return of the black duck!

Had a day in the field today - first job was to chase down the black duck re-found yesterday by Mikael Olofsson. It was almost the only duck (with it's female partner as usual) just offshore which made things easy. Offshore two gannets, a few kittiwake and a Slavonian grebe.  No sign of any water pipits here though so I moved up the coast to Påarps mal, a late reed bunting greeting me at the car park and there were tow waxwing in the junipers. An adult white-tailed eagle flew in and sat on the rocks scaring all the birds away just as I arrived. More gannets and kittiwakes here and a few whooper swans going south, ahead of colder weather up north. Last stop of the morning was at Torekovs rev where I finally caught up with some water pipits (they came in very late this year). Two birds in amongst a mixed flock of rocks and meadow pipits. Also here little grebe (1) and dunnock (1).

In the afternoon I worked Lervik and Grytskären but only came up with two goldfinch before I had to go.

back in the saddle

Been hard to get out of the office since I got back from two months abroad but got back into the field today and I am even back to blogging after a mostly moth-related hiatus! A first season of mothing became rather time-consuming!

Today I checked Påarps mal for water pipits but it was very windy from the SW and small passerines were difficult to pin down. Offshore there was a large concentration of gulls that proved to be mainly kittiwakes (at least 150), as awell as six gannets. Two dunnocks in the car park were a good reminder that temperatures were hovering near double figures in December!

To get out of the wind we headed for Båstad and enjoyed some mild December birding here too with white wagtail (2), wren (1), chiffchaff (1) heading up the notable passerines. In the harbour a kingfisher kept calling from a concealed perch. Offshore we had a flyby great northern/white-billed diver, that looked like the latter but I need better views for a BK first... As dusk approached a pre-roost gathering of hawfinches got into double figures here - my largest flock to date in BK.

As dusk approached we went for coffee at Klarningen to look for raptors. Nothing doing on the raptor front but there were still wildfowl on site, although nothing exciting.

sylvias (20150505)

Hit the coast today trying to catch up on the flush of migrants that have come in whilst I was away. First up was a wander around Öllövsstrand, where I quickly mopped up the three common Sylvia warblers and got a bonus pair of grey partridge to boot.

Påarps mal next and the expected pair of little tern were available and a greenshank flew past. Also here a few yellow wagtails and a common sandpiper.

In the afternoon either side of a meeting with my accountant I checked Klarningen (nice female merlin and 13 wood sandpipers in 15 minutes) and Petersberg (low water here produced a single green sandpiper and the what's left of the reedbed had a singing reed warbler).

cranes back on patch

Had a pleasant morning in the field today, netting the black duck for March and two year-ticks. Kicked off at Påarps mal for the black duck, a brisk westerly was blowing and the bird was hunkered down with mallard on one of the islands offshore. Flying past a few gannets, a red-necked grebe and a red-throated diver.

The rev was unfortunately being disturbed by a 'birder' (or something like that) but I managed to count ringed plover (5), oystercatcher (30) and purple sandpiper (7). IN amongst the ducks my first gadwall of the year (a pair).

Driving in to Rålehamn  I bumped into a mobile flock of 21 redpoll but they did not stick. Offshore  more gannets and even a fulmar past.

Last stop of the day was Klarningen. Geese were feeding here and included a nice total of 68 white-fronteds. Driving home over the top I found a pair of cranes feeding at Ehrenstorp, easily the best bird of the day. Great to have them back!

great day out (20150226)

Had an increasingly rare day in the field today in southerly winds, blues skies and lots of bird movement (mostly skylarks!). Skylarks were definitely the bird of the day, plenty already singing on territory and they could be heard overhead nearly continuously along the coast in the morning.

Great grey shrike finally fell for the year at Ripagården (one of four year-ticks recorded during the day), an engaging individual that was hopping about on the short turf searching for invertebrates. Thanks Sara!

I started the day at Glimminge plantering, where the beach failed to produce a ringed plover but it was evident here and at all coastal sites visited afterwards that shelduck had arrived in numbers. Dagshög next to check for the black duck (no sign), two black guillemots well offshore were the highlight here. Påarps mal did produce the black duck, sheltering in the rocks from the brisk southerly wind. Out on the island were my first ringed plovers (3) and three lapwing. Torekovs rev had two more ringed plovers and at least three oystercatchers. A single purple sandpiper was spotted way to the south on Svarteskär.

Norra Ängalag had a few birds moving through including ten white-fronted geese and a single stock dove going like a bat out of hell. My last coastal stop of the day was at Ripagården hoping for the great grey shrike reported earlier in the week. It was still present and showed very well, hopping about in search of food in the short turf by the sea. A Lapland bunting calling as it flew north was a nice bonus.

Finally I had a quick look at Klarningen. Lots going on here for a day in February with 17 shelduck, 12 teal and 36 lapwing all seeming very early.

Christmas birds count (20141225)

With Christmas wrapped up on Christmas Eve in the proper Swedish way there was some time for birding today under a blue sky and sub-zero temperatures (at last!). We walked the coast between Burensvik and Påarps mal. The easy highlight was the American black duck drake that was loafing off Dagshög and it then drifted north alongside me to Påarps mal. I still have not seen it close enough to photograph but it looks like it might stay into the New Year. Finger crossed.

Other highlights were snipe (1, Dagshög), goldfinch (2, Dagshög) and dunnock (1, Påarps mal).

black duck still here

Managed to get out of the house today, since I got back I have failed to battle the jetlag whilst looking after a poorly child. But we all got out for walk today and eventually caught up with the male black duck at Rammsjöstrand after searching around Dagshög and Påarps mal. Later I had dusk at Klarningen, predictably quiet here with kestrel (1), rough-legged buzzard (1) and a grey heron south.