the motorway has an occasionally wet wetland which was dry this year but the site always has good birds. In twenty minutes I enjoyed watching a 1K female peregrine flying about, as well as rough-legged buzzard (1) and a fly-through ringtail hen harrier.

The car passed and I was off to walk Gröthögarna. On the way I picked up a flock of nine jays heading south. I started at Ripagården and spent some time checking the site. Frustratingly I could hear two-barred crossbills in the plantation but could not get good views. Despite numerous encounters with this species this autumn I have yet to see one well! Otherwise migrants were rather thin on the ground; blackcap (2), chiffchaff (1) and redpoll (3) being the best of it. A full circuit of Gröthögarna produced a few other birds including redshank (1) and peregrine (1).

Typically perhaps the best sighting of the day came when I picked up the kid's in Förslöv in the late afternoon and three nutcrackers flew over the village.

Two hours birding before the rain

Lots to do today but squeezed in two hours in the field before the afternoon rain. First stop was Brandsvig. Forty minutes here produced some good birds including hen harrier (2 1K birds), a peregrine (adult male) having a rest on a pile of soil and a great grey shrike. The latter are unusually abundant this autumn it seems.

Last stop was Klarningen back in BK. An hour here was not nearly as productive sadly. The shoveler flock has built to 15 though and today a single pintail was also present. The teal flock has climbed back up to 250, presumably birds are flying between the wetland sites along the valley. Waders included 13 golden plover, three ruff and two snipe.

Burning up Brandsvig

With the car at the doctors having it's wheels aligned, I walked out of Ängelholm to nearby Brandsvig - a wet farmland site I enjoy birding on occasion. Plenty happening on arrival with a raptor playing merry hell with a flock of waders that included golden plover (21), knot (1!), dunlin (2), ruff (35) and greenshank (3). Not a bad little haul for an inland field. Also here a few passerines including yellow wagtail (1), redstart (1), whinchat (10) and lesser whitethroat (1).

Spent an hour at Ljungbyholm the afternoon, but nothing notable seen as I hunkered down in the wind and rain-lashed car reading the Owner's Manual...

Wheatear!

It definitely feels like spring now!

Spent the morning in the field today. Started late at Brandsvig, a quick stop here secured my first little grebe of the month, as well as at least ten teal and eleven snipe. Next I drove back into BK and checked out Vasaltheden/Glimminge. Tramped about in the wet bits at Vasaltheden searching for jack snipe but skunked out, flushing 11 snipe in the process. The airspace above the heath produced flyby barnacle geese (6), sparrowhawk (1) and waxwing (10). The air was full of the songs of meadow pipit, reed bunting and yellowhammer. Just before walking into Glimminge I noticed a wheatear perched near the bunker, a confiding bird and a welcome year-tick.

Glimminge was rather quieter just before lunch. The easy highlight was my first BK redshank of the year. I stared at it amazed, it looked so good. The red legs burnt holes in my colour-starved retinas! Also on the beach here single rock pipit and white wagtail.

Later in the village I tracked down a singing male siskin and nearly had my head knocked off by a hunting sparrowhawk whilst mucking out the car.

Merlin magic

Two tundra swans at Klarningen again this afternoon but no sign of the pink-footed goose.

The feeders in the garden produced two nice birds today in the form of a male redpoll and a brambling, the latter have been strangely scarce this month and this was my first. Driving back from Ängelholm I diverted to look at Brandsvig. This 'variably wet' wetland has had plenty of water this winter and levels are up. Conditions that had attracted a big flock of 95 whooper swans and two tundra swans. I checked the rocky stream above Margretetorp next picking up three dippers but no sign of any grey wagtails.

Klarningen was great, producing two year-ticks. It seemed quiet at the start but things kept popping up. Two tundra swans flew in, just after I arrived, along with 35 whooper swans. Duck numbers were well up with 160 teal stealing the show, but also 125 mallard, nine wigeon and eight shelduck. Whilst watching a hunting kestrel, the unmistakeable shape of a charging male merlin disappeared off into Laholm kommun. I prayed for it to return and ten minutes later it buzzed the tower. Smashing little bird, hopefully it will stay around and fatten up for a while on Klarningen's skylarks before heading north to breed. Being sure of covering this large site for waders during a short visit is never guaranteed and it took me some time to notice the green sandpiper in the back corner, my earliest by four days and maybe the first in NW Skåne this year? It did not hang around long before heading off. On the way home I dropped in to check Petersberg, still icy here but the first song thrush of the year was welcome indeed.

Birding - 27/03/10

A quick stop at Klarningen in appalling weather, any wind-driven rain is appalling I guess though after four months without. A few birds available though including whooper swan (20), teal (40), wigeon (10), curlew (2), snipe (1), green sandpiper (1) and oystercatcher (2). Dropped in on Brandsvig as well en route south and although there was plenty of water it was very quiet, just one rough-legged buzzard. In Malmö four barnacle geese grazing the roadside in the centre (near the railway station!) were the first of the month.

Birding - 23/02/09

The weekly trip 12 miles down the road to the supermarket always offers a chance for some off-patch birding. This week we kept it short and had a quick look around a small wetland/farmland area right by the supermarket (Brandsvig). Here in ten minutes I had my first skylark of the year (spring is coming) and another hunting rough-legged buzzard.

Back in town we headed for the big playground by the river. Whilst the two eldest played, Number 3 and I nipped off down river. Not much doing, but heard a kingfisher (another year-tick, scarce this year) and a few goosander floated about.