early icky

Two male firecrests were singing at Dömestorp after lunch.

Got out a little earlier this morning and hit Eskistorpsstrand again hoping for a flyby white-billed diver or for one of the two Yank scoters to the north of BK to stray south. None of the above happened sadly! In fact the black scoter flew north back to Påarp. They are sure to transit BK I guess but the chances of me witnessing it are slight! I contented myself with going through the available scoters and enjoying a flyby female merlin.

Onshore winds made for difficult viewing conditions and eventually I decided to have a poke around in the coastal scrub. Really quiet with no migrants at all until I reached the carpark at Mellanvägen when a short burst of song lead me to a ridiculously early icterine warbler (not the first in BK this year though, Mats L had one yesterday).

Klarningen next predictably enough. Still rather quiet but a thorough examination revealed three garganey and a nice Temminck's stint. A pair of red-necked grebe were nest-building and at least six wood sandpipers remain on site but no other migrant waders today.

Dashed back to pick up the team and we headed out to Dömestorp for a picnic. En route we checked for dragonflies at Frestensfälla (nothing doing, temperature failing to hit double figures...). Dömestorp was great with nice views of two male firecrests and a frustrating time trying to get a photo of the frenetic little buggers.

On the way home we checked Bränneslätt, no Odos here either, but my first green hairstreak of the year. Finally a great roadside hawfinch fed on the ground for us to admire as we drove through Atteköp. A better session.

rOdotrip 2 - the Nehalennia gamble

With the window slowly closing on the Nehalennia season, I cracked and decided to try and find them on a warm but overcast day. A gamble that just paid off. It's a 3.5-4 hour drive up to Asby in Östergötland from my house, ie a lot further than I normally drive for a day out. But Nehalennia is a special species and a must-see beast. Believed extinct in Sweden until re-discovered in 2006, it is currently known from just five sites.

Arriving at 0930 I quickly located the site, a fantastic mire, quite an open 'sward' in places and a submerged aquatic macrophyte species (hornwort?) growing in amongst the sedge, bogbean and horsetail. I was surprised by it's heterogeneity and also it's accessibility. Sadly I do not think we have any habitat quite like this in BK but I live in hope of turning up a site nearer home. [That said, there is a site in Denmark which is nearer and I hope to visit it soon.] As I cleared the trees around the mire margin a Coenagrion flew up and was swiftly netted, as I expected it was a male johanssoni - a bonus species present here at the southern margin of it's range and only my second encounter in Sweden.

My first male Coenagrion johanssoni for at least five years, S2 in profile is just splendid.

All boded well, but it was some time before I coaxed out a single mature female Nehalennia. Tiny, short-winged, with a short, pale pterostigma, she fluttered up into the net like a teneral, it was sublime! Looking up for a change I noticed a goshawk flying by with what looked awfully like a red squirrel in it's talons.

If Odonata are your thing then it does not get much better than ticking Nehalennia. Nothing wrong with mature females either.

Nice!

Also here my first Aeshna juncea of the year, as well as Lestes sponsa, Coenagrion pulchellum (1), Erythomma najas, Leucorrhinia dubia and Libellula quadrimaculata. With no sign of any sun on the horizon I headed home at 1130.

A 'blue' female juncea, my first of the year.

Female johanssoni are as distinctive as the males.

No time for stopping on the way home and mostly grey and overcast anyway. Did stop at the Smedje near Skottorp hoping for a burst of river warbler, but no luck. Did get the Blyth's reed warbler again though at Dömestorp, which had added green sandpiper to it's repertoire since I last listened. By way of explanation the nearby eastern pools of Skottorps våtmark were crammed with waders. 'Management' is spot on here with a nice draw-down from bankful over the last week that has pulled in migrants. Totals included: wigeon (1), teal (25), shoveler (6), ruff (4), green sandpiper (10) , spotted redshank (4), greenshank (15) and massive 85 wood sandpipers. Along the river were at least four Sympetrum sanguineum, my first of the year. Had to check Klarningen after that just to compare; ruff (1), wood sandpiper (5) and redshank (2). Oh well!

My fourth Odo year-tick today was Sympetrum sanguineum, closer to home at Skottorps våtmark.

Singing Blyth's reed

Sun at last. Busy with swim-school in the morning, although we did manage to divert by the pond at Mäsinge strand for a quick look on the way home. Still plenty of Orthetrum cancellatum here and just one Libellula quadrimaculata. The only new Odo here was Lestes sponsa, so no surprises.

After lunch we headed out to check out the recently-found Blyth's reed warbler at Dömestorp. Just a kilometre or so outside BK... Luckily a birder was on it on arrival so we did not have to search it out, it was singing splendidly in between bouts of feeding and showing well in a small oak tree. Great bird, just got to find one in BK now. There has been a huge quail influx this year and with plenty of observers in the field at night, things are turning up. Our next stop was a nearby bridge over the Smedje, a small river, where river warbler had also been found! No sign of it singing in the heat of the day though, but dragonflies came to the rescue. Number 1 pointing out a superb male Onychogomphus forcipatus, perched at our feet! An ice-cream moment for the team. Also here Cordulia aenea and Libellula depressa.

Onychogomphus forcipatus - only my second in Sweden.

Last stop of the afternoon was a quick look at Klarningen. A few waders in front of the tower; green sandpiper (2), greenshank (1), wood sandpiper (4) and redshank (1). A night session beckons. Can he stay awake?

Dawn patrol

My first dawn start of the spring, saw me out in the field at 0430. In the half-light of dawn at Petersberg I had my first cuckoo of the year. Next stop was just off-patch at Dömestorp where an hour in the woods produced five singing wood warblers and a firecrest - both year ticks. Nice to hear wrens here too, they are rather scarce this spring.

Klarningen next, water levels are dropping here again, hopefully intentionally to attract waders and not an indication of a partially disabled field drainage system. Certainly favours the wood sandpipers, a good total of at least 25 and perhaps 30 here today, also golden plover (7), ruff (2) and snipe (1). Wildfowl were scarce but varied with wigeon (2), gadwall (1), teal (9) and shoveler (4). The big news though was the pair of coot on the pond at the back, they have finally hopped the river and made it onto my site list!

On the way home I walked Frestensfälla and Älemossen, loads of tree pipits everywhere and after a bit of searching I finally tracked down a singing whinchat - my first of the year and very overdue. A wood warbler singing at Atteköp was a BK year-tick.

In the afternoon the kids and I had a quick look at Sandön - common tern (11), Arctic tern (6) and greenshank (1) and then went ot Hasslarp. Hasslarp was packed with year-ticks - sedge warbler (1), grasshopper warbler (1) and sand martin (2 - every year this is the last hirundine to fall!)

A rare twitch

Still busy with family. Great blue-sky, sunny weather today. Spent time at Dömestorp (hawfinch heard) grilling sausages and then went up to Tönnersa (too busy to look at birds).

After tea and with excellent baby-sitters on hand, Mrs B and I slipped out of the house heading for Rönnen and the Terek sandpiper found yesterday. We quickly located the bird feeding in a shoreline pool on the west side. Nice views in good light. Terek's are great, and this was my first in Sweden. We watched the bird for about 15 minutes before it flew onto the rocky shoreline of the island to the north and was eventually lost to view. The nearby pool had a good selection of waders; green sandpiper (2), wood sandpiper (7), spotted redshank (2) and dunlin (1). A single 2K little gull was also present. Nice evening.

My friendly flicker

Kicked off his morning with a two-hour session before breakfast at Ripagården. Things are on the move in different directions now; with waders heading south (single spotted redshank today) and a male rosefinch that slowly drifted north through the trees and bushes singing desultorily as it went. Nice. Otherwise a full set of warblers belting out their songs and plenty of young being fed by various species. A single common sandpiper reminded me that they might have bred at the site this year, must try and check before it is too late.

Picked up the team and headed for Yttre Kattvik. Pretty quiet here in flat calm conditions; just a single red-throated diver offshore and singing redpoll and cuckoo. Nest stop was a sausage-grilling session at Dömestorp. On arrival we could hear the red-breasted flycatcher from the car park and before long I was watching it. Not totally sure this is the same bird that I saw earlier at the other end of the wood, looked redder in the breast. As we approached the BBQ clearing an explosive "PIX!" revealed that we had flushed a pair of hawfinches, one of which perched up for good views. I still have not got used to seeing this exotic monster so regularly.

Whilst in the neighbourhood we quickly checked Klarningen and the kids had a play on the beach at Eskilstorpsstrand. Just the usual suspects at both. Three green sandpipers was the best of Klarningen and a total of ten goosander and a flock of fifty common scoter was the contribution from Klarningen.

RBF

With a reasonable westerly blowing it was out to Ripagården for four hours before breakfast. I was hoping for some migrating waders but it did not happen. The highlight was my first kittiwake of the year - a single adult. Early on a few divers were moving; red-throated (9) and black-throated (3). Geese were evident in small numbers with brent goose (25) and barnacle goose (3) being the best of it.

In the afternoon I took the team out for a walk off-patch at Dömestorp and amazingly we connected with a very vocal red-breasted flycatcher - a male but not in full plumage. Stopped in at Klarningen briefly on the way home for whooper swan (2).

Odds and sods

Migration continues with icterine, garden and marsh warblers coming through nicely. This red-backed shrike was new in at Torekov this morning.

Had a quick look at Torekov and Norra Ängalag this morning before breakfast. Not much doing but a few icterine, gaarden and marsh warblers singing. After breakfast Number 2 and I headed out to feed the ducks at Båstad - not much here either just two dozing goosander and only three mallard to feed! Checked out Klarningen next.

Trouble at mill. Water levels at Klarningen are dropping fast, they were tinkering with the wind-pump today. Work on the bird-tower continues, it should be finished just in time to watch the last of the water evaporate!

Klarningen was quiet, a ringed plover was new in, otherwise just the usual resident wader team. On the way home we unsuccessfully checked out a reported red-breasted flycatcher at Dömestorp, but were rewarded with a hawfinch vociferously chasing a jay and rescued a stunned blackcap from the road.

Road casualty - hope he made it.

Happy Birthday Mrs B!

Dawn saw me stumbling around in the garden, a lesser whitethroat was rattling away on territory. Before breakfast I nipped out to Öllövsstrand which had a good selection of the migrants that are readily available at the moment, including my first patch thrush nightingale and a singing whitethroat.

The rest of the very wet morning was spent walking the beech woods at Dömestorp with the family celebrating Mrs B's birthday, hard to see or hear anything in the rain so we stuck slugs onto Number 1's face. Very fetching. We ate our picnic in the car on the beach at Mellbystrand but remained undisturbed by birds.

Birding - 13/08/09

A family party of cranes at Ehrenstorp this afternoon. They fed unconcernedly beside the car. Migrants or locals?

More rain, so more birding today. Took the family out to a few sites. Checked Båstad quickly for goosander (1). Klarningen was also a hurried stop, not much happening here bar four greenshank, a migrating sparrowhawk and a whinchat. Had lunch at Dömestorp but the kids were tired from a party the night before and we did not get far on our walk before melt-down occurred. On the way home had four superb cranes at Ehrenstorp before dumping off the kids and getting out for a couple of hours.

Walked the coast between Lervik and Ranarpstrand. Lervik was devoid of phalaropes but the bay still held greenshank (1), redshank (2), wood sandpiper (8) and common sandpiper (7). Grytskaren had a huge flock of 20 common sandpipers and the bushes held whinchat (1) and red-backed shrike (pair). Ranarpstrand was difficult to count but had good numbers of waders with greenshank (5), redshank (1), wood sandpiper (7), common sandpiper (5), ruff (1), snipe (15), golden plover (20) and grey plover (1). As well as 85 Sandwich terns and 8 common terns.

Swedish tick - quail!

Hovs Hallar - rugged and difficult to work for passerine migrants but great for vismig. This is probably Sweden's premier sea-watching location

Still feeling lousy from the stinking virus I nevertheless managed to drag myself out of bed at 0400 for a session before breakfast. This paid off handsomely in the end but brought me to a near standstill for the rest of the day...

With rumours of another visit from Copenhagen I decided to recce the red-breasted flycatchers just off-patch at Dömestorp. No joy here for the flickers, although two male firecrests were ample compensation! Wood warblers and pied flycatchers were singing too and over the canopy I could occasionally hear the flight call of hawfinch - it is a great spot, badly ruined by being 1 km the wrong side of the BK municipality border!

With my recent eviction from Eskilstorps pools still burning in my memory, and not having worked out the next easiest foot access, I decided to end the session with a little time at the newly-created wetland at Klarningen. The bull-dozers have gone, leaving behind a beautifully land-formed wetland reserve (if they levelled it right) - it looks peachy. Just needs water now, I do not care if they ever get the visitor infrastructure in! Not quite clear how they are going to supply the water, but they may be going to pump water removed from neighbouring fields?? Anyway it was a great idea to visit, I beat the bounds and as I got to the river I could hear a quail calling from Eskilstorps pools - a Swedish tick and on-patch too!

Despite the lack of water at Klarningen a single whooper swan was sitting out in the middle of the field, waiting patiently (like me) for the water to rise. Spent a great hour here, logging about 35 species, mostly along the river (highlights including single garden warbler and red kite). Surprisingly could not chase up a little ringed plover - looks good for them at the moment.

Got home for breakfast and Mrs B offered to drive me somewhere and just sit. We went to Hovs Hallar, spread a blanket out of the wind and enjoyed the sun. Things could no doubt have become romantic but Number 3 was with us and repeatedly tried to get down a badger hole. Not many birds about mid-morning although the resident male red-backed shrike showed briefly.

The big day - birding with TT

A three kilometre sandy beach with no-one on it!

Tawny pipit habitat

Today I showed Terry Townshend around a few sites in NW Skåne and neighbouring Halland and we had a great day. Terry lives in the middle of Copenhagen, but (like me) is a Norfolk boy, so I tailored a day to show him some good wader action and then get him into some dunes (to make him miss Winterton) and finally show off some great beech woods. It worked really well, but lets start at the beginning.

Before I picked up Terry at Ängelholm station I nipped into Ranarpstrand for a quick look - this move was repaid with four avocet and a peregrine streaking towards Kullen. Terry's train was on time and we headed off to Sandön. No sign of yesterday's white-wingers but a fantastically obliging grasshopper warbler demanded our immediate attention. See Terry's blog (no doubt) for photos. Highlights here included gadwall (male), 8 little gulls (one adult), grey plover (9), two fishing ospreys and swift (1 & year-tick).

Next stop was Rönnen and a spring wader bonanza. Our Temminck's stint count hit 15 but they were thinly spread out and there may well have been more. We kept getting diverted by the stonking little stints (3) and curlew sandpipers (3 & year-tick). Also here were fluffy lapwing chicks (first of the year), a single whooper swan, ruff (8), wood sandpiper (7) and dunlin (19 - scarce this month so far).

Last stop along this stretch of coast was Farhult. Here it transpired we either just missed or horror-of-horrors overlooked a white-winged tern! We did see knot (1), little ringed plover (pair) and had a brief encounter with a marsh warbler. Despite Terry's early start he was keen-eyed and alert and showed me most of the above birds. This theme continued through the day...

A short drive up the motorway took us to a quiet stretch of the Halland coast. Here we put Terry's dune-birding prowess to the test and he eventually found me my first Swedish tawny pipits. [I was starting to feel like a chauffeur at this point]. Excellent result (the bird not the chauffeur bit) and we were both chuffed. The pair showed really well, allowing us to enjoy the subtle but nevertheless attractive plumage, and the male made an effort and started some desultory singing from a nearby pole. Superb! A few scoters floated offshore and a couple of goosander slept along the beach.

Last stop of the day was the hugely impressive Dömestorp beech wood where we lunched. Here we hunted down a feisty little male firecrest, that eventually gave good views. The site also produced abundant wood warblers, pied flycatchers and a pair of hawfinches. A great day out, thanks to Terry for great company and for proving emphatically to me that I should get some sleep (....but it's MAY!!!...).