wildfowl count - Dagshög to Torekov

It finally went sub-zero today in time for part of my wildfowl count. I walked the section from Dagshög to Torekov and my shingles hardly bothered me, at last signs of recovery! The counting was pleasurable but did not provide much in the way of excitement. There was evidence of a little southerly hard weather movement from species like whooper swan and fieldfare during the morning. Best birds otherwise were a single male goosander (scarce this winter for some reason) and at least 12 shags on the rocks off Torekov

I had lunch looking over Torekov rev from the car and picked up another year-tick in the shape of a black guillemot, which flew in from the direction of the island. Also here at least three purple sandpipers and a shag feeding offshore. On the way home I picked up a covey of ten grey partridge in the big field at Norra Ängalag, whilst searching unsuccessfully for the redpoll flock. The partridge were year-tick number three for the day and my first since June.

winter seawatch

 Lightly-oiled kittiwake

Little gull

Rocked up rather late for a winter seawatch this morning in a strong NW blow. Sadly I arrived 15 minutes after a possible Leach's petrel went through... A couple of hours at Yttre Kattvik did produce two fulmar, a few gannets, lots of kittiwakes and three little gulls. On the way home I got close to another (or the same) three little gulls close in at Kattvik and took photographs until my hands froze. I need some winter camera gloves!

yesterday

Had a day out in the field with Paul Cook yesterday and we worked the stretch of coast between Dagshög and Norra Ängalag. Paul inevitably got a few Swedish ticks (being the new kid on the block) but generally things were rather slow although we did spend a lot of time chatting...

The day was notable however for the continued slow passage offshore of good numbers of kittiwake and smaller numbers of gannet. Highlights on this stretch included at least one of the water pipits at Dagshög, three adult shags at Torekov, ten purple sandpipers at Torekovs rev and at least one on Tjällran, a big female peregrine in fields at Norra Ängalag and later perched on Tjällran and single dunnocks at Norra Ängalag and Torekovs rev.

Last stop of the day was a quick look around Kattvik, the sea was calm here but rather empty until Paul stunned me by finding a single shelduck off the harbour. Only my second BK January record and certainly my earliest.

goshawk kill

Highlight of this morning's session was flushing a goshawk off it's breakfast. You have to admire the economy and the systematic nature of this bird when it feeds. The goshawk obviously started at the head of the rabbit and worked it's way towards the rear. The skull (bottom right) when examined had been completely scraped free of flesh and a neat hole cut in the back to allow the removal of the tasty brain!

A bitterly cold southerly wind greeted me at dawn this morning at Klarningen. Not much going on on site, just a lone whooper swan and a fly-through white-tailed eagle of note. Nearby Petersberg produced a brace of year-ticks, first up was a huge flock of 160 tufted duck on the pit and then I flushed a fantastic adult goshawk off a rabbit.

Last stop of the day was Eskilstorpsstrand, the big flock of scaup (182) provided another year-tick and a couple of long-tailed duck and a gannet passed by.

shed load of year-ticks

It wouldn't be winter without at least one photo of a white-tailed eagle

Got out for another morning of birding today. Checked out Torekovs rev at first light and found one roosting purple sandpiper. Finally logging one for the year, others saw up to ten later in the day of course. A flock of 32 wood pigeon here too.

Next stop was the main purpose of my day out, ie to try and locate the Arctic redpolls found by Nils Kjellén two days ago. I knew where they would be, as I had found a small flock of redpoll in the area in early November... Sure enough the fallow fields just north of the golf course held a big and very flighty flock of about 150 redpoll. In amongst them at least one Arctic but it was difficult to get good views of it sadly.

Moving on to Norra Ängalag I met up with Olof Jönsson and Thomas Svanberg and they were kind enough to find me some more year-ticks whilst I rested my shingles. Kittiwakes were flying past, a bird I have been overlooking this year! A sub-adult white-tailed eagle cruised north. Thomas called a trio of snow buntings as they flew north offshore. Razorbills were present offshore, together with a few red-throated diver and one black-throated.

We all headed back to the redpoll field and saw the Arctic again and the guys noticed a few twite in amongst the redpolls this time. Nice. On the way home I bagged barnacle goose and collared dove bringing the BK year-list to fairly creditable 72.

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.

BK tick!

2014 got going nicely today with a BK tick no less. Checked out Torekovs rev very late in the morning (relaxed and slightly lazy birding being the order of the year so far). No sign of any purple sandpipers here sadly but the coastal bushes had goldcrest (1), dunnock (1) and reed bunting (1). More indicators of the ridiculously mild winter we are experiencing.

A quick look for the shags (5) south of the harbour was a very good idea. Here I found Nils Kjellén and he had just found an adult yellow-legged gull! Result. Perhaps the same bird that spent the early part of the winter just north of BK in Halland? Also here one gannet for the year-list. Driving out of BK to pick up Mrs B we bumped into our first red kite of the year and that brought up the 50. Slow and steady!

January lesser whitethroat

Yesterday's big news was the continued presence of the wintering lesser whitethroat at Glimminge. Managed 40 minutes there today and quickly got views of the bird in question and bagged a handful of year-ticks. The year-list creeps up to 43.

Day 1

A new year and a new year-list. Finished 2013 on a fairly creditable 215 for BK. Hope to top 200 again this year if I have the time.

A slow start though today with the garden providing the first new birds of the year, including robin, brambling and wren. A short walk around Axelstorpsravinen was enough to bag dipper for the year, as well as nuthatch and marsh tit. A drive over the top to Klarningen bagged a few more common species but great grey shrike eluded us both on the high bits and at Klarningen. Last stop of the day was Båstad where short walk netted more species but nothing notable. 34 species for the day!

26122013 - checking for the lesser whitethroat

A quick look at the pile of tree brash in the car park at Glimminge failed to turn up the lesser whitethroat - is it still there? Birds that were there included wigeon (65), red-necked grebe (1), hen harrier (ringtail), rock pipit (7) and starling (1).

22122013 - shingles complications

Things are not going so well, I have developed the neuralagia that sometimes comes after shingles which may slow me up a bit in the coming months...

Managed a bit of time in the field though today, checking out Klarningen and Petersberg. En route a hunting rough-legged buzzard was present in just outside Grevie. Klarningen was quiet with 12 whooper swans and a kestrel. Peterberg had a good number of wildfowl including 68 tufted duck and also three lesser redpoll.

17122013 - grey wagtail

Have managed to get behind with my diary entries over the festivities. The 17th of December (!) saw me up the tip near Troentorp dropping some stuff off, a chore that was made much more interesting by the presence of a feeding grey wagtail. Only my second this year, they really have been scarce.