Year's end

A quiet end to the year here. Lots of office work accomplished, a bit of DIY and a male bullfinch over the garden. Hoping to finish a review of my 2009 shortly and preparing for another team-up with Terry for the steppe eagle tomorrow. A new year means a new year list. A Happy New Year to everyone out there.

The ups and downs of 2009

I spent a lot of time birding in BK with the family in 2009, I think they enjoyed it as much as I did.

As the year draws to a close, I thought I would write a review of the year. In many ways 2009 was an odd one. The economic downturn meant fewer trips abroad for me and as a result more time at home. The patch list benefited accordingly and I scored a superb 220 species in BK - a total that will be hard for me to beat in future years. It has been a year of consolidation, after two and a half years I am now familiar with the geography of BK and seen most of the commonly occurring species. Now all I need to do is to work on improving my strategy and flight call/identification skills and find more birds!

Patch highlights

Cold weather in the early part of the first winter period saw sightings of over-wintering jack snipe, woodlark, water pipit (perhaps four) and black redstart on the patch. A bizarre encounter with a bittern at dusk as I was driving down Sinarpsdalen was the highlight of January.

My return from India in February was a shock weather-wise, but soon produced my best find to date on the patch - a superb hawk owl at Torekov. A successful shorelark twitch followed shortly afterwards. A night birding session on the Älemossen circuit produced a calling pygmy owl - my first on the patch. A great month.

My best find this year was this superb hawk owl on-patch at Torekov, one of three in Skåne last winter, this bird was the most elusive.

March delivered the goods too, with my first patch bean geese and a twitched king eider at Rammsjöstrand. Spring was a quiet affair for me but April produced self-found grasshopper warbler and most importantly my first ring ouzel - the latter a long-anticipated patch tick. May followed on quietly but included a great reed warbler singing from the reedbed at Ripagården.

Summer saw me spend an increasing amount of time around the Klarningen area, as this fantastic new wetland started to attract birds even before its completion. Quail, Egyptian goose and short-eared owl were added to the patch list in June as a result. A run of red-necked phalaropes was a feature of the late summer and early autumn and I managed to find one myself at Klarningen - one of the most satisfying finds of the year (I love phalaropes). A singing 2K male rosefinch at Öllövstrand in June was good value and highlighted the potential of this site.

Usually a very scarce BK bird, this autumn saw multiple sightings at a number of sites. I saw three and self-found this little beauty at Klarningen.

Sea-watching came good in the autumn and I managed to do OK this year. Slowly getting my act together on this discipline. A Cory's shearwater gave me the run around on a few occasions and remains a much-wanted addition to the patch list. New birds seen whilst sea-watching were Caspian gull and a superb brace of red phalaropes (on what for me was the most exciting sea-watching session of the year). October finished with a Lapland bunting (at last) and a Siberian chiffchaff before heading abroad again. The back end of the year is always quiet in terms of new birds, but just before the cold snap the Klarningen area came up trumps again with Bewick's swan, bean goose and white-fronted goose.

The patch - nowhere better! 16 new birds in 2009 and still plenty to play for in 2010.

Off-patch twitching highlights
The year kicked off with a 2K gyr falcon at Rönnen and the regular adult was spotted a few times in the first winter period also. The unbelievable news of a yellow-browed bunting (a much-wanted lifer) near Stockholm in early January had me arranging an impromptu and successful family holiday. On the way home my first Swedish hawk owl was one of the wildlife highlights of the year, pretty quickly followed by finding my own on-patch.

March was notable for another Swedish lifer, after hearing singing birds on a number of occasions in my life, I finally got the better of a male Tengmalm's owl in Småland. A highlight of the year.

My encounter with the hawk owl at Vist in January was a definite highlight of 2009.

Spring was in full flow on my return from Saint Lucia and first up was a successful twitch into Halland for a glorious male surf scoter. The black scoter just a bit south, may or may not have been present on the same day, we could not find it.

A trip down the south end in early May produced corn bunting and serin for the Swedish list. Nearer to home, Sandön produced a run of white-winged tern sightings, in what was a bumper year for this species. Nearby at Rönnen, a routine look-see, saw us jamming in on a nice marsh sandpiper. May unfortunately was more notable for it's dips (great egret, spoonbill and dotterel) but finished with an excellent singing male Blyth's reed warbler in Halland.

Spent most of the autumn on the patch where I should have been but could not resist the great grey owl nearby in Halland in early October. Just sneaked it in before it died. November saw successful twitches for a late red-footed falcon, the much-debated and contentious [citrine] wagtail, a definite barred warbler and a superb two-barred crossbill. The off-patch year ended as it began with a successful attempt to see the regular wintering gyr falcon, now in its fifth winter here.

Overseas highlights

Feb/March saw the first trip of the year, a successful tour of Gujarat and Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh (India). Highlights of this excellent itinerary included tiger, Asiatic lion, wild ass, Sykes' nightjar, the harrier roost at Velavadar, great birding at Kanha (including this lesser adjutant) and a handful of new dragonflies.

A surprise trip to St Lucia in March/April produced at least 30 lifers and some other great birds. Surprisingly pleasant to be this side of the Atlantic again and to be able to enjoy American shorebirds and migrants. The star bird though was the long-staying vagrant Eurasian spoonbill!

A difficult trip to Poland in September, delivered some stunning landforms, including this intact floodplain view at Biebzra.

Last trip of the year was Namibia, another great trip with Orlando Haraseb and a fantastic group of people to share it with. Stunning views of leopard and cheetah were the real take-home memories. But the country is just phenomenal and delivers fantastic wildlife every day.

2010?
Well a packed programme should see me abroad on a regular basis in 2010, so I may get a few new birds. On the patch 'Most Wanted' list includes: garganey, black grouse (possibly just one remaining from the former breeding population, seen twice this year but not by me), black tern, Caspian tern, bluethroat, firecrest, penduline tit, two-barred crossbill and ortolan bunting. No doubt there will be a surprise or two and a repeat Cory's shearwater would be nice.

The site to watch on-patch in 2010 will certainly be Klarningen, this wetland is sure to be very productive in its first couple of years and I look forward to spring eagerly.

15 minutes of fame - 30/12/09

The article on me in the local paper came out today and bizarrely I was recognised in the supermarket on a number of occasions as a result of it! Mrs B is struggling to come to terms with her WAG status. The basis of the article is that I have recorded more birds in BK this year than anyone else - which may or may not be true...

After shopping in the morning, took Numbers 1 & 2 out for a walk at Ripagården. They enjoyed the ice, skidding and sliding about and exploring the coast. We found a huge number of starling (35), a flyby mistle thrush (1) and the plantation had a splendid black woodpecker and my first bullfinch (a male) for the site. Bonus! Raptors were obvious with single kestrel, sparrowhawk and red kite during the session. On the way home drove back via Salomonhög, where we saw six grey partridge and, more exciting for the kids, a man walking a skittish llama on a lead.

The empty reedbed at Ripagården on a gorgeous sunny day (-5 degrees).

Birding - 29/12/09

Another dusting of snow overnight and then more in the morning. Klarningen remains a frozen waste land, good only for things with hooked bills. I'll keep going until I get a great grey shrike I reckon.

Rather improbably I had an interview with the local newspaper this afternoon. I arranged to meet the journalist and photographer at Båstad, allowing the kids a play on the swings and allowing me to check a site which I have cruelly neglected of late. This proved to be a good idea as the sea was crowded with birds and it was hard to concentrate on the interview. Afterwards got to work trying to count all the various sea-duck, the biggest headache was a large mixed raft of tufted duck (140), scaup (70) and coot (90). In recent winters you might have got two coot at this site if you were lucky... Other birds noted included great crested grebe (6), whooper swan (26), common scoter (270), velvet scoter (10), long-tailed duck (6) and starling (12). One of the big headaches of having such a long length of coastline in BK is never quite knowing where the concentrations of sea-duck are at any one time. I need a micro-lite!

On the way home we dropped into Klarningen and a quick scan revealed only raptors - hen harrier (1), buzzard (2) and kestrel (1).

Birding with Terry and Mikael

Terry and Mikael at Farhult, it is always a novelty for me to spend time in the field with people over five years old.

Terry came up again nice and early for a day out of Copenhagen. We met up at the train station at Ängelholm in the rain and headed for Rönnen, hoping for the gyr falcon. At first light we found a goshawk along the road in to the site. No joy with the big falcon sadly but we did meet Mikael Olofsson (bonus!). All three of us scanned about, finding a peregrine and three white-tailed eagles. Offshore three long-tailed ducks bobbed about.

Taking Mikael along with us, we next headed to Farhult. Plenty of birds offshore here. A big raft of tufted duck (170) and goldeneye (250), included a few scaup (6+) and pochard (5). At least seven Slavonian grebes here too and way offshore the male smew. As we watched another (or the same) goshawk (1K) flew in front of us, lightly mobbed by a hooded crow. It ended up down the far end, perched on a fence-post and as the rain had finally stopped, hung its wings down to dry. Also here another white-tailed eagle for the tally. The reedbed was alive with calls of water rail (2), bearded tit and reed bunting.

Dragging Mikael with us yet again we headed inland to look for golden eagles. Lönhult produced a rough-legged buzzard. But Mikael's knowledge of the back-roads here soon produced the goods when Terry spotted a fine sub-adult golden eagle flying along at Tursköp. Also here two more white-tailed eagles (easily my best ever day for these in NW Skåne) and another rough-legged buzzard.

White-tailed eagle high-jinks.

Love 'em! I have not got tired of seeing these guys yet.

After our successful inland mission we returned to the coast at Sandön - fairly quiet with Slavonian grebe (1), oystercatcher (11), and smew (redhead). Dropping Mikael off again at Rönnen we had time for another quick but unsuccessful scan for the gyr. It was not to be our day with this unreliable bird.

Our last few sites were on-patch. We headed to Torekov rev for purple sandpipers (9 - my first this month) and nearby had two shags on offshore rocks. A great end to the day [although when we got back we discovered that the gyr had been seen really well inland at Lönhult during the day, can't win 'em all!].

Dipping off-patch

Ed puts on a brave face for his third pine grosbeak dip, we arrived 20 minutes too late for the morning showing and the bird remained out of sight for the rest of the day.

Ed, Kirsty and I headed north to Vaggeryd (Småland) hoping to twitch a female pine grosbeak, but it was not to be. We left kind of late and it cost us the bird unfortunately. Arriving at 1050 we were greeted with the news that the bird had been missing for 20 minutes. We never re-located it. Plenty of fruiting rowans here though so we stuck it out until 1500. Some great birds in the neighbourhood though including redwing (10), long-tailed tit (10), brambling (10), redpoll (2) and bullfinch (15). Best of all though was my first waxwings of the season, with a flock of 8 briefly and then 25 flying over later.

Birding - 26/12/09

With Kirsty ill in bed, Ed and I spent most of the day birding in a couple of short sessions. First up was a trip with all the family to Vejbystrand; at home we had not realised that a vicious westerly was blowing but it was more than obvious on arrival. So whilst the kids played we sheltered behind a restaurant and did a little seawatch. Highlights included flyby peregrine (1), black-throated diver (1), guillemot (2) and way over towards Kullen we could see three foraging gannets. The beach had a single redshank and was still holding teal (10) and wigeon (50).

Packing the kids off home we headed next to Kattvik to pick up anything storm-blown. We got lucky with a superb little auk, just offshore. Also here we had Slavonian grebe (1), red-necked grebe (1), coot (1), common scoter (110 - loafing offshore), eider (45 - ditto), guillemot (3) and razorbill (1). Unusual to see sea-duck feeding here.

After lunch we headed out again to look for great grey shrikes and we found two eventually between Grevie and Älemossen. Also two mistle thrushes on the route. Our last stop of the day was a quick look at a frozen Klarningen. A load of crows went up in a panic and Ed picked up a hunting goshawk chasing down a jackdaw. Superb! Just as the jackdaw looked a goner, a gang of hooded crows attacked the goshawk and it broke off the chase. Honour amongst thieves? Great end to a surprisingly good day.

Dipper!

Took Ed and the family out for a short walk to work off some of the excesses of Christmas before lunch. We walked down the Axeltorpsravinen trail in the rain and slush. The kids made a lot of noise but despite this we eventually found a nice, obliging black-bellied dipper, sitting in the river. Also here elk (moose) and badger tracks in the snow and a single sparrowhawk. There could have been other birds but the kids made so much racket we could not hear ourselves think and went back for lunch and an afternoon under the duvets watching TV.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Gyr

Ed and I were up bright and early for an 0830 start at Rönnen this morning. It paid off and we muddled ourselves to good views of the over-wintering gyr falcon. A large falcon was located immediately on arrival sitting huddled up on the island in the distance, but we wrote it off as a peregrine! When a buzzard landed nearby though, it became apparent that the bird was in fact a gyr and when the bird flew into better light onto a dune top, it was bloody obvious. Why is learning, littered with these painful lessons?

We still cannot believe how dark the bird looked on first view, compared with a better-lit view later on at the same range. So we got there in the end and the flight views as the bird left the site at 0905 secured the lifer for Ed. It was probably the same falcon we saw yesterday evening at the same spot (which we erroneously identified as a peregrine) but there you go...

Other birds here included scaup (5 female-types), velvet scoter (male), Slavonian grebe (2), gannet (1), two superb adult white-tailed eagles, hen harrier (male) and two common crossbills. After so much excitement it was perhaps a little unfair to return to the car to find the starter motor had chosen Christmas Eve to depart this world and we were temporarily stranded. We did get home in time for our Christmas feed and pressies though. Happy Christmas and a Great 2010 to all reading this.

Journey's end today - the car at the doctor's again with electrical problems.

Sledging and birding - 23/12/09

Lots of snow overnight but warmer today. Plenty of redwings about in the garden this morning, with a flock of 20 overhead at one point. Took Ed and Kirsty and the kids out sledging at Salomonhög in the morning to get out of Mrs B's way whilst she cooked the Christmas ham. Mmmm...Christmas ham. A few redwing over here too. The thaw today did not help with the construction of our 'Ray Mears' snow shelter, the roof will have to wait for sub-zero temperatures.

In the afternoon Ed and I headed out to deliver a ham to the in-laws and took the opportunity to slide past Sandön and Rönnen. Amazingly we failed to turn up a white-tailed eagle! Sandön was icy and relatively bird-free, although we did hear a few bearded tits and a single frozen-looking dunlin was picking about. Rönnen was next and we hoped to find a gyr falcon coming into roost but it was not to be. We did get two Slavonian grebes though (really scarce at the moment). On the way home we had more redwing (20) and a goshawk (1) at Södra Utmarken.

Is the gyr falcon roosting at Rönnen? Tomorrow morning we hope to find out.

Kidding - 22/12/09

Whilst Mrs B, Ed and Kirsty took a day-trip to Denmark (on a Christmas booze- and cheese-run), I was left holding the babies. The garden had at least 30 brambling and 20 redwing were in the neighbourhood too.

We had to get out though and took a drive down to Torekov and had a walk at the rev for an hour. En route a goshawk slipped across the road at Flytermossen. Not so cold today but with occasional snow showers, so the kids lasted longer out on the ice. This allowed me time to enjoy the occasional passing flock of brambling (at least 200 past during the session). Birds of note included my first black guillemot of the month (always scarce in winter but even more so this winter for some reason), two male goosander, as well as the usual long-tailed duck (1), velvet scoter (4) and goldeneye (65) and redshank (1).

Driving home over the golf course we had a hunting hen harrier (ringtail), a starling and flushed a roadside snipe. At Västra Karup there was a good flock of 200+ brambling feeding under beeches just outside the village. Tough times in Bjäre and no end in sight to this harsh winter weather. The good news is the pine grosbeaks are on the move and may just get this far south this winter, they might even bring some waxwings with them. No doubt it will be when I am in Borneo in January...

Feeder watch - 21/12/09

Spent the day indoors, looking after the kids, baking biscuits and hoovering; meanwhile Mrs B whizzed about doing 101 Christmas things in the car. The feeders in the garden were packed out as usual. House and tree sparrows dominating, but with the occasional brambling, greenfinch, chaffinch and yellowhammer too. A great spotted woodpecker joined the fray briefly and a sparrowhawk whacked through the garden unsuccessfully. The rowan is looking rather depleted but is still attracting finches and thrushes, including at least 5 redwing.