trees and sea

Dragged the team out for a walk around the woods around the Önnarp firing range today - it was ridiculously mild and almost bird-free. Warm winters are always a bit dull here. No hard weather movements and always a curious lack of birds...

Tried Grytskären for a while and this was better the mild weather encouraging more grey heron (4) than usual to attempt to over-winter. Also here a mobile flock of at least 25 dunlin - a large flock for winter here in BK. Also here a nice close Slavonian grebe.

return of the black duck!

Had a day in the field today - first job was to chase down the black duck re-found yesterday by Mikael Olofsson. It was almost the only duck (with it's female partner as usual) just offshore which made things easy. Offshore two gannets, a few kittiwake and a Slavonian grebe.  No sign of any water pipits here though so I moved up the coast to Påarps mal, a late reed bunting greeting me at the car park and there were tow waxwing in the junipers. An adult white-tailed eagle flew in and sat on the rocks scaring all the birds away just as I arrived. More gannets and kittiwakes here and a few whooper swans going south, ahead of colder weather up north. Last stop of the morning was at Torekovs rev where I finally caught up with some water pipits (they came in very late this year). Two birds in amongst a mixed flock of rocks and meadow pipits. Also here little grebe (1) and dunnock (1).

In the afternoon I worked Lervik and Grytskären but only came up with two goldfinch before I had to go.

windy

Got out for an hour along the coast this morning but had not factored in a very stiff westerly wind. Checked the coast between Stora Hult and Ranarpsstrand hoping for an early wheatear but no dice. The best birds were a flock of 20+ purple sandpipers going north off Ranarpsstrand.

Lapland bunting

The day started nicely with this kingfisher at Lervik and got better as it went along.

Blue sky birding beckoned this morning, so I got out of the office and got stuck into some winter birding. Kicked off at a rather quiet Stora Hultsstrand before working the small Lervik harbour. Here the long-staying kingfisher showed well and I booted up three common snipe (but no jacks). Driving round to Grytskären I noticed a big flock of pipits in fields to the south, so walked back that way against the light for a couple of year-tick skylarks. Worked my way north to Ranarpsstrand, picking up a nice ringtail hen harrier for the year but little else. Back at the car I met Martin Berg and he told me he had just found a Lapland bunting in the big pipit flock... Back we went and there it was feeding in excellent light along the bottom of the wall. Missed that one!

I gave Martin a lift up to Dagshög for the black duck, which behaved impeccably as usual. Next stop was Påarps mal, with Martin's help the water pipit soon showed very well and was a pleasure to watch in the incredible light available to us. Driving on I checked out Torekov, a lone peregrine was sitting out on the navigation markers on Vinga and four shags fished together as a team off the rocks. Great morning out with three year-ticks.

soggy

Had three hours in the field this morning but the weather was not very pleasant with light rain throughout. It was hard to take a great deal of pleasure from the session and this was not helped by a paucity of birds. I started at Stora Hult, Grytskären and Ranarpsstrand. Little of note here, a single Slavonian grebe (Stora Hult), gannet (1 past) and a sparrowhawk at Ranarpsstrand.

Moving north significantly dropped in on Rammsjöstrand hoping for jack snipe but there were workmen all over the sewage works field and after grabbing my first dunnock of the year and checking for the black duck I moved on again. Påarps mal produced the black duck and it was pleasant going through the pipits here, but no sign of the water pipit today.

My birding day ended later at dusk when three waxwing flew over Grevie kyrkby - my first of the winter, let alone the year!

New Year New List

Spent six hours in the field today chasing a few year-ticks. Ended the day on 40 but these included the recently arrived glaucous gull (this time found at Grytskären) and the long-staying male American black duck. Bonus! Not a great deal of excitement apart from these two species, a very brisk westerly put paid to a lot of passerine action along the coast... I did see an unseasonal snipe (1, Ranarpsstrand), starling (12, Grytskären), white-tailed eagle (1, Ranarp), whooper swan (6 south at Torekov) and gannet (3, Kattvik). Finished up at an empty Klarningen before rain stopped play for the day.

first BK dragonfly of the year

My first teneral BK odo fluttered into view today at Frestensfälla - surprisingly it was an Anisopteran - Leucorrhinia rubicunda. The first April record for BK and my earliest by two weeks.

Could not resist a day out today. Started off checking the big field at Ljungbyholm. Dotterel are moving and there is a surprising amount of freshly tilled soil available... No sign though this morning just 41 golden plover and a curlew.

Did a number of sites quickly during the morning. Ranarpsstrand was great with a pair of garganey and a single common sandpiper providing year-tick action. Also here a single male gadwall and four white-fronted geese through north. Out on Grytskären were another couple of male gadwall and two female pintail.

Påarps mal next. Lesser whitethroats were blasting out their song and the calm sea allowed an appreciation of the sheer number of common scoter well offshore, at least a thousand birds stretching from Hallands Väderö down towards Dagshög. Torekovs rev provided another year-tick - a little tern. Also here six purple sandpipers, greenshank (1) and whimbrel (1). Nearby Flytermossen had a single male marsh harrier.

In the afternoon I headed along the high ground, picking up a crane at Atteköp whilst listening unsuccessfully for wood warblers. Nearby at Frestensfälla I had a single teneral Leucorrhinia rubicunda at the pool and tree pipits were singing here.

Last stop of the afternoon was at Klarningen. Rather quiet here but nine wood sandpipers and seven ruff were entertaining. Two wheatears were my first on site for the year and the wetland over the river in Laholm kommun was obviously busy with a marsh harrier flushing a flock of ten shoveler into the view at one point.

The afternoon was also notable for the great sandhill crane excitement, I was looking after the kids after school and could not take part in the hunt for Sweden's first record of this species.. It may have passed north over the eastern boundary of BK...

arctic roll!

Had my first proper morning in the field for some time today and it was packed full of birds. I worked the coast between Stora Hult and Gröthögarna searching in vain for a large congregation of feeding eider but sadly failing. No king this year perhaps...

Stora Hultstrand had single Slavonian and red-necked grebe and redshank (2), as well as a decent-sized flock of common scoter (130+). Nearby Grytskären had a single flyby curlew and more redshank. Ranarpsstrand produced a single flyby white-tailed eagle, another red-necked grebe and (far inland) a flock of 200+ golden plover took to the air. Segelstorpsstrand was quiet (just five great crested grebe). At Glimminge I heard my first reed bunting song of the year and also bumped into three twite.

The king eider search continued north. I dropped into Rammsjöstrand (a rare event), no eiders here but the small birdy bay just north of the harbour had some redshank (2) and a pair of gadwall. Next stop was Påarps mal and here I got three year-ticks in no time at all. A white wagtail was feeding along the shoreline, as were at least three dunlin and back in the juniper there was a pair of linnet. Offshore at least two shags on the rocks. The rev was busy with birders when I got there but I had a quick look, counting one dunlin and 17 purple sandpipers out on the rocks before the crowds sent me scuttling on my way.

Last stop of the morning was a look at Norra Ängalag but before I got there I was stopped in my tracks by the Rålehamn redpoll flock. Back again and still containing an Arctic redpoll (this bird was last seen on 1st February) . I got reasonable views on the deck through the scope but the bird was very skittish as usual so no chance of a photo. Also in the mix, at least three twite and 25 linnets.

Very little time remained to me to examine Norra Ängalag but a quick look revealed a pair of gadwall and yet another redshank.

In the afternoon we all walked in Sinarpsdalen, the only bird of note being a single jay, although the kids made so much noise they were probably disturbing birds down on the coast...

20140318

Had half an hour in the field and checked Grytskären and Stora Hultstrand quickly. A few wigeon and teal only and a bitter rain-laden westerly soon put me off!

chasing woodland birds

Walked the woods this morning, desperate to get fit before my next tour after two-and-a-half months of shingles related problems. This snowy walk also had the potential to add perhaps six year-ticks to my tally. In the end though I had to settle for just three. Willow tits (4) were found within two flocks encountered during the walk. A high nutcracker was heading for pastures a little lower down the hill and at least four jays were feeding at a game feeder in a clearing.

Before lunch I just had time to check the sea off Grytskären for grebes (I still need red-necked and Slavonian for the year...). Nothing doing on the sea but nine purple sandpipers cruised around the islands offshore briefly and a dunnock was skulking in coastal bushes.

water pipit

Water pipit at Ranarpsstrrand and my bird of the day (sorry about the photo!). It was glimpsed by Peder Winding yesterday and I was lucky enough to get good views of it this morning.

Had two hours in the field this morning and covered the coast between Stora Hultstrand and Ranarpsstrand. Highlights included some mundane year-ticks like common scoter, rook and yellowhammer as well as a single showy water pipit at Ranarpsstrand. Driving home I picked up two redwings in treetops in the hedge line bordering the apple orchard at Lervik and less excitingly two feral pigeons at Grevie kyrkby...

In the afternoon we ambled round the Killeröd loop trail. Plenty of storm damage here and we had to pick our way round numerous tree-falls. Very few birds noted but good numbers of goldcrest evident.

30112013 - a late lesser whitethroat

Managed to get out for a BBQ today at Grytskären. A female hen harrier greeting us on arrival. Lunch eaten we reacted to the news of a lesser whitethroat at Glimminge with reasonable speed. The bird showed briefly just after we got there, thanks go to Eric and Mats for getting me on the bird. I only saw it briefly but it might be a contender for easterly origin I reckon.

snow bunting

Had a media interview today in the field which started in horribly wet conditions at Torekov. We checked the rev and it was difficult in the rain, but we could not avoid the flock of 25 snow buntings - a welcome BK year-tick and a species I managed to miss completely last year somehow!

During the morning the weather ameliorated and we checked the rocks off Torekov (six shag) and searched in vain for the water pipit at Påarps Mal (25 more or the same snow buntings here though). Next stop was a quick check of Rålehamn for a wheatear sp. reported yesterday. No sign though so  we drove over to Ranarpsstrand hoping for a late jack snipe. On the way we saw some incredible storm damage - including an entire barn pushed over by the wind near Mäsinge. Sadly it was the storm which probably denied us jack snipe as well, as the previously excellent habitat at Ranarpsstrand is now covered in seaweed! We tried Lervik too with the same result. Not a very satisfying look around BK all-in-all!

Afterwards I had a quick look in the plantation at Grytskären, nothing here though just a single nuthatch.

23102013

Got out at last for a quick look at Grytskären and Ranarpsstrand in the afternoon after looking after one of my kids who was ill for the first part of the week. Off Grytskären there were tow red-necked grebes and nearby two Slavonians. A single crossbill flew out of the plantation.

Ranarpsstrand was similarly quiet a single late lesser black-backed gull and a jack snipe were notable.

get by with a little help

Been busy of late. Wednesday I was working and picked up at least three two-barred crossbills at Hov again. The next day I was working nearer Torekov at Varan and had my first rough-legged buzzard of the autumn through and a jay was knocking about here too. In the evening I took the kids for a quick walk along Ranarpsstrand and kicked up two jack snipe.

Yesterday we dragged a load of bedding and food down to Grytskären and spent the night in the shelter there. We have been promising the kids we would do this all summer so we decided to get it done before things get too cold! It rained overnight but this did not produce any birds in the plantation in the morning, apart form a single goldcrest and great spotted woodpecker. A flock of 11 parrot crossbills that dropped in very briefly were my first for a while though. Luckily reinforcements were in the field to help me out. Mikael Olofsson relocated the Lapland bunting at Lervik for us (as well as gripping me off with a Caspian gull...).

 A typically confiding Lapland bunting, my first of the year.

Later  Håkan Johansson texted in a red-throated pipit on the beach at Vejbystrand, so we checked Storahultsstrand on our way to checking it out. Then exhausted by our overnight activities we returned home to chill out! A goshawk burst out of a roadside hedge in Lervik as we headed home. Good session but not my own work!

It was better than this in life - honest. Red-throated pipits on the deck are always welcome.

October 1st

Had some good birds at work today with a nutcracker calling briefly at Båstad and four flyby two-barred crossbills at Hov later on.

After work I chased a reported Lapland bunting between Lervik and Grytskären but it had moved on. I did get my first hen harrier of the autumn though - a stunning male.

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...

garden tick

A busy day but I still managed two hours in the field in the morning. I headed out to check the coast between Vejbystrand and Ranarpsstrand, picking up another marsh warbler on the way at Ljungbyholm. The coast was rather quiet and bitterly cold in a brisk westerly. Highlights included a greenshank (Stora Hult), and whimbrel and little tern (two apiece at Vejbystrand).

The best bit came at the end of the day though when a glance out of the window revealed a flock of 75 eider going over the garden. New for the garden and taking the garden list up to 106 - a low total but to be fair it is probably one of the more under-watched locations in BK.

big bird

Strong easterlies this morning, so only one option, go birding. I checked out the coast between Stora Hult and Ranarpsstrand and hit pay dirt big time. Stora Hult was quiet just a little ringed plover of note and just one redshank (they seem scarce this spring). North off Grytskären in the distance I could make out a flock of common scoter just offshore.

Moving onto to Grytskären I got out of the wind and started going through the 300-strong scoter flock. They were close and busy, feeding actively and very difficult to work through. I glimpsed a black scoter candidate but it vanished in the melee. It took one-and-a-half hours to finally clinch the identity of this bird and all the time the light was deteriorating. I would see the bird briefly and it would dive or immediately be hidden. I questioned my judgment during it's frequent long absences but thankfully did not give up. At one point the whole flock was up in the air, spooked by a low-flying crane, but mercifully circled round and landed even nearer! Finally the bird surfaced at the front of the flock and there it was, a fine male black scoter swimming along. I put the news out and walked north in a state of disbelief, I had just found a BK first.

I had gone just 50 metres when a falcon came in-off right in front of me, my bins revealed that it was a male red-footed falcon! It caught a few small insects in the lee of the plantation but hardly deviated from it's easterly track. With the realisation of the black scoter sighting starting to hit home and only my second BK red-foot under the belt shortly after, the adrenaline really hit home. What a morning!

In the afternoon we checked out Klarningen hoping for a black tern but the place was rather quiet. Just single pairs of gadwall and shoveler to get excited about, that is until a male peregrine stormed in from the west and worked the site over very thoroughly but without result.

short seawatch

Busy enough today but not so busy that I could not squeeze in an hour-and-a-half watching the sea in a W7. This short watch netted a total of at least 110 gannets, a good score especially in recent times. Year-ticks came in the form of a single fulmar and a surprise great skua. Otherwise remarkably quiet with few things moving, the exception being red-throated divers (50+) which are massing in the bay ahead of their big push overland in the next few days.

Åkesson kindly sent me a text early on that a white-billed diver was heading south past Melbystrand into BK airspace but the school-run took priority sadly. I know where I will be tomorrow morning though, another attempt to get adamsii on my BK list beckons...