Nelly B

We received the preliminary results concerning Nelly's death this week. Nelly tested positive for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) - as did our other two children. All were quite poorly with this common winter virus, but for some reason Nelly could not cope with it and died in her sleep just hours after being checked out by our GP. RSV can be bad in small babies but is rarely fatal. There was presumably some hidden defect in Nelly that led to her death, but I suspect we will never know what it was.

Defect or not, for me Nelly was a perfect little daughter and I cannot describe how much we all miss her. She completed our little gang when she arrived in 2008, in a way we could not have anticipated. Beautiful, bright and easy-going, her death has left a huge void in our lives and things will be a struggle for a long time to come I suspect.

Thanks to everyone who has dropped in, called, written and sent messages of support, I will get round to writing to you all soon. Nelly will be cremated quietly next week, no fuss, and we hope to have a gathering to celebrate her short but happy life in the summer.

Out with the kids - 12/03/10

Took the kids for a walk this morning. Malen was quiet, scoping over to Båstad produced seven oystercatcher and the same number of goosander. The woods produced calling goldcrest and a few siskin. Further along in Hemmeslövstrand a feeder produced my first crested tit of the year. On the way home we stopped very briefly at Klarningen. It was too foggy to stay long but we lucked out by flushing a goshawk we perched briefly for views by the track.

Birding - 11/03/10

The harsh winter continues, it is hard to believe that white wagtails and chiffchaffs are on their way here.

More misty, grey weather today but we headed out for more walking anyway. Tramped around Ripagården for an hour and as usual it was good. Two mistle thrushes remain along the shoreline and we found a lonely goldcrest and heard both bullfinch and common crossbill. Best bird though was a single snipe, they are very hard to find at the moment.

Had a quick look at Torekov rev, pretty quiet today although wader numbers were up with oystercatcher (32) and ringed plover (8). No sign of any purple sandpipers but I am sure they will stop by as they pass north later on in the month. On the way home we stopped at Flytermossen to go through a big flock of 75 siskin, just one redpoll being our reward.

Later in the day took the kids to Segelstorpstrand, managed to find two coot, a curlew and four redshank, whilst playing in the snow and ice.

More walking - 10/03/10

We all headed up to Önnarp this morning, it was good to others at the weekend, but the mist and cold and hint of snow did not do us any favours today. We trudged around a nice snowy circuit but the place was practically birdless. Just towards the end we came across a flock of tits that included three fantastic and annoyed coal tits, complete with little spiky crests. Coal tit was a patch year-tick for me, they are rather local on the higher ground in Bjäre.

Next stop was more wood-gathering at Lervik and Grytskaren. Good numbers of eider here (700), plus oystercatcher (1), lapwing (1) and curlew (1). Back at home I picked up the kids and walked back the long way around the village. It was pleasing to pick up three bullfinches and a single hawfinch. A flock of 30 brambling were around the garden today.

We had the famous white buzzard at Ängelsbäck on the way home, all white apart from a brown nape patch. Looked good in the snow.

Quick birding - 09/03/10

Not much time for birding today. On the way home from Helsingborg, we headed for Sandön, picking up a 2K white-tailed eagle overhead at Välinge. Sandön was like an Arctic wasteland, just one reed bunting (heard) and two goosander in a very short session.

Birding - 08/03/10

Whooper swan on ice at Båstad this afternoon.

We all got out of the house in the morning for more firewood and birds. We walked the shore between Lervik and Ranarpstrand, hoping to connect with the elusive trio of shorelark that have been lurking all winter. I do not know where they get to, but they were not present this morning. Failing to see these ensured a quiet session, with a smattering of shelduck, as well as ringed plover (2), curlew (1), oystercatcher (1), skylark (50) and just six rock pipit.

In the afternoon whilst the team shopped and ate cakes I walked from Axelstorps Ravine into Båstad. No sign of any dippers throughout the walk sadly. The sea at Båstad was kinder though with whooper swan (6), tufted duck (8), scaup (3) and long-tailed duck (5) of note.

Walking it off - 07/03/10

Klarningen got a new windpump whilst I was away.

More fresh air and exercise to keep the demons at bay for me today. Whilst the team went swimming I did a big walk from Klarningen to Båstad. The track to Klarningen is passable now, but Mrs B dropped me by the road and I walked in. Six taiga bean geese rested in the field on the way in, stuff is on the move. Also here my first patch rough-legged buzzards of the year, two young birds (photos below), lapwing (10), skylark (8) and treecreeper (1).

Walked the river past Eskilstorpsdammar. Long range viewing of the site produced whooper swan (7), greylag goose (60) and a flock of at least 16 stock dove. The crow trap had at least two buzzards in it, I wonder what will happen to them? Nearing Eskilstorp I was surprised to see a female smew on the ice before it flew downriver. Trudging on to Petersberg across the fields I was rewarded with a grey wagtail and a singing green woodpecker. Mrs B picked me up on her way through and we stopped just once in Båstad, for a flock of 19 waxwing.

3K rough-legged buzzard, probably male. Mewing away and interacting with the other bird present on site.

2K rough-legged buzzard.

Birding - 06/03/10

Another day out in the field with the family, more blue sky and sunshine. Kicked off at Torekov sewage works, which produced some great birds. The best was a crane, which was circling out to sea on our arrival before drifting off slowly south, perhaps the first in NW Skåne this year (?). Also here teal (7), smew (1 female), grey partridge (2), lapwing (1) and grey wagtail (1). Walking south to Påarps Mal, we had lunch in the lee of a pillbox and spotted a few things on the sea. Three red-necked grebes were new in (no doubt) and just one Slavonian grebe underlined how scarce this species has been in Bjäre this winter. Out on Hallands Väderö, all the birds got up as two white-tailed eagles flew about a bit.

Moving to the harbour produced a couple of black guillemots and four goosander. A long-range effort looking over to the rev from here secured shelduck (29), velvet scoter (1, scarce at the moment), coot (9), oystercatcher (16) and redshank (1, very scarce at the moment). Our last port of call was Rammsjöstrand, because yesterday I had noticed from Glimminge that the eider flock was building up nicely. Last year there was a king eider here so it seemed like a good idea to check the flock. At least 650 eider just offshore which was nice but plenty of scanning failed to reveal anything else. Also here; greylag goose (150), shelduck (37), teal (4), goosander (2) and coot (19).

The bright day is done...

A firewood-gathering session at Glimminge with all the family this morning, was hard work but produced a few good birds in passing. Two white-tailed eagles easily stole the show, we are being spoilt with these at the moment. Also here shelduck (9), goosander (1), lapwing (1), starling (25) and crossbill (heard only). No doubt more was present but we were too busy to look.

Our first sausage BBQ of the year took place at Hållehallstugan at lunch time and passed without any birds of note!

Village people - 04/03/10

Mrs B and I went for a walk in the morning around the village and down Sinarpsdalen. Pretty quiet although a single hawfinch was nice and we flushed a big owl (eagle?) but could not relocate it.

Birding - 03/03/10

A clean 2K white-tailed eagle, one of two spotted flying together over the village this afternoon.

Mrs B and I were out again this morning, walking the coast between Lervik and Ranarpstrand in the sun. A few great crested grebes were moving north offshore. Wigeon have been hard to come by lately, so 14 along this stretch were notable. Migrants were evident too with three shelduck, one ringed plover and a flock of 60 skylark during the walk. Grytskaren was hooching with birds that looked eager to get on with breeding. A flock of 200 eider was moored offshore and herring gulls were on site. Passerines were present too with at least 40 starlings, seven fieldfare and three rock pipits feeding along the foreshore. The best bird came at the end when a male peregrine cruised along the coastline from the south and dropped in for a rest.

Later whilst driving home we had two superb 2K white-tailed eagles near the village and a single migrating sparrowhawk. In the afternoon, I went out alone, for the first time since Nelly died. I checked out Glimminge and Vasaltheden and ended up sawing up strandline firewood and humping it to the car. Nice lot of birds on show with more shelduck (13) and ringed plover (13). A weird-looking mallard x wigeon hybrid was present again, with two wigeon and a handful of mallard. The south-facing pines on Vasaltheden had a few siskin, two curlew fed along the coast and a single stock dove batted south. Walking back through the plantation had a single treecreeper, over 50 siskin and another three stock dove. Birds are on the move and it lifts my spirits as usual.

Adult red kite, hunting over Vasaltheden today.

Birding - 02/03/10

Plenty of goosander on patch at the moment, this male was with a female at a potential breeding location.

Out the door again for some exercise and fresh air, our only solace at the moment. Stomped about in the snow in the woods between Frestenfälla and Älemossen, but very little noted. A jay called in the distance and a few blue tits were singing. Birds are hard to come by on the patch after nearly three months of snow on the ground. The track to Klarningen was still blocked so we headed to Kattvik next. Very quiet here too, good numbers of great crested grebe (12) offshore, but nos sign of any scoters and just 35 eider.

Later in the day Mrs B and I had a quick walk at Hemmeslövstrand, where there was no sign of yesterdays buildup of goldeneye in a a biting westerly. On the way home drove up Sinarpsdalen and had a pair of Canada geese on the ground in the valley mire. Hard to spend so much time in the field without seeing something good, but we managed to do it today!