hot and windy

 Dragonflies were the order of the day, despite the windy conditions and the fact that I would probably of been better off birding! My first Coenagrion puella were on the wing at a number of sites.

Out and about again today in the hot sun and windy conditions. Hit Drängstorp first hoping for Coenagrion armatum but instead had to settle for a huge emergence of Coenagrion lunulatum and my first Leucorrhinia rubicunda for the Atlas square.

 Coenagrion pulchellum

Next stop was Boarp, which was disappointing as the  water level in the ordinarily shallow and very good fourth pond was way up. Did get more puella here though and Coenagrion pulchellum, but very small numbers and no sign of any emergence at the site.

 Hovs Hallar produced at least seven migrating honey buzzards in a one-hour watch

Hovs Hallar for an hour in the middle of the day was good for honey buzzards (seven through) but the hoped-for rosefinches failed to sing. After lunch I had a quick look at the pool at Lönhult but it was too exposed for a reasonable odo-survey.

 Mute swan

Last stop of the day was another speculative listen for rosefinch at Öllövsstrand, again no joy, just a noisy thrush nightingale. The stars here though were two territorial map butterflies.

 Map butterfly

Driving out I glimpsed a male black redstart around the farm buildings at Öllöv and Number 1 and I returned later finding the nest-site and watching both adults shuttling to-and-fro with food for the hungry chicks. Nice find.

Last bird of the day was perhaps the best find, a breeding pair of black redstarts feeding young at Öllöv

the dark side

Variable damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum) is by definition a variable species, although in the west this variation is mostly exhibited by females. In Turkey many commonplace European species have strange forms but perhaps none so shocking as these incredibly dark pulchellum's!

More lunulatum found

Spent a couple of hours at Torekov this morning. A pair of little ringed plovers seem to be in residence, explaining the odd flyby sightings of late at the rev. The woods had at least two garden warblers singing amongst the nearly complete ensemble of songsters. Round the back of Flytermossen was a singing thrush nightingale and a hunting hobby.

Checked out the pools at Bösketorp for dragonflies at midday, picking up my first spotted flycatcher of the year in the process. Conditions were less than perfect - quite windy and patchy sun and occasional rain - but I was pleased to find another colony of Coenagrion lunulatum. Also here a few Libellula quadrimaculata, including one watched leaving the water and emerging.

Another colony of Coenagrion lunulatum found today this time at Bösketorp pools. They will probably prove to be widespread in BK. The lack so far can be explained by the fact that I am usually birding solidly until the end of June.

That John Hurt moment - an adult Libellula quadrimaculata emerges at Bösketorp pools.

In the afternoon Team B headed for Rammsjöstrand. The sedge marsh here looks famous for dragonflies but again conditions were less than ideal. Nevertheless it produced small numbers of Coenagrion hastulatum, my first Coenagrion puella of the year, a single Coenagrion pulchellum and the inevitable Libellula quadrimaculata. I think this site is outside any of my Atlas squares but I am going to keep an eye on it all the same. Nearby at the new wetland I was pleased to find at least three little ringed plovers and a couple of wood sandpipers.

Another look at Coenagrion hastulatum, this one from Rammsjöstrand.

Female Coenagrion pulchellum are variable!

My first Coenagrion puella of the year was kicked up at Rammsjöstrand today.

Number 43 - so soon!

Examination of the few Odonata records from BK on the national database over the last few days, threw up the shocking discovery that Ischnura pumilio is present in BK! I have presumably been overlooking them because armed with this knowledge I found one this morning at Klarningen.

Mmmm! Orange! A fresh female Ischnura pumilio, another Swedish dragonfly tick (my third this week!).

The black 'hour-glass' shape on the orange pronotum (between thorax and head) is a good diagnostic feature of pumilio.

Anyway to start at the beginning, I nipped out for another pre-breakfast session to Klarningen this morning. Grey overcast skies as usual lately, but not a breath of wind just after dawn. Dragonflies were surprisingly active and as well as the splendid pumilio I found the Coenagrion pulchellum pictured below, and plenty of Aeshna mixta.

Broken humeral stripes and the weird 'Y' S2 marking reveal the identity of this Coenagrion pulchellum.

Plenty of birds about at Klarningen too. The main bit of water had a flock of at least 87 teal, a scattering of mallard and my first pintail (5) at the site. With this many birds around, I decided to leave out the southern section and just walk the northern half. Eventual totals for the two hour session were; lapwing (40), dunlin (1), ruff (4), snipe (6), spotted redshank (1), greenshank (2), common sandpiper (1) and wood sandpiper (15). Tree pipits and yellow wagtails were much in evidence overhead, a redstart was calling along the river and the access track had four wheatear and two whinchat.

After breakfast I checked out Vasaltheden hoping for more dragonfly action, but it started to drizzle. I poked about a bit looking hard at the wetter parts of the site, just one red-backed shrike and three yellow wagtails surrendered.

In the afternoon Mrs B and I dropped in quickly at Malen and had a neat little gull (1K) feeding along the shoreline and in the distance behind another at Stensåns mynning in neighbouring Halland.

Birding - 21/05/09

Amazing - a pine marten raiding a crow's nest in the middle of the day. I have seen them before but only at baited hides - good to see a proper self-found one at last.

Big Swedish family party today so slipped out for some time alone in the early morning. Tried out Torekov rev - very quiet here for birds lately but did get a red kite over the town. They are a daily occurrence hereabouts, and often drifting over the house, but this was my first bird in Torekov. Tried the wood behind the rev, to see if any migrants were about. Icterine warblers 'new-in' were singing lustily, otherwise things were quiet. Until I went in search for the source of a huge amount of mobbing just off the track. A pine marten! Unbelievable views of this animal as he darted around through the foliage, trying to outwit a determined pair of hooded crows defending their nest. Superb.

Checked out Dagshög on the way home but it was quiet for birds too. After breakfast took the kids and their grandfather out for a walk so the the house could be prepped for the big shin-dig. We went to Eskilstorp pools and had a pleasant walk. I have been going there at the end of the day mostly, so it was nice to find hairy dragonfly, four-spot chaser and Coenagrion pulchellum flying about. Birdwise a few things were noted. A fine red-backed shrike was present. A marsh warbler sang beautifully and rather disconcertingly (because I need it for Sweden) it kept slipping in a convincing snatch of quail mimicry. Nice morning.

Coenagrion pulchellum is much more frequently encountered in Sweden than it is in the UK (where it is rather local)

Small heath