what no calidrids!

Had a good look around a few likely wader haunts in BK today and drew a blank for any calidrids. I checked out the coast between Torekov and Ripagården and Vejbystrand to Ranarpsstrand without any really notable birds coming my way.  A few species are obviously building in number though as we slide into autumn, including golden plover (80+ during the day) and Sandwich tern (15+). The only indication of any passerine migration was 8 crossbills south at Ripagården.

garden tick

A busy day but I still managed two hours in the field in the morning. I headed out to check the coast between Vejbystrand and Ranarpsstrand, picking up another marsh warbler on the way at Ljungbyholm. The coast was rather quiet and bitterly cold in a brisk westerly. Highlights included a greenshank (Stora Hult), and whimbrel and little tern (two apiece at Vejbystrand).

The best bit came at the end of the day though when a glance out of the window revealed a flock of 75 eider going over the garden. New for the garden and taking the garden list up to 106 - a low total but to be fair it is probably one of the more under-watched locations in BK.

quick look

Had a quick half hour in the field this afternoon around Stora Hultstrand. Another big flock of 350+ common scoter was hanging around off Vejbyhamn and the white-tailed eagle was still sat out on Grytskären. We went south out of BK to take a closer look at the scoter flock and I was immediately punished by a flyby woodcock - a potential BK year-tick. I nearly saw it enter BK airspace too but it went behind a fishing hut at the crucial moment.

01022013

A spring-like feel to the day had Mrs B and I out for a walk in the morning. We checked the coast between Vejbystrand and Ranarpsstrand. Highlights were rather sparse but included a Slavonian grebe (Stora Hult), three coot (annoyingly just off-patch at Vejbystrand) and at least four long-tailed duck off Grytskären. There seems to have been a dramatic increase in sea-duck numbers in BK and the recent report of a Steller's eider just north suggests that time would be well spent going through the flocks of eider and goldeneye massing offshore.

Later in the day we dropped in on Klarningen for rough-legged buzzard (1) and kestrel (1). Unbeknownst to us the gyr falcon was sitting on Torekov rev...

tits!

Went for a walk around the Killeröd-Önnarp loop this morning in a desperate attempt to get match-fit after struggling with the awful cough virus that got us all over Christmas. It was a very quiet walk, cold with a small amount of snow on the ground and birds were rather subdued and keeping their heads down. I was two-thirds of the way round before I found a tit flock that delivered some year-ticks in the shape of coal tit, crested tit and willow tit (only the latter was actually seen though...).

Also checked the coast between Vejbystrand and Grytskären, which produced the grand total of three meadow pipits. Tough! Out on Grytskären there were two purple sandpipers.

got jack!

Finally got a photo of an obliging jack snipe this afternoon, this was my first ever at Torekov rev and as always a really smart bird. 

Nipped out late today for a six-hour session in the snow. Checked out Glimminge first which produced another brief water pipit. Up to Torekov next. Påarps mal was rather quiet, just two dunnock along the edge of the oat crop. A quick look at the sewage treatment works produced nothing but Svarteskär had two shags. 

Then it all came together at the rev with a nice run of good birds. A redshank called as I got out of the car, a species that has got steadily scarcer in winter in BK as the recent cold winters have taken hold. A jack snipe flushed from the edge of the dunes and I tracked it to it's 'hiding place', getting a great photo at very close range. Nearby another dunnock called from deep cover. Out on the rev the best birds were a pair of gadwall. Offshore three white-tailed eagles flew north in a rather scattered but purposeful formation. A sparrowhawk terrorised the small birds eking out a living on the frozen shoreline.

My last planned stop of the day was at Norra Ängalag, pretty quiet here apart from the continued slow and steady trickle of mute swans overhead in small flocks. They never go at the same time as the whoopers!

On the way home close to dusk I got a pager message that some shorelark had been spotted at Vejbystrand. On the off chance that they had strayed north into BK I checked them out but sadly they had strayed a long way and I never found them. Maybe they are wintering?

One of three white-tailed eagles that sallied out from Hallands Väderö in the late afternoon. I caught this juvenile heading back later over Norra Ängalag.

snowy birding

Tramped through the snow all day today looking for birds and found a few. Kicked off at Stora Hultstrand just after dawn. Geese were on the move, with Canada geese going through in small numbers with a few greylag mixed in. Offshore were four Slavonian grebes and a few velvet scoter.

The walk off-patch and into Vejbystrand produced plenty of duck, notably teal (107) and wigeon (70). The shoreline produced two meadow pipit and a handful of starling. Overhead a flock of geese consisted of 50 bean and ten white-fronted. Nice!

Next stop was a look at Lervik, after a reported water pipit, which showed quite well on the outskirts of a gang of about 11 meadow pipits. Offshore on and around the islands were at least two purple sandpipers, a tight flock of 200+ common scoter and 15 tufted duck. Walking up to Ranarpsstrand produced another water pipit, five snipe and two jack snipe (multiples of the latter are very noteworthy).

In the afternoon I checked Kattvik (too exposed) and Ripagården. The latter site was quiet but did offer up little grebe (1), white-tailed eagle (adult) and finally as I turned for home another unseasonal song thrush.

dipping

I call him 'Tiny' coz he's my newt. Nice comparison between the larva of common newt and great crested newt during today's pond-dipping session at Dalen. Even as larva great crested newts are noticeably darker, broader-headed and have kind of creepy thin 'Fu-Man-chu' fingers.

Another late start today saw us heading to nearby Vejbystrand chasing two reported broad-billed sandpipers. They were still there roosting 400 metres on the wrong side of the BK border and fast asleep. An osprey fishing just offshore was fun to watch.

Spent the afternoon at Dalen, the weed here produced a single Temminck's stint and a curlew sandpiper but we spent most of our time pond-dipping. Very few beetles but we caught larvae of both common and great crested newt and also the larvae of at least five species of Odonata (which have yet to be identified).

another ring ouzel

Did a circuit of Gröthögarna this morning bright and early. Four little terns greeted me at Norra Ängalag and during the walk there were enough grounded migrants to raise my hopes of something scarce. I was hoping for a bluethroat but instead settled happily for a short-eared owl and a great view of a female ring ouzel. Common whitethroats have arrived in numbers overnight it seems. Two common sandpipers were at Dalen. My walk takes a turn around Ilasjön at Ripagården, still no sign of any water rails here this year (bad winter for them?) but two singing reed warblers might be the first in NW Skåne this year and were my only year-tick of the day.

In the afternoon we all checked out Vejbystrand; two more common sandpipers here and a greenshank but no sign of any avocet. Driving away we had a pair of grey partridge feeding by the road in Vejby, a welcome sight, another species hit hard by the succession of bad winter's we have experienced lately.

jack!

A very cold dawn greeted me this morning, so I stayed in bed! In the afternoon the team headed out for a walk on Skalderviken, plenty of people skating about on the thick sea-ice, it really looks like the bay might ice-over completely.

Our walk between Vejbystrand and Stora Hultsstrand produced a handful of teal, about 45 starling, three meadow pipits and best of all a jack snipe that flushed from between my legs as I crossed a small stream. Always nice to get one on the year-list.

Hard work

As Mrs B will tell you I do love a bird with a sense of porpoise.

A mild, calm, perpetually grey day. I was out all day getting some walking in ahead of an upcoming panda thrash in China. I hope I will be fit enough, bamboo always grows on such steep slopes... and pandas only grow on bamboo!

Effectively covered the stretch of coast between Vejbystrand and Glimming plantering today. That's a lot of mileage and with minimal return today sadly. Highlights were the long-staying 1K great skua (still happily married to his porpoise corpse) at Stora Hultstrand, nine twite at the same location, two redshank, a wheatear and a Lapland bunting at Ranarpsstrand and a curlew at Segelstorpsstrand. At the turning point at Glimminge I bagged a chiffchaff. Still plenty of invertebrates about and a good show of late migrants, but nothing to compare with the isabelline wheatear on nearby Kullaberg.

Walking in the woods

Took Number 2 out for a long walk around the woods in Killeröd and Önnarp this morning. Plenty of birds migrating overhead, mostly brambling/chaffinch and the first appreciable thrush movements of the autumn with both mistle thrush and fieldfare on the the go. Highlights came in the form of multiple encounters with two-barred crossbill (20+) and crossbill (30) and a nice acorn-stuffed nutcracker. Willow tits were calling everywhere this morning with at least six noted during the walk.

In the afternoon we headed out to Stora Hultstrand/Vejbystrand which produced three Slavonian grebes and five grey plover. The single wheatear here a reminder of how many migrants have slipped south already.

Swedish tick - pallid harrier!

Those of you who read this blog regularly will know that I stray out of BK (my beloved recording area) grudgingly and with some trepidation. But the area just to the south of me in Skåne is very good birding and it would be churlish not to have a look occasionally... The problem is I occasionally find birds I would give my eye-teeth for in BK. Today was one of those days...

Team logistical reasons suggested a trip to work the coast between Farhult and Sandön today and the sun shone for the first time in ages. Happy days. I kicked off at Farhult just after nine o'clock and this proved to be inspired. Within ten minutes I was watching a juvenile harrier. Picked up as a rufous ringtail coming in-off - I got excited. The bird was heading away in the scope and I prayed for it to thermal and show itself well, which luckily it quickly did. Check out that boa! Pallid! Great bird, a Swedish tick and one of my most wanted BK birds. Shame I wasn't there! But mustn't grumble, I have not been troubling the scorer's much this year, so I was just glad of the find. I forgot to photograph it though, being too busy enjoying it through the scope! Quite a large number of waders here too, in amongst the 175 dunlin were; knot (2), sanderling (6), little stint (10) and curlew sandpiper (4).

Next stop was Rönnen. A huge flock of barnacle geese in here - at least 2200, and all up in the air at one amazing point. Never found the culprit, but a peregrine appeared just afterwards. Waders much in evidence here too with knot (3), little stint (15), curlew sandpiper (14), a massive 16 spotted redshank and two woood sandpipers.

Adult peregrine at Rönnen.

Sandön provided more raptors with two white-tailed eagles and my first merlin on the autumn. Osprey and marsh harrier on the move too. Waders here included nearly 50 knot and six more sanderling. Two juvenile black terns hunted just off the boardwalk.

Osprey and white-tailed eagle over Sandön.

One of two juvenile black terns at Sandön.

Decided to check Halsarevet next, a site near Jonstorp that I have never visited but that has been hosting a few red-necked phalaropes lately. The birds were apparently present earlier but I dipped badly. As I arrived a sparrowhawk did a pretty comprehensive number on the place and every wader was up and off. A few things returned including seven little stints, a wood sandpiper and a turnstone. Great site though and one I will return to.

It was time to guiltily speed-thrash a few sites in BK, quickly worked the coastal stretch from Vejbystrand to Ranarpsstrand but with little effect. Just one migrating osprey at Lervik of note.

Stormy weather

Got up early this morning but was pinned in the car during the mother of all thunderstorms. Really impressive show. Eventually the lightning drew away and the rain stopped and I could get out and check the weed between Vejbystrand and Stora Hult. Still plenty of waders here but no notable increases; oystercatcher (2), knot (5), Temminck's stint (4), little stint (4), curlew sandpiper (12) and ruff (4) being the best of it. A surprise goshawk male headed south and then I headed up to check the Hålehallstugan area.

Pretty quiet up here but I did hear crossbills briefly. The lake shore produced a red-backed shrike and a honey buzzard appeared overhead as it migrated south. No sign of any Lestes virens here, just a few Enallagma and lots of sponsa.

Picked up the team for a walk between Båstad and Malen. Nothing moving and little on the ground, just three grey wagtails of note. A quick look at Klarningen produced single spotted redshank and greenshank, as well as a handful of whinchat and single red-backed shrike and wheatear.

Two bar!

A really exciting day today with plenty of milestones achieved. BK delivers the goods in spades as usual. Kicked off in the rain at Stora Hult. This stretch of beach has plenty of rotting weed and will be worth keeping an eye on this autumn. Plenty of waders shared between here and neighbouring (off-patch) Vejbystrand; totals included ringed plover (90), golden plover (145), knot (7), little stint (4), Temminck's stint (4), curlew sandpiper (12), dunlin (90), ruff (2), greenshank (1) and spotted redshank (1). Curlew sandpiper was my 200th bird species in BK this year.

A wander between Grytskären and Ranarpsstrand produced a few oystercatchers, three more spotted redshank, four greenshank and plenty of common sandpipers but the site was disturbed by fishermen.

After a lengthy spell of housework I nipped out again in the afternoon, chasing Aeshna subarctica. Despite overcast conditions there were a few males patrolling at the site at Bränneslätt when I arrived and eventually one found it's way into the net. My 50th Swedish dragonfly of the year! As if this was not enough two two-barred crossbills flew over calling, they were chipping away but included at least two diagnostic nasal toots on their trumpets as they went over. BK tick!

Aeshna subarctica can be tricky to identify in flight, although with practise they can be picked out. It is much easier to identify in the hand of course and the key features are illustrated in these photos. The underneath of the thorax has two yellow stripes.

No yellow spots behind the eyes, cf juncea.

The facial suture line (between the frons and the postclypeus) widens at the base (near the eye).

Vejbystrand to Glimminge

Had time for a quick check of the garden this morning. Somewhere up the hill a thrush nightingale was singing and the pied flycatcher is still singing strongly but no sign of a female yet. All three tree sparrow nests have noisy young that will fledge in the next week I guess.

Took the chance to walk between Vejbystrand and Glimminge after breakfast. It was a rather quiet affair but did produce some good birds. Chief amongst them being two BK year-ticks - marsh warbler at Ljungbyholm and Lervik and a nice male red-backed shrike at Vasaltheden.

Saw my first wall browns of the year during the walk today.

Pearl-bordered fritillary at Vasaltheden.

A brisk NW wind made the long walk a bit of a chore but the other birdy highlights just about made up for it (!); shelduck with fluffy young, avocet (1, Vejbystrand), a few singing icterine warblers and thrush nightingales and at least two broods of young wheatears on the wing. Time speeds on, young birds are appearing, ducks are going into eclipse and autumn migration is just round the corner already! My walk ended with a well-timed pick-up at the pond in the Mäsinge part of Glimminge, where I had my first Orthetrum cancellatum of the year, as well as Ischnura elegans and Enallagma cyathigerum.

Marvelous May

Nipped out for a couple of hours walking around Gröthögarna this sunny morning. Whitethroats have arrived in force now, many males singing on the walk round. A light passage of tree pipits and barnacle geese was evident overhead. A singing thrush nightingale was a pleasant year-tick and out on the marsh a pair of cranes were bugling. Stopping for half an hour at Norra Ängalag produced a few waders - whimbrel (1), common sandpiper (1), green sandpiper (2N), greenshank (2) and turnstone (1). In a nearby bush my first BK sedge warbler of the year chattered away. Walking back to the car I muttered to myself that I had deserved an ortolan or a wryneck, when I looked up to see a wryneck perched up on a juniper! Nice one.

In the afternoon Mrs B and I headed out to check Ranarpsstrand. It looked quiet but a thorough check of the offshore rocks produced some great birds. The stars were a superb pair of garganey, only my second BK record (the first also at Ranarpsstrand). A single avocet flew in and started to feed - another BK year-tick. Also here gadwall (2), shoveler (3), whimbrel (6), common sandpiper (1) and yellow wagtail (9). Driving round Stora Hult we stopped to admire a migrating osprey at Lervik. Stora Hult was quiet, a few red-necked grebes offshore and a gang of 12 sand martins. No rotting seaweed on the beach so we walk south off-patch to Vejbystrand and check the beach there. More weed means more birds - two avocets, two common sandpipers and six more yellow wagtails.

Dunnocks!

Having spent the last week looking after poorly children, it was inevitable that I would finally succumb... But we had the first dunnock of the year in the garden during the morning. This is always the first sign of spring for us, they usually winter in small numbers on the coast (though not this winter) but when they move up the hill then it is just a few (well, 6) weeks until the pied flycatchers and redstarts are back and real spring is here.

Having heard the news of a south-bound king eider further north I checked the eider flock at Stora hultsstrand briefly in the afternoon. No joy, just a rock pipit at Vejbystrand.

Shelducks!

Managed to spend the morning in the field today, despite the evil easterly wind. Headed over to Klarningen first to to check the fields for swans and geese. Nothing doing on the ground but a lot of birds flying east - Canada geese (695), greylag geese (65) and whooper swan (2) in 45 minutes. Two stock doves over on Eskilstorps dammar were my first for the year.

Checked out Eskilstorpsstrand next and was unsurprised to find a large flock of Canada geese (500) in the bay. Also here tufted duck (9), scaup (40), common scoter (20) and velvet scoter (25). The bushes produced a noisy flock of 6 bullfinches. Walking south produced a single long-tailed duck off Båstad.

Drove over to Torekov next chcking the rev for shelduck (5), smew (1), purple sandpiper (14) and black guillemot (2). Not a sniff of a passerine on the shore, a cruel hard winter. Three white-tailed eagles mucked about over Hallands Väderö.

In the afternoon I squeezed in half an hour at Vejbystrand and Stora Hultstrand for shelduck (5), wigeon (31) and goosander (1). No sign of this weather breaking so I guess I will have to get used to it. It is amazing to me that shelducks are turning up when the weather is so poor. Last months lapwings obviously decided to head south again, will these shelduck melt away too?

Foggy

No birding over the weekend, just a short walk along the beach between Hemmeslövsstrand and Eskilstorpsstrand on a rainy Saturday that netted 33 tufted duck - whooo!

Today I spent the morning in the field, more fog and rain and mushy underfoot. Went off patch to look at Farhult. No sign of the reported oystercatcher, but two curlew were year-ticks. Also here my first Canada geese (30) of the year, a nice adult white-tailed eagle and a calling bearded tit.

Rönnen next hoping for the gyr falcon but had to settle for two more white-tailed eagles, the best birds were three lapwing. The first sign of a thaw and they come back - too early in my opinion!

Last stop of the day was Vejbystrand, just metres off-patch this time and still hosting a female pintail amongst a sizeable flock of mallard, teal (9) and wigeon (60). Also here four starlings - another year-tick. The year-list stands at 79 - hard work this year.