Back on patch!

After nearly six weeks away I have finally made it home... Great to be back on the patch and the first job today was to look for two-barred crossbills (several have dropped in to BK in the last two weeks in my absence and I 'need' it). No chance of an early start as normal, but I got two hours in at Killeröd mid-morning. No sign of any two-bars though, but two 1K common crossbills were nice. Two nutcrackers were also welcome but failed to show well. A tit flock here included both willow and crested. Dragonflies started to appear as the day warmed. Plenty of Sympetrum vulgatum throughout and a few Aeshna juncea warming up on spruce trunks.

Aeshna juncea - several flying in the woods this morning. Lower down the hill mixta was flying.

Quick looks at Lindab (Sympetrum flaveolum) and Vysterborg (several Aeshna grandis) were useful for the dragonfly Atlas totals for that square. Last stop of the day was Mäsinge for a quick look at the pond, the easy highlight being a male Anax imperator (a recent addition to the Odofauna in Skåne). One day a female will turn up too. Fancying a bit of birding I checked out Glimminge for waders but just one common sandpiper and one greenshank kicked up in a quick look.

Aeshna mixta at Lindab today.

Just one Aeshna cyanea today, this female egg-laying at the pond at Mäsinge strand.

Subarctica!

Nipped out before breakfast for a quick look at Ripagården and this proved to a be a good idea. Not much vismig on the go, but a few low-flying and grounded migrants. The easy highlight was a red-throated pipit low over the site gong north, plenty of swallows going north too this morning and a grey wagtail... A noisy black woodpecker was present and gave fleeting views along the hedgeline. The reedbed had a large and vociferous roost of 3000 starlings, that left as soon as the sun hit them.

After I had shovelled hot pancakes into the ever-hungry brood at home, we all headed out to Älemossen on the usual combined blueberry/Odonata walk. A few birds about (willow tit calling and single honey buzzard migrating) but the dragonflies stole the show. Perhaps 7-8 male Aeshna subarctica on the wing, the most I have seen here. No sign of any females though. Also ovipositing Aeshna grandis, two Sympetrum danae and two male Aeshna cyanea.

It always surprises me to find Aeshna cyanea in peat bogs, but two males were flying today.

The dark destroyer - Aeshna subarctica, one of the better dragonflies on the kommun list and apparently discovered by me! Due to BK's hybrid nature (one of the the seven parishes is in Halland, the rest in Skåne) this species and Somatochlora arctica are unlikely to feature in my Atlas returns sadly.

Catching Aeshna subarctica is always a high-risk occupation. They only occur in areas with liquid 'Sphagnum soup' pools on floating bogs!

Birding - 21/08/10

Nipped out to Torekov before breakfast. The rev was busy but many of the birds were roosting out of view and it was hard counting them. The highlight was my first patch sanderling of the year, other waders present including; grey plover (1), knot (8), curlew sandpiper (1), dunlin (36), ruff (1), bar-tailed godwit (3) and turnstone (1). A huge movement of tree pipits evident with perhaps 400 flying past in just over an hour. A few grounded tree pipit and yellow wagtail about too.

A pair of cranes south whilst we were at Klarningen this morning, plenty of other migrants on the move too.

Took the kids out of the house after breakfast to allow Mrs B to take it easy and recover from a nasty cold. Klarningen was the chosen spot and we had an entertaining two hours here. After all the recent rain and windy weather the water levels were up nicely and there were plenty of birds about. Big flocks of greylag (450), teal (180) and lapwing (250) contributed to the almost bustling feel to the place. The pintail flock has grown to nine birds and single shoveler was also present. Despite the good numbers of teal I could not find a garganey. A 1K goshawk entertained us, sitting up to be admired and occasionally sparring with hooded crows and a marsh harrier and also making more serious efforts to kill a common gull. Other raptors included up to five marsh harriers and two red kite. Two cranes drifted south and there were four whinchats on the fence. Waders were present in a reasonable variety and the raptor action ensured that most were flushed for views at some point or another. Hightlights included golden plover (1), Temminck's stint (1), ruff (1), snipe (10), curlew (8) and wood sandpiper (4).

Be nice to see Klarningen bank-full one day but things are moving on nicely, it is a delight to watch the gradual colonisation of the site by aquatic macrophytes and water quality seems good.

Before lunch we just had time to nip into Petersberg and look for a few dragonflies in the sun. We got eight species, including a single male Lestes virens (over-looked in the last three years evidently...), a nice male Aeshna cyanea and two late Libellula quadrimaculata. The kids enjoyed a big longhorn beetle we found (Aromia moschata).

Aromia moschata or musk beetle at Petersberg today.

Southern hawker (Aeshna cyanea), my first at Petersberg.

Two late Libellula quadrimaculata were flying at Petersberg too.

After lunch we headed out again this time to twitch a broad-billed sandpiper reported yesterday at Stora Hult. No problems with this bird, it was one of the few waders present at the site and good views were had. Walking on to Vejbystrand we were rewarded with close views of three 1K curlew sandpipers and a dozing 1K little gull. Last stop wasa quick look at Ranarpsstrand, a few waders here including; dunlin (2), snipe (6), spotted redshank (2), greenshank (4), green sandpiper (1) and wood sandpiper (9).

Birding - 06/08/09

Klarningen - more water (we missed a lot of rain whilst on holiday). Ruderal growth has been good over the late summer and as the site floods up it will be rich in seeds and very good for duck. No aquatic macrophytes yet but plenty of aquatic invertebrates scooting about in the warm shallow water.

After a bit of a lie-in, I nipped out for a morning in the field to get my eye back in after the holidays! Klarningen looked great and produced some waders including Temminck's stint (2), greenshank (1), spotted redshank (2), wood sandpiper (4), common sandpiper (1), ruff (5), snipe (12) and lapwing (110). A wheatear (1) along the access track signalled autumn for real. Dragonflies were much in evidence in the warm weather with Anax imperator, Aeshna mixta, Aeshna grandis, Sympetrum striolatum, Ischnura elegans, Enallagma cyathigerum and Lestes sponsa. A big surprise was a superb female Onychogomphus forcipatus sunning itself on the bare substrate at the water's edge (my first in Sweden).

Sympetrum striolatum - present in good numbers and ovipositing at Klarningen

A big surprise at Klarningen was this female Onychogomphus forcipatus

Before lunch I nipped up to Frestensfälla to check out the dragonfly pools. The sun unfortunately went into cloud but I managed to get Aeshna cyanea, Aeshna grandis, Sympetrum danae, Coenagrion hastulatum and Lestes sponsa. Butterflies were good too and included silver-washed and high brown fritillary.

Silver-washed fritillary at Frestenfalla, flying with high brown fritillary today

Aeshna cyanea - caught patrolling over a small Sphagnum-choked pool in the forest

Coenagrion hastulatum are getting thin on the ground at Frestenfalla

In the afternoon we headed out to Torekov rev, which was jam-packed with sun-worshippers. The kids got into the water and I checked out the waders. Not bad here considering the crowds with a scattering of stuff including; dunlin (25), greenshank (3), spotted redshank (1), common sandpiper (5), bar-tailed godwit (1), grey plover (1) and little ringed plover (1). Last stop was Ripagården where there were few waders - wood sandpiper (1) and common sandpiper (5) but the sea off the breakwater was refreshing.