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

dragons

Tired after yesterday's dipping I headed out into the sun rather late for some Atlas square bashing targeting the early flying Odonates that have suffered due to time spent birding and poor spring weather over the last few years. Nothing wrong with the weather today though.

First stop was Drängstorp, two good-looking pools here have been at the top of my 'to do' list for some time. They were fantastic, well-vegetated and apparently fish-free they produced some great odos including one male Coenagrion armatum (sadly not photographed), a few Leucorrhinia rubicunda, stacks of Coenagrion lunulatum and of course the obligatory Brachytron.

Coenagrion lunulatum, found today at Drängstorp, the fifth site I have found this species in BK

The rather uninspiring Boarp pools were next but produced some great stuff. A new pond has been dug here and immediately produced Libellula depressa, Coenagrion hastulatum and Ischnura pumilio. The shallow pool here was looking good too and produced the square's first Brachytron. Last stop of the day was the only small pond I can find in a square near Båstad dominated by sea. Here I added a Libellula depressa to the paltry species list for the 'square'.

Libellula depressa at Boarp

Ischnura pumilio were present in small numbers at Boarp today