Pallid falls in BK!

Raptors very much on the menu today, this 2K male marsh harrier went south through Vasaltheden in the morning.

This morning I went out with the intention of bagging a BK pallid harrier and guess what, I actually did! Sweden is groaning under an unprecedented invasion of mostly 1K birds at the moment, incredibly there have been 27 pallid harriers through Falsterbo to date this autumn! The chances of finding one yourself have never been better and I got the ball rolling by finding one off-patch last week.

I started off just after dawn at Ljungbyholm. Two kestrels in the air here and quite a few more were noted during the morning at various sites, a definite influx. A merlin was still dashing about here but and hour here failed to produced any harriers, other than a single 1K marsh. Ranarpsstrand next for a quick look, two grey wagtails were nice, they seem scarce this autumn.

Last but not least I headed for Öllövsstrand and walked into Vasaltheden. A marsh harrier migrated through straight away and there was an osprey on the deck eating a fish. More kestrels (2) here and at one point a merlin dashed south with a crow in hot pursuit. The heavens opened and I just had to stand there and take it as the lightning streaked about. Afterwards I watched a great grey shrike dry himself off and start hunting - BK's earliest autumn record and a hideous reminder that winter is next.

Walking back I was dragging my heels when I was overtaken in Öllövsstrand by a superb 1K pallid harrier. Apart from the 'thing' I saw at Falsterbo I have been really lucky with my views of ringtails this autumn and this bird was very close but heading southwards on a mission. Short but sweet. Result!

Osprey south through Klarningen in the afternoon.

After lunch some of the team accompanied me to Klarningen, water levels are higher than I have ever seen them but there is little use of the site, just two pintail, one teal, three wigeon and a handful of mallard today. Overhead was better with a sub-adult white-tailed eagle and an osprey through together during the hour long watch. At least 20 whinchat on site and the fields along the access track had a dozen wheatear. A great day.

A bit of a raptor watch

No sign of yesterday's common seal pup, perhaps his Mum picked him up...

Had just over two hours in the field this morning and elected to check out Eskilstorpsstrand again. Although still westerly the wind and the sea had calmed down considerably and there was little moving on the sea. Overhead though was a different matter and raptors were on the menu instead many cutting across the bay in front of me to make landfall at Båstad. Two close ospreys kicked things off nicely and I saw another later far out to sea doggedly heading south. Sparrowhawks were coming through at a rate of at least one every five minutes and in amongst them two honey buzzards and three marsh harriers.

Out at sea a massive total of 23 little gulls headed south, the majority in one loose flock. Three shelduck were my first for a while too. The beach produced a nice mixed flock of five waders; two dunlin and single ringed plover, knot and sanderling. The latter always notable in BK. Nice little session.

Marsh harrier - 2K male heading south.