pinks

One of today's highlights was the huge flock of 30 purple sandpipers that is currently in residence at Torekovs rev.

Got out this morning to search along the coast between Påarps Mal and Ripagården. Plenty of year-ticks to be had, I ended up with five! I had not even got to the coast when I stopped at Slättaröd to check out my first stock dove of the year. Påarps Mal produced a flock of 19 resting ringed plovers and nearby the sewage works had my first oystercatcher. I checked out Svarteskär next for shags but there were none, instead an adult  peregrine offshore on Vinga Skär, four black guillemot on the sea and two razorbill past. The rev produced a fantastic flock of 30 purple sandpipers (my previous best of 17 blown away in the process).

Last proper stop of the day was Norra Ängalag, here a mistle thrush erupted out of the juniper and going through the greylag geese out on Tjällran produced the big surprise of the day - two pink-footed geese. A quick look at Ripagården on the way home failed to turn up anything notable.

coot!

Had a quick look at Klarningen and Petersberg in the late afternoon. Klarningen had a big gathering of 200 lapwing and a few duck (shelduck 7, teal 14 and wigeon 3). But otherwise rather quiet. Petersberg produced a surprise male pintail and my first coot of the year. The tufted duck flock here has dwindled to 30. Zoned for housing I will be well pissed off to see this pit disappear some time in the future.

back in the rain

My first hen harrier of the year. Spring has definitely sprung whilst I have been away.

Had two hours in the field with Mrs B today which was a bit luxurious. We sat in the tower for the first half of this short session. I got three year-ticks in the first three minutes and then things calmed down considerably. Hen harrier (male), skylark (1) and 50-strong flock of lapwing were the year-ticks. Also here four shelduck, a few wigeon and teal and a kestrel. Later we checked out Eskilstorpsstrand for 100+ scaup.

postcard from Gir NP, Gujarat

Been after mottled wood owl for sometime and it finally came to pass yesterday. This may well be my last lifer owl on the mainland sub-Continent. Sri Lanka beckons...

Gir NP is perhaps the best park in India to have a crack at leopard, I have now seen three in four attempts here. This one was encountered just before sunrise, modern cameras lie spectacularly but if you check out the pupil dilation on this beast you can tell how dark it was!

One of eight Asiatic lions encountered during our three day session at Gir, I could have reached out and touched this one as it walked past our jeep!

goose panic

Had half an hour at Klarningen this morning. Things were quiet (kestrel 1) until a huge flock of Canadian geese flew in from the west and over the tower. Right at the back of the flock an adult white-tailed eagle chivvying them along!

100!

Bird of the day, an unseasonal 2K tundra swan, found by Jan and twitched off in the afternoon. Most of our tundra's come through in early spring and late autumn.

Got out early chasing a possible gyr falcon reported yesterday on Gröthögarna. Walked from Norra Ängalag to Ripagården and picked up a few good birds but no gyr. Walkign down to the coast at the start I flushed a common snipe from the side of the track. The big freeze is putting them in strange places apparently. A peregrine was out on Tjällran but there was little else of note until I reached Ripagården. Here on the seaweed bank by the harbour were nine starlings and a song thrush. Back at the car later a 2K female goshawk gave an impressive flyby.

In the afternoon we checked out Ranarpsstrand searching for pheasant (!), unseen by anyone this year in BK apparently... We saw a male! Hearing of a tundra swan found by Jan Skidell we drove up to Torekovs rev and were put onto the bird by a helpful birder. Also here at least one purple sandpiper to round off the day. The year-list hits 102 in record time, perhaps three weeks earlier than usual, although it has helped that I have actually been in Sweden during the whole of the month!

pygmy? (23012014)

Walked the long loop at Killeröd this morning in an attempt to year-tick crested and coal tit after missing them the other day. In the end I managed to hear crested tit but did not get a sniff of a a coal. I did hear two distant notes form a possible pygmy owl though at one point. Otherwise similar birds to the other day, with another four willow tits on show during the walk.

kingfisher

A morning birding netted another three year-ticks. First up was the often elusive kingfisher at Båstad, which gave itself up in less than five minutes luckily. Hemmeslövsstrand produced three superb flyby redhead smew and a calling black woodpecker, but the light was too poor to go through the assembled scoter with any confidence. Last stop of the morning was at an icy Klarningen which surprisingly produced some passerines in the shape of a flock containing one reed bunting and four meadow pipits.

chasing woodland birds

Walked the woods this morning, desperate to get fit before my next tour after two-and-a-half months of shingles related problems. This snowy walk also had the potential to add perhaps six year-ticks to my tally. In the end though I had to settle for just three. Willow tits (4) were found within two flocks encountered during the walk. A high nutcracker was heading for pastures a little lower down the hill and at least four jays were feeding at a game feeder in a clearing.

Before lunch I just had time to check the sea off Grytskären for grebes (I still need red-necked and Slavonian for the year...). Nothing doing on the sea but nine purple sandpipers cruised around the islands offshore briefly and a dunnock was skulking in coastal bushes.

Two hours at Dagshög

Target bird today was a black redstart reported a few days ago by a birding chasing the elusive water pipit at the site. Pleased to connect after two hours but should it show so much rufous wash in the underparts?

Had two-and-a-half hours in the field today and headed for Dagshög which netted me three year-ticks. First up was a song thrush over the car park as I got out of the car. Down at the coast I had a possible glimpse of the water pipit and two or three starlings were in the area. I walked south to Burensvik, hoping to reconnect with the pipit but failed. However on my return to Dagshög the black redstart (reported recently by others) was feeding avidly in amongst a mixed flock of rock and meadow pipits.

long-tailed grass lizard

 Spent the day cataloguing photographs and found this excellent animal in the files, a long-tailed grass lizard (Takydromus sexlineatus ocellatus). This species has a huge range in Asia but this individual is the only one I have ever photographed. The incredibly long tail can be appreciated fully in the shot below.

wildfowl count - Torekov to Hovs Hallar

Another morning duck counting, this time in much milder conditions, between Torekov and Hovs Hallar. In between the counting I found a few good birds. A male pintail popped up at Rålehamn. I finally found a raven (!) for the year, one flying noisily around Norra Ängalag. Ripagården produced a treecreeper in a small flock that also included three goldcrest. Tjällran had a roosting peregrine.

After the count I headed for Båstad to have a quick look for the oystercatcher, no sign but 18 whooper swans in the bay. Klarningen next hoping for the great grey shrike that has been reported occasionally over the winter. It was quiet on site but amazingly on the way home I picked up a great grey shrike as I drove up Sinarpsdalen. Year-tick number four for the day but as I opened the door I added another as ten waxwing swept over the front garden.