pm session

Had a look around on the hill this afternoon, bumping into two pairs of crane, a spotted flycatcher (year-tick) and three whopper swans. A quick look into Klarningen produced a lifer red fox for Number 1. Also here hobby (2), shoveler (20), ruff (5), little ringed plover (2) and lots of swifts (at last!).

beyond the pale - two male pallid harriers!

Got out for an hour at Klarningen this morning but things were very quiet. 300 teal remain on site but there was little else around. Buzzards may have been moving and feeding kestrel (1) and marsh harrier (1) possibly indicated some movement. Always hard to tell. Likewise a quick look at Ehrenstorp, hoping for a wryneck, produced a single adult honey buzzard that made it's way imperceptibly south whilst keeping a good lookout for something to eat. Also a single immature red-backed shrike at the latter site.

The big excitement came in the afternoon on the way home from doing the weekly shopping in the supermarket. On our way home we headed for the coast to eat our dinner by the sea. I was astonished when an adult male pallid harrier almost came through the windscreen. We were just about to go under the railway and the road dipped and we lost the bird. By the time I got on it's trail we were well behind and we never saw the bird again. Bloody hell.

Grytskären was a nice place to eat and there were plenty of wheatear about but it was when we drove home that we encountered another male pallid harrier. This time a 2k bird, it was wildly hunting small birds on the new plough along the access track and was successful. It took it's prize to a nearby field and settled down to eat. At this point I could finally deploy the only optics I had with me, my 'scope! What a great bird, it fed unconcerned whilst I drank in the finer points of it's plumage before heading off east and into BK. Not seen this plumage so early in autumn before so it was educational. No photos though, I should know better than to leave my gear at home in the autumn...

morning glory

Found out yesterday that I had been searching for the corncrake in the wrong place and that it had been ringed whilst I was looking for it... So it was out again to Ehrenstorp last night this time to check the right area but no joy, the bird had moved on I guess and an hour here netted just nightjar, woodcock and tawny owl. I was more than a little pissed off...

After dipping I headed onwards into the night to check reports of a possible Blyth's reed warbler at Eskilstorp. After midnight I was installed and listening to Acros intently here (they all sounded marshy to me) and was completely stunned to find the harsh rasp of a corncrake intruding on my concentration. It was singing from a lovely herby, rough field near the golf course car park! Result. I moved into a better position to hear it and make sure it was not another birder using a tape and a male quail flew over calling! I never knew that they called in flight. What a morning.

Rolled back into bed and got out much later in the day to hear a few snatches of red-breasted flycatcher song at Tvehöga before the clutch cable on the car parted and left us stranded in the field. A day of mixed emotions then but corncrake is OML!

Temminck's stint

Been busy lately but crammed in a few year-ticks around work on Monday and Tuesday. Driving past Karstorp in BK early on 6/5 produced a fine merlin dashing across the road. Later on in the day at dusk I was poking my head out the Velux window upstairs and had a roding woodcock and heard a distant thrush nightingale. The next morning at 0400 I repeated the process and added cuckoo to my year-list.

Today I finally got back out there and checked Klarningen hoping initially for a crack at the reported Temminck's stint and latterly for a chance of a white-winged tern (many of the latter made landfall in Sweden on the SE winds we are experiencing). No joy with the tern but after 1.5 hours the Temminck's finally crawled out from wherever it had been hiding and showed itself. It rained pretty solidly for most of the morning but little dropped in. Twelve ruff were a highlight, also shoveler (pair), gadwall (male), grey partridge (1), greenshank (2) and at least 19 assorted yellow wagtails (flava and thunbergi, the latter dominating).

Drove home over the top picking up my first singing wood warbler at Hulrugered and a fly-over crane at Ehrenstorp.

early icky

Two male firecrests were singing at Dömestorp after lunch.

Got out a little earlier this morning and hit Eskistorpsstrand again hoping for a flyby white-billed diver or for one of the two Yank scoters to the north of BK to stray south. None of the above happened sadly! In fact the black scoter flew north back to Påarp. They are sure to transit BK I guess but the chances of me witnessing it are slight! I contented myself with going through the available scoters and enjoying a flyby female merlin.

Onshore winds made for difficult viewing conditions and eventually I decided to have a poke around in the coastal scrub. Really quiet with no migrants at all until I reached the carpark at Mellanvägen when a short burst of song lead me to a ridiculously early icterine warbler (not the first in BK this year though, Mats L had one yesterday).

Klarningen next predictably enough. Still rather quiet but a thorough examination revealed three garganey and a nice Temminck's stint. A pair of red-necked grebe were nest-building and at least six wood sandpipers remain on site but no other migrant waders today.

Dashed back to pick up the team and we headed out to Dömestorp for a picnic. En route we checked for dragonflies at Frestensfälla (nothing doing, temperature failing to hit double figures...). Dömestorp was great with nice views of two male firecrests and a frustrating time trying to get a photo of the frenetic little buggers.

On the way home we checked Bränneslätt, no Odos here either, but my first green hairstreak of the year. Finally a great roadside hawfinch fed on the ground for us to admire as we drove through Atteköp. A better session.

Sunday morning

Nipped out for three hours before breakfast this morning. Drove over the top picking up three cranes but no ouzels. Klarningen was reasonably busy with things dropping in occasionally and whizzing off north, you really need to spend all day here...

Wildfowl at Klarningen included the three pintail and seven shoveler, but no sign of last night's garganey or the six Egyptian geese recently reported just over the border in Laholm's kommun. A few raptors on the go though with hen harrier and rough-legged buzzard through north. Waders provided the most value this morning with 20 golden plovers buzzing the tower on arrival, three superb male ruff strutting about, a whimbrel calling overhead somewhere, an elusive greenshank and a very brief wood sandpiper (the latter a year-tick). Equally quick was a flyby by a barn swallow and a house martin and high overhead I heard my first tree pipit of the year.

After breakfast we got the team together for a walk in the woods around Killeröd and Önnarp. The weather deteriorated on us and much of the walk was in the rain. Aside from a light passage of buzzards and two grounded rough-legged buzzards it was rather quiet.

The sun shines!

The garden produced a dunnock at last over breakfast. Spent an hour at Klarningen this morning which was reasonably busy; white-fronted goose (2), barnacle goose (6), wigeon (38), gadwall (female), teal (100), a female marsh harrier (my first of the year) and a redshank (1) being the highlights.

Drove back over the top, picking up a pair of cranes at Ehrenstorp and the garden in teh afternoon produced a singing chiffchaff and a green woodpecker.

He's back

Not been feeling too well lately, but things are slowly looking up. Since my last blog I have had very few opportunities to get in the field but recorded my first mistle thrushes of the year on the 8th (two in the garden), heard my first green woodpecker of the year on the 10th (garden again), and coot were back on the pools at Lindab on the 16th. On the 18th we got out of the house briefly for a walk between Vejbystrand and Stora Hult. This produced the first ringed plover (1) of the year and later that night we had a crane calling just over the house lost in the fog.

Today I had a quick look at Klarningen in the morning, still plenty of water and good numbers of birds including three BK year-ticks for me. Wildfowl provided most of the interest with 27 white-fronted geese, four barnacles, a male shoveler (first for BK this year) and a pair of gadwall. Also 26 wigeon and just over 80 teal present too. Driving away I picked up a pair of ringed plovers in the fields and from the E6 and just inside BK a pair of curlew.

On the way home later stopped briefly to admire a pair of cranes, the fields here also held at least six mistle thrushes.

Night-birding

Well I did manage to stay up till it got sort-of-dark and headed back to the Smedje in Lahom kommun. I arrived just before 2300 and I could hear the river warbler chuffing away as I drove past the bridge to park. An incredibly powerful song. Also here a quail in song.

Driving back into BK I stopped for a while at Klarningen, just grasshopper warblers here with one on site and another across the river at Eskilstorpsdammar. Drove home slowly listening at a few spots but just scored a nightjar at Ehrenstorp for my troubles.

More dragging

Another sunny day so I went out searching for Odonata, inspired by yesterday's effortless score. Today though was different, I worked hard for little gain. Spent most of the day in Halland too so it did not count towards the Atlas! The morning was spent walking into Eskilstorpsdammar and searching through the many ponds on this impressive man-made site. I had thought I might have missed some species last time but this visit produced many of the same species and only added Orthetrum cancellatum and Calopteryx splendens into the mix. No surprises then. Bird-wise things were quiet, just a single singing male grasshopper warbler.

Leucorrhinia rubicunda near Baramossa (Halland).

Nipped home to pick up the team and a big picnic and we headed out. A quick stop at Ehrenstorp produced nothing unusual and then we stopped for lunch at Perstorp enefälad. More false heath fritillaries here and today purple-edged coppers were also on the wing. Driving on we checked a small pond near Baramossa which had more purple-edged coppers and the day's only Leucorrhinia rubicunda. Last stop of the day was another look at the lake at Pennebo. I was hoping to discover Epitheca here, but none were flying today. Are they there? We did see plenty of Calopteryx virgo in the outflow stream and also had a single Brachytron, both species not noted last visit.

Grey-headed wagtails moving

Had a bit of time in the afternoon to check out Klarningen and a few sites up on the hill. Klarningen is drying fast but looks good for waders still. Ducks have moved on though, just three teal and a handful of mallard remain. I am amazed that the site did not attract a garganey this spring, still time I suppose. Waders included the usual residents plus one greenshank and 16 wood sandpipers. At the back at least four yellow wagtails, included my first grey-headed wagtails of the year.

Up at Frestensfälla a cuckoo was singing. Nearby at Hulrugered, I screeched to a halt for a female ring ouzel, typically shy I never saw it well except in flight. In the same hedgeline were two male redstarts, four song thrushes and a pied flycatcher. Last stop of the day was at Ehrenstorp where a big flock of grey-headed wagtails (30+) and meadow pipits (40) were feeding in a recently harrowed field. Also a female whinchat here.

Bearded tit!

An early morning session around Torekov produced some good birds. First stop was Påarps mal where wildfowl featured; barnacle goose (2) and shoveler (4) being the best of it. Also here four redshank, which have finally arrived in force throughout BK. The sewage works had a flock of 28 barnacle geese heading over to Hallands Väderö and two more redshank. Motoring on to the rev came next, the windy weather has brought water levels up and very little of this rocky promontary was visible. No sign of any purple sandpipers and very little of interest here. A walk around Flytermossen was more productive though producing three bearded tits (my first at the site and my first BK birds for nearly two years) and a female marsh harrier.

Later on went for a short walk at Knösen with the team, picking up a singing black woodpecker and a single marsh tit. Klarningen was next, highlights here included shelduck (12), wigeon (15), shoveler (7), marsh harrier (male), ruff (1), green sandpiper (1), redshank (6) and lesser black-backed gull (5). On the way home we stopped for Mrs B to get crane for the year, the pair at Ehrenstorp picking around on their recently drained marsh. Be interesting to see if they breed successfully this year...

Misty morning

Woke up to find the garden shrouded in mist, at least 12 siskins in amongst the chaffinch and one bramblin gtoo. Things had dropped out in the night. Drove over the top to Klarningen, picking up small numbers of redwing in amongst the other thrushes. Also here the occasional brambling in large flocks of chaffinch. Spring migration seems to involve lengthy stop-overs with us this year for a number of species. Yesterday there were a staggering 7,200 cranes at one site in southern Skåne!

Klarningen was bitterly cold again in a bracing westerly. Little new to report although a green sandpiper was good to see, numbers of everything else remained stable. After yesterday's glut of gadwall at Ranarpsstrand I had hoped some might be present here but no joy. A quick look at Eskilstorpsstrand was quiet, although eider are starting to get antsy and flying around the bay. Many eventually fly overland to the Baltic coast and I guess north from there.

Petersberg had defrosted and produced two fabulous pairs of red-necked grebes. They still seem an exotic breeding species to me, even after four years. I was surprised to flush a snipe from under a birch tree here. A grey wagtail flew downriver as I left. Sad to think the whole site is scheduled to be bull-dozed soon.

In the afternoon the team headed for Farhult, picking up two cranes at Ängeltofta and a rough-legged buzzard at Södra Utmarken. Farhult was very windy but I finally managed to catch up with the bar-tailed godwit that has been haunting the area since last month. Redshank are finally arriving in numbers (nine here) and we also had dunlin (2) and avocet (14). The reeds were thrashing about but occasionally I could hear bearded tits, they must have been on the ground!

Last stop was Sandön where we had two gadwall, 14 avocet, a redshank and some annoying fishermen.

Bitter cold

A fierce westerly and overcast conditions sent the temperature plummeting today. I tried sea-watching at Yttre Kattvik for an hour in the morning and there were a few birds moving. The best of it included red-throated diver (5), great crested grebe (3), red-necked grebe (1), peregrine (1), guillemot (2) and razorbill (1).

A quick look at Klarningen produced the first oystercatchers of the year on site, otherwise wildfowl figures remained stable and there were no surprises. It was bitterly cold here in the strong wind and I did not last long. Driving home over the top produced over 20 mistle thrushes around Älemossen, a pair of cranes dancing at Ehrenstorp and 12 speedy waxwings in Sinarpsdalen. The wind goes south tomorrow so I may be able to unblock wheatear and chiffchaff for the year.

We're going to need a bigger bird-tower

With the team still very much under the weather we had an easy morning, but dragged ourselves out for a drive to check some prospective dragonfly sites for the summer. We found a possible Epitheca site and also managed a superb great grey shrike, off-patch at Ekered.

On the way home we had an hour at Klarningen and this proved to be an inspired choice. Within minutes of arrival I was being shown a splendid pink-footed goose associating closely with a tight flock of six white-fronts. I used to see pink-feet in their thousands every winter but I appreciate them far more now that I see one or two a year. Nice bird.

Klarningen had not stopped giving though; other highlights included a flock of 21 migrating tundra swans heading east, two barnacle geese, a lone dunlin, two snipe and the first curlew of the year at Klarningen. The hour long vigil gave me three BK year-ticks, this site is going to go 'nova this spring I reckon.

Overnight snow

Will it never end? Last night we had 40mm of snow and spring was abruptly cancelled. I got out for a couple of hours after the school run and checked Stora Hult, Grytskären and Ranarpsstrand but it was cold and horrible. Stora Hult early on produced my first linnet of the year, calling as it flew north up the beach. A huge eider flock is starting to gather in this area with 550 off Stora Hult and more off Vejbystrand. Should be worth checking for king's over the next week or so. Other highlights included BK year-ticks; curlew (1) and pintail (1), both at Ranarpsstrand.

With Mrs B struck down with a bug and slightly feverish the rest of the team got out of the house to leave her in peace in the afternoon. We headed over the hill again, picking up a pair of cranes and two mistle thrushes at Ehrenstorp and more mistle thrushes on a walk into Älemossen to look at prospective dragonfly sites for the summer. Last stop of the day was Klarningen where the two tundra swans appear to have been joined by two 2K birds, or is it a new family? Big influx of common gulls (275), black-headed gulls (55) and lesser numbers of equally newly arrived teal (32) and shelduck (3). The whooper swan flock has reduced to 25.

Larking about with the kids

Numbers 1 & 2 are still off school with a bug, the antibiotics are being pumped in and they seem to be responding. Today we ventured out to Klarningen where I built them a huge nest in the bird-tower. En route we headed over the hill picking up several flocks of fieldfares, six mistle thrushes and best of all we caught up with Ekenberg's flock of 12 (yes, twelve!) woodlark at Ehrenstorp. An amazing record and always great to see.

Whooper swan numbers are still building at Klarningen, with 70 on site and another 14 on nearby Eskilstorps dammar.

Klarningen over three hours was almost as good, the goose flock produced two taiga bean geese, the whooper swan flock had built to 70 and still included the two tundra swans. A solitary crane dropped in unnoticed and commenced feeding along the back - at last! Another year-tick popped up in the shape of a single snipe. No sign of any ringed plovers today, were they just passing through? Raptors featured too with rough-legged buzzard (1) and my first kestrel this month, the latter almost certainly migrating. A stiff easterly blew throughout the day and seems to have reduced the flow of migrants in the last few days.

The tundra swans gave us a flyby too this morning.

A glorious mixed-bag and a patch tick too!

A classic patch day and a sure sign that autumn is upon us, managed a few little mini-session and amassed a great haul of birds. Nipped out in the morning after sorting out the team and checked Ehrenstorp. This site has been good for wryneck in August in the past and it did not disappoint this morning. I had a wonderful ten minute encounter with one of these crazy woodpeckers - a patch year-tick.

Not sure what went wrong with this one, it was quite dark but perhaps I shouldn't have had the camera on the 'fireworks' setting. It was a great bird!

Also here one very close migrating honey buzzard, a dozen mistle thrushes and both spotted and pied flycatcher. Although BK has 55 kilometres of coastline, in August you are better off looking for common migrants on the higher ground. A quick look at Klarningen in strong SW winds and occasional heavy showers produced two whooper swans, shoveler (3), ruff (6), greenshank (1) and wood sandpiper (4).

In the afternoon I had 20 minutes at Vejbystrand and neighbouring Stora Hultstrand, the wind was very strong and the sea was incredible. Waders were clinging on at Vejbystrand with knot (2), curlew sandpiper (2, 1K), dunlin (4) and bar-tailed godwit (3). Right by the fence that marks the boundary between the two minicipalities was a beautiful broad-billed sandpiper - just 30 cm off-patch! Not to worry though, I flushed it south and poked my telescope over the fence to look into BK and there were two more on Stora Hultstrand. Result, my first patch 'flock' of these northern beauties. Also here knot (1), Temminck's stint (1) and curlew sandpiper (1, adult).

Arriving home later after the school-run, I realised rather late in the day that sea-watching was happening. The wind was strong but I thought it was too SW for seabird action. Things were happening to the north though, so I gave it a couple of hours at Yttre Kattvik at the end of the day. Just terns moving for me, but quite big numbers and it was no surprise when an adult black tern came past close-in. Patch tick! There have been so many around this month that is was slightly inevitable but still a great moment. Tomorrow looks monster for sea-watching and I will be squeezing in sessions around my various domestic duties and hoping for the best...

What a drag!

Took the team for the annual blueberry/dragonfly walk today. I love this day, I potter about catching odonates and listening to the kids mucking about and scoffing berries.

Sympetrum vulgatum (female) - a big emergence of Sympetrum was underway at Bjäred våtmark, the first site on our itinerary.

First up was a rare visit to the man-made wetland near Bjäred. Number 1 and I did a circuit picking up a few good birds, including green sandpiper (2) and a pair of honey buzzards. But it was dragonflies we concentrated on, picking up Anax imperator (a recent colonist to southern Sweden), Libellula quadrimaculata, a patrolling male Somatochlora metallica, Lestes sponsa, Erythromma najas, Enallagma cyathigerum, Coenagrion puella and Ischnura elegans.

Driving past Ehrenstorp we spotted a pair of cranes feeding in the wet valley near the lake. A red kite cruised past.

The pools at Frestensfälla were our next destination. The weather was a bit unkind at this point and the sun hid behind clouds a lot. Nevertheless we managed a few more dragonfly species; Sympetrum danae, Leucorrhinia dubia and rubicunda, Coenagrion hastulatum and Pyrrhosoma nymphula.

Coenagrion hastulatum, showing the diagnostic S2 'arrow-head' mark.

An early Aeshna subarctica was a great find at Älemossen.

Our last stop was Älemossen which gave us three more species, bringing the total recorded during the day to 16, not bad considering the weather. I think 25 would be a good day total and I may try next year. The new species were a brief Aeshna grandis in the woods and then the small very dry Sphagnum pools provided one teneral Aeshna subarctica and an egg-laying Somatochlora arctica. A brilliant end to the day and the blueberry crumble was superb!

My second ever Somatochlora arctica was this egg-laying female, it flew with its anal claspers and S10 up in the air, you could see the eggs building up in a ball before they were slapped into the wet Sphagnum.

Caught this male Somatochlora arctica at Älemossen on 27/07/08, it was my first. The site was a lot wetter that year, huge volumes of water are being lost at the moment to the rail tunnel currently being drilled through Hallandåsen. The site is drying rapidly and will never be the same I fear.

Same individual, showing the fantastic 'earwig-style' male appendages.

Night-moosing

Nipped out after tea for an evening session at Klarningen and then a bit of night-birding around Älemossen. Klarningen was relaxing, a few waders about including snipe (2), redshank (single chick, at last proof of breeding), greenshank (2), green sandpiper (16) and wood sandpiper (8). Following up from the recent sighting of a male red-backed shrike on the site, I found a pair today...

Älemossen produced the usual nocturnal fare, woodcock (3), tawny owl (3), long-eared owl (young heard) and nightjar (2 males heard). Two tawny owl chicks were good value, but I left my torch at home so had to use the camera flash to see them! Stopped also at Ehrenstorp on the way home and had more calling long-eared owl chicks, tawny owl and another nightjar. The easy highlight of the whole session though was a splendid male moose, noisily moving about and easy to see in the last light of day just before midnight.