wild eagle chase (20150215)

A late SMS informed that there was a golden eagle near Förslöv so I nipped out for a half-hour drive around some likely spots. No sign of the eagle (sadly as it is less that annual for me in BK) but I bagged a year-tick goshawk across the road at Grevie kyrkby.

three crossbill day

 Five two-barred crossbills were the highlight of three hours searching the gardens of Segelstorpsstrand for Sibes.

Inspired by Paul's find yesterday I headed to Segelstorpsstrand to search for Sibes. No joy as usual but there were a few good birds around. There were lots of mobile flocks of crossbill flying about and patiently hunting out the flocks whilst they fed led to my first parrot crossbill of the year and at least five two-barred crossbill. Searching the gardens turned up a flock of three blackcap but no other warblers. A 1K hen harrier floated south.

Two-bar

 In the late afternoon the kids and I had a look for the yellow-browed warbler but we had left it too late and came away with a hawfinch sighting.

Great spot

yellow-browed!

At least four snow buntings at Torekov this morning, my first of the season.

After eight days in the UK it was great to be back in the field in BK today, despite the soggy weather. I checked out Påarps Mal first but there was little to see. Further north in Torekov proper I tried to find yesterday's little auk in the harbour but it had already departed. Four shags on the rocks here though and a peregrine paid a brief visit unsuccessfully hunting a starling. At the rev the easy highlight was four snow buntings and a redshank. Checked Ripagården for the reported parrot crossbills without success.

Wondering if I was destined to get a year-tick for my troubles I decided to head for Båstad harbour for another crack at little auk. Unfortunately there was way too much disturbance here with the harbour basin still being dredged and the damage from last winter's storms being repaired. So I figured on Klarningen next but Paul Cook rang me just as I got out of town, he had seen a yellow-browed warbler briefly in his lunch break and needed the id confirmed. Where was he? Only in the grounds of the dagis my daughter went to for three years!

Meeting up with Paul, he filled me in and I walked off down the footpath finding the bird quickly just where he had left it earlier, despite it remaining completely silent. What a great bird. I put the news out once I had got some decent images and Kent and Håkan popped out to have a look at it whilst I waited in vain for the bird to call and tried to get images. In the end I had to drag myself away to pick up the kids.

Yellow-browed warbler, one of my most-wanted BK birds finally falls.

081013

I took it easy on Monday to try and recover from a rather fatiguing virus but missed a great day in BK if other people's results with migrants are anything to go but. Tawny pipit, Med gull and ring ouzel all spotted by others!

The next day I had to take the car for it's MOT and made my annual visit to nearby Brandsvig. This stretch of farmland by the motorway has an occasionally wet wetland which was dry this year but the site always has good birds. In twenty minutes I enjoyed watching a 1K female peregrine flying about, as well as rough-legged buzzard (1) and a fly-through ringtail hen harrier.

The car passed and I was off to walk Gröthögarna. On the way I picked up a flock of nine jays heading south. I started at Ripagården and spent some time checking the site. Frustratingly I could hear two-barred crossbills in the plantation but could not get good views. Despite numerous encounters with this species this autumn I have yet to see one well! Otherwise migrants were rather thin on the ground; blackcap (2), chiffchaff (1) and redpoll (3) being the best of it. A full circuit of Gröthögarna produced a few other birds including redshank (1) and peregrine (1).

Typically perhaps the best sighting of the day came when I picked up the kid's in Förslöv in the late afternoon and three nutcrackers flew over the village.

all white? yeah I'm all white!

The great white buzzard of BK. This bird has been around for over 12 years now and it always amazes me how seldom I see it!

Worked quite hard today with little reward. Kicked off near Grevie kyrkby by having a look at the splendid leucistic buzzard that lives in these parts. Just a little brown on the nape, otherwise clean white. 

Spent two hours working the woods along the shoreline at Segelstorpsstrand. Bumped into a big flock of 40+ goldcrests and had one chiffchaff. Plenty of tits about too with 8+ long-tailed tits indicative of some movement (457 through Kullen this morning!!) and a few thrushes around too including my first redwing of the season. But I could not find anything good, just two grey wagtails to write about.

Tried Öllövsstrand next but same result here, the best bird a male blackcap, although a flock of 60+ tree sparrow, with a good number of chaffinch and brambling was nice to see.

After lunch I decided to try the stubble south of Klarningen, but a good boot around reveal a dearth of birds, just a few meadow pipits, reed buntings and skylarks. The flooded pools had ruff (1) and golden plover (2) and these attracted the attentions of a peregrine at one point, resulting in a tense three minute chase that had me on the edge of my seat. From the tower things looked quiet with wigeon (55), teal (55) and shoveler (3) the best of it. The lone shelduck remains on station, must be damaged.

Last stop of the day was a sunny Eskilstorpsstrand which produced four white-fronted geese and two long-tailed ducks. Winter is upon us...

One of two grey wagtails at Segelstorpsstrand this morning.

garden tick!

Had an hour at Klarningen this morning - a brief respite in an otherwise busy day. A few passerines notably some noisy skylarks, four wheatears and at least six whinchat. Waders were scarce but included one little ringed plover (my first here for some time) but otherwise just ten ruff and a greenshank present. A peregrine went through just before I dragged myself away.

Later in the day a taxi-run produced close views of a goshawk and as I locked the car a wood sandpiper called 3-4 times flying over west. Sweet, my first garden tick for some time.

Seven year-ticks!

Grey day, fog really got in the way today but probably caused this great grey shrike to pitch into Torekov rev.

After what seems like a very long time I finally got to spend a day in the field today. Things kicked off well with a grey partridge on the school-run, this species has been scarce after the last few harsh winters and this was my first of the year.

Klarningen was fogged in but cleared just enough over the hour-and-a-half for me to see what was about. Plenty here with a pair of smew and the first green sandpiper of the year being the highlights. Also here white-fronted goose (14), barnacle goose (2), gadwall (pair), the first oystercatcher pair on site and at least four snipe.

A quick look at Eskilstorpsstrand produced quite a few seaduck, including a good build-up of eider (350) and seven scaup. It is time to look for king eider again, no luck today though.

After lunch I checked out Torekov rev but the fog was awful. Out on the rev (when it could be seen) were at least 11 purple sandpipers but they were impossible to count properly. Birds kept on coming with my first white wagtail of the year swiftly followed by my first (two) grey wagtails. Five rock pipits here included at least one nice summer-plumage bird and the bushes were playing host to a great grey shrike (my first on the rev). On the way home I checked out Påarps Mal but the fog dropped like a hammer and there was little to see apart from a pair of barnacle geese that looked like they might stay and breed.

First day

Both BK and us were knocked about by the storm yesterday. We were on a ferry in the North Sea enjoying the aftermath of the biggest winter storm for some time, meanwhile birders in BK were enjoying a seabird spectacular that it was shame to miss.

Got out late and somewhat groggy for a quick look at Båstad this morning, no sign of any leftovers here in very calm but wet conditions. Met up with Mikael and Håkan, who had seen a pomarine skua and chiffchaff at Kattvik earlier on. I got the year list to 29 before I headed home, highlights were perhaps 8 (or more) long-tailed ducks and two Slavonian grebes. Plenty of red-throated divers going past and you have to wonder if if something good might not come out of all this wild weather later in the year. There is a Ross' gull loose somewhere already...

In the afternoon we did a short walk around the Killeröd loop, damp snow was falling and all we recorded were some calling goldcrests. Driving out we had the first siskins of the year and that was the end of a rather less than inspiring first go at year-listing in 2012. The weather is set to improve tomorrow, so should see more.

a walk in the woods

A flock of 60+ waxwing in the Lindab carpark at Förslöv kicked off the day. The men from Glimminge found a pygmy owl at Killeröd yesterday, which prompted a long morning walk around the area. No sign of the owl, but a lot of agitation amongst the local tits and goldcrests when they were played the 'bicycle-pump' call. Highlights included a total of 29 two-barred crossbills and at least five crested tits.

In the afternoon I suddenly found out that there had been a Siberian chiffchaff at Öllövsstrand yesterday, so off I went late in the day for a fruitless search of the coastal scrub. Vasaltheden produced the only good bird of the afternoon, a 1K peregrine flying past south.

Waterfowl Census Part 2 - Torekov to Hovs Hallar

Kicked off the day's birding at Förslöv with a single flyover two-barred crossbill. Just wish I could see some at the coastal sites I frequent before they vanish back where they came from.

Today was my chance to finish my survey work and I could not have picked nicer weather, constant drenching drizzle throughout the morning, although it did clear up in the afternoon I was pretty wet. Started at Torekov rev which typically produced the best of the birds; two brent geese, a shoveler and four 1K grey plovers. The walk northwards produced little of note but did include a total of nearly 100 dunlin. Ripagården produced a nice adult peregrine ripping up a small bird (starling?) and I saw the presumably the same bird perched close to the road and looking fantastic against the newly-tilled soil later at Vråen. Shame my camera was drying out in the back of the car!

Seawatch Part 3

A couple of embayed Manx shearwaters kept me entertained throughout today's session.

Two spotted flycatchers and the pied flycatcher remained at the sheltered spot in Förslöv this morning. After my taxi duties it was off to Eskilstorpsstrand for more seawatching today. Six hours here was rather pleasant, although I failed to add either sooty shearwater (none seen in Lahomsbukten today) or Sabine's gull (a juvenile stayed further north and sadly as I write this is parading past Båstad...) to my year-list. They will come in time though no doubt.

Two little stints were on the beach today in a mobile flock of dunlin, sanderling and knot.

Little gulls were the signature bird of today's session, good numbers milling around in the bay and occasionally feeding along the surfline.

Highlights of the watch; brent goose (three south, a nice BK year-tick), fulmar (at least two, probably more), Manx shearwater (2 bombing back and forth in the bay), unidentified ringtail harriers (two, crossing the bay and frustratingly losing leeway and passing in overland further north!), merlin (7!), peregrine (1), little stint (2 on the beach), sanderling (6), Arctic skua (1) and at least 27 little gulls. Winds dropping overnight, but might still be worth a clean-up walk to check for strays tomorrow.

Seawatch Part 2

Day 2 of the big blow saw winds staying stubbornly in the SW, although in the afternoon it did finally veer westerly. I spent five hours at Yttre Kattvik with a large crowd and felt rather claustrophobic throughout, not to mention occasionally frustrated. The first hour or two of the morning session here were rather good with plenty of close Arctic skuas (7) but things moved offshore after that. Just one gannet through during this period - a nice dark 1K bird - and I failed to see a kittiwake. Weird. Other highlights were; fulmar (1), great skua (1) and little gull (1K). Slim pickings in other words.

With more going on on the Halland coast I cursed my decision to abandon Eskilstorpsstrand this morning and before moving on to parental duties I spent the last hour-and-a-half at Båstad trying to catch up. This worked well with the best of it being two superb lanky and grey 1K long-tailed skuas (intermediates both) travelling together and lost in the corner of the bay when I dudishly checked out a very low-flying osprey! Also here a distant and brief view far to the north of the Manx shearwater which was terrifying the inhabitants of Mellbystrand and Skummeslöv. Other stuff through included two ospreys south, a nice close merlin ditto, and at least two 1K little gulls.

Back in Förslöv, my sheltered fenceline still held three spotted flycatchers and a pied flycatcher. The latter now my latest record in BK. Will it stay another day?

Seawatch Part 1

The remnants of hurricane Katia struck today and I was out at Eskilstorpsstrand after breakfast for a 5.5 hour session. It was still early days though, despite a very strong SW wind, the birds did not get down south to us before I had to leave. Finger crossed for tomorrow though. It was rather slow but the following was notable; golden plover (1), grey plover (2), knot (21), sanderling (6), dunlin (36), ruff (1), Arctc skua (two adults chasing Sandwich terns), Arctic tern (1) and guillemot (9). A swift heading south was my latest in BK but a long way from the record books!

A gang of five sanderling kept me amused.

Two knot fed on the beach and another 19 were counted going south during the session.

Picking up the kids I found a sheltered spot in Förslöv which had three spotted flycatchers and a pied flycatcher. The latter the latest ever in BK.

Sun at last

My mate Sam rang me yesterday excited about the sand martin colony in the gravel pit at Förslöv. So the first thing Ma B, Number 2 and I did today was drive down and check it out. It was bustling with activity and there must have been 350 nestholes in the sand-face. Nice one!

Next we went for a short walk around the Killeröd loop, not much bird action here just plenty of singing tree pipits and goldcrests and a single siskin.

Today's sun brought out the insects again, a morning walk aroud the Killeröd loop track produced a few grizzled skippers.

Small coppers are commonly encountered at the moment.

I still find the dubia/rubicunda species pair hard to call, this is dubia (black pterostigma, goodish size black spot in base of forewing). Other good pointers I have noted are the shape of the antehumerals and the distribution of colours on S2 and S3, and the hind wing patches are blunter on dubia (at the trailing edge).

In the afternoon we all checked out Rönnen, hoping for broad-billed sandpipers. We skunked out, despite 16 being reported earlier in the day. We did connect with a pair of garganey, recently hatched lapwings, three Temminck's stints and single bar-tailed godwit, common sandpiper and greenshank. Nearby Sandön was really quiet with just a curlew and three Sandwich terns.

Half an hour

Had my second barn swallow of the year this morning just outside Förslöv on the school run. Managed half an hour at Klarningen in the afternoon. After quite a bit of sun during the day the ploughed fields and pools here were steaming primordially and visibility was awful. Best bird was a male gadwall, also wigeon (25), teal (45) and shoveler (4). Very quiet.

Taking stock

Had a dozen waxwings streaking south during the school-run this morning, they have got much scarcer up here of late.

After completing my chores I headed out to have a look at Eskilstorps dammar. The weather ameliorated slightly toda and the temperatures went over zero for the first time in ages. No thaw though but it felt positively balmy. Wading through the snow I bumped into a trio of redpoll, they too have become much scarcer as the cold weather has got a grip. Raptors dominated the avian fare as usual during the walk with goshawk (1), sparrowhawk (1), buzzard (2), rough-legged buzzard (1) and kestrel (1). The star bird though was my first December stock dove (1), looking a little lost but joining the finches and buntings in the large game cover crop of maize and sunflowers that is a feature of this site in the winter. The passerine flock consisted of about 70 brambling, 30 chaffinches and 35 yellowhammers. Also spotted whilst I did the circuit were marsh tit (1), nuthatch (1) and jay (1).

Stopped in on Petersberg for bullfinch (2) and a flock of at least ten redpoll. Nearby at Hemmeslövsstrand a flock of ten whooper swans were loafing and offshore was the flock of scaup (100) and a considerable number of velvet scoter (250+).

Feeder magic

With Mrs B pulling an extra shift to pay for Christmas, I was kid-heavy and car-light today. No chance to bird the coast. Despite this I managed two good birds, the first was a hawfinch skulking near the feeder in the garden. They fly over but seldom actually visit. Near Förslöv we watched a goshawk try and catch a duck (off a small stream) and then fly off being mobbed by a hooded crow. In the old days I would have been satisfied with hawfinch and goshawk after a day in the Brecks...

All I could get of the hawfinch today. My first this month, quiet a few went south through Falsterbo this autumn and they seem scarce around here at the moment.

Another harsh weather visitor to the feeders is the yellowhammer, as soon as it snows they arrive in small numbers.

Dipper!

Not only did I manage to see a dipper today (year-tick) but it actually gave amazing views. You forget how hyper-active and splendid they are when you only see them occasionally.

Dropped off the team this morning and had 43 waxwing in Förslöv, still some around. Had an hour in the field afterwards and elected to go for dipper at Axeltorpsravinen, one of the more picturesque spots in BK. It took just half an hour to find dipper here, some have bounced back from last winter's weather. Great encounter, the bird shooting upstream and landing right in front of me. Also here redpoll (25) and the ever-present sounds of bullfinch.

In the afternoon I walked the stretch of coast between Stora Hultstrand and Lervik. Pretty quiet here with just four Slavonian grebes, a curlew and a white wagtail.

It's all gone a bit finchy

It's pretty and it's got wingbars but I am sadly no closer to my dream Sibe.

In a rare gap in the rain this morning, I did a four-hour walk between Ranarpsstrand and Öllövsstrand. BK has gone a bit quiet lately but I managed a few good things. Ranarpsstrand was quiet, duck numbers are up though with 85 wigeon, 150 mallard and eight teal about. Six snipe flushed as I walked. Segelstorpsstrand was a bit more interesting with 40 waxwing charging about, four redshank hiding out and five parrot crossbills south.

It had been finchy so far, plenty of greenfinch and siskin about but Öllövsstrand was excellent. The weedy beet field had a flock of 35 mealy redpoll, which included one twite and two goldfinch. Following 'Stoddart's Rule' there should have been 3.5 Arctic redpolls too. Sadly the 'polls were feeding in weeds being thrashed about by the strong southerly wind. But I do not think any Arctics were present; but this winter looks like it could be good for this species. Lots of mealy's are on the move. I need it for the patch list...

Thrashing back to the car I had time for the now obligatory flock of long-tailed tits at Segelstorpsstrand and managed another flock of 40 waxwing at Förslöv.

Chuffing freezing

Had a waxwing in the garden briefly this morning. After dropping everyone at school-work I went ot Segelstorpsstrand and had a kick about. Still two chiffchaff here, despite the sub-zero temperature, but my Sibe hopes are receding as the winter seems to be taking an early grip on the land. Vis mig was apparent this morning with plenty of chaffinch on the go, also a few skylark, brambling, greenfinch and yellowhammer in the mix. When it's cold like this morning you really get a feeling that these migrants are fleeing ahead of something bad, occasional hordes of jackdaw going south looked panic-stricken. The beach had one curlew and five redshank (the latter have been scarce in BK this autumn and this is the largest gathering I have seen for some time). Looking north on to Öllövsstrand produced one sorry-looking barnacle goose. Walking back to the car I bumped into another autumn flock of long-tailed tits (10).

Dodging the hail squalls I drove up to Torekov for a quick look at Påarps Mal. Had a great flock of 120 brambling on the ground feeding in a recently harvested maize field. They stuck close to the car and were spooky but still one managed to get taken by a sparrowhawk... Påarps Mal produced no shag, my main reason for going, but a black guillemot (1) and a black woodpecker (heard only) made the trip worthwhile.

Back on the school-run I had a blackcap at Förslöv (my latest patch bird but with me at home all autumn, I am sure I can do better).