wild eagle chase (20150215)

A late SMS informed that there was a golden eagle near Förslöv so I nipped out for a half-hour drive around some likely spots. No sign of the eagle (sadly as it is less that annual for me in BK) but I bagged a year-tick goshawk across the road at Grevie kyrkby.

return of the glaucous

Spent the morning tramping around the Killeröd loop with Paul Cook and his mate from the UK, this nutcracker was one of the target birds we did find but we failed to find the normally easy crested tits...

Had a rough-legged buzzard in Grevie on my way to meet up at Killeröd with Paul Cook and a mate of his from the UK. A crossbill dropped in whilst I waited for them to arrive and then we walked the long loop which was very quiet apart from a nutcracker halfway round and four willow tits near the car park when we got back.

Next stop was Torekov but a biting northerly wind sapped our enthusiasm after we had logged 23 purple sandpipers at the rev. Also here a redpoll (my first of the year at last), a shelduck and a Slavonian grebe. I split from the guys here and headed south to check Ranarpsstrand for jack snipe - no habitat after the storm so no joy. Apart from 16 starling feeding on the foreshore the place was pretty quiet.

It all happened on the way home when I noticed a large flock of fieldfare feeding in a field at Ranarp. Stopping I found myself next to a large flock of greylag in a ploughed field that demanded inspection. Sure enough two neck-collars were in the flock but no other geese species sadly. As I got out of the car for my 'scope I flushed a covey of nine grey partridge (nice year-tick) and later when the geese were checked I turned round to the ploughed field on the other side of the road and found the elusive glaucous gull feeding with other gulls and getting ridiculously muddy feet! This bird has not been seen since the 18th but is obviously still present! A quick check of the fieldfare flock revealed a redwing - bonus!

soggy

Had three hours in the field this morning but the weather was not very pleasant with light rain throughout. It was hard to take a great deal of pleasure from the session and this was not helped by a paucity of birds. I started at Stora Hult, Grytskären and Ranarpsstrand. Little of note here, a single Slavonian grebe (Stora Hult), gannet (1 past) and a sparrowhawk at Ranarpsstrand.

Moving north significantly dropped in on Rammsjöstrand hoping for jack snipe but there were workmen all over the sewage works field and after grabbing my first dunnock of the year and checking for the black duck I moved on again. Påarps mal produced the black duck and it was pleasant going through the pipits here, but no sign of the water pipit today.

My birding day ended later at dusk when three waxwing flew over Grevie kyrkby - my first of the winter, let alone the year!

water pipit

Water pipit at Ranarpsstrrand and my bird of the day (sorry about the photo!). It was glimpsed by Peder Winding yesterday and I was lucky enough to get good views of it this morning.

Had two hours in the field this morning and covered the coast between Stora Hultstrand and Ranarpsstrand. Highlights included some mundane year-ticks like common scoter, rook and yellowhammer as well as a single showy water pipit at Ranarpsstrand. Driving home I picked up two redwings in treetops in the hedge line bordering the apple orchard at Lervik and less excitingly two feral pigeons at Grevie kyrkby...

In the afternoon we ambled round the Killeröd loop trail. Plenty of storm damage here and we had to pick our way round numerous tree-falls. Very few birds noted but good numbers of goldcrest evident.