hat-trick

Got three year-ticks today. In the afternoon Number 2 and I went sledging and when we arrived we had a flock of geese south which contained two white-fronted geese.

In the evening we went owling and bagged two long-tailed tits in Båstad at dusk and then spotlighting revealed a nice tawny owl at Hålehallstugan. The rest of the night-drive produced fallow deer (10, Slottet), roe deer (1, Älemossen) and lots of hares. Number 2 armed with her own spotlight enjoyed finding rabbits and hares as we drove about and we will go again no doubt but maybe spend more time listening next time!

epic garden birding

Had a great day in the field today. Kicked off with a look for a few things that may still be lurking on the hill. Lya Ljunghed failed to produce any stonechats but spring was in the air with whinchat and cuckoo singing lustily away. Taking the road through Tvehöga produced a few singing wood warblers but a quick check for red-breasted flycatcher failed too. In Östra Karup a grey wagtail joined me going down the road.

Klarningen produced the first year-tick of the day with a high honey buzzard over north. Also here one male shoveler and 40+ eider south! Otherwise quiet, recent rain has put the water level too high for passage waders! The ducks are breeding though with fluffy mallard, goldeneye and coot available.

High honey buzzard north over Klarningen

Next task was to check a few sites for the black stork that was present during my last tour. I checked the road between Frestensfällan and Baramossa. No joy although Baramossa (just off-patch in Laholm kommun) did produce a nice young family of whooper swan. Typically when I stray out of BK there is a reminder to return to the fold and this time it came in form of an SMS from Mats Ljunggren - he had a firecrest in his garden at Glimminge. As this was one of my most-wanted BK birds I was interested but did not exactly dash over. I checked a few more sites and then headed home for lunch and a look in my garden. I think it is the bible that it states that one should not look at birds in another person's garden until one has thoroughly checked one's own...

Over lunch I was stunned to hear an Acrocephalus warbler singing from one of the hedges.  A reed warbler! Superb and totally unpredicted addition to the garden list. Things were even better in Mats' garden in Glimminge plantering. The firecrest put on quite a show but I totally failed to secure a good image. Also here a honey buzzard over.

The best I could do with the firecrest but what a great bird and a superb find by Mats

Mats' garden was also busy with redstarts.

A walk around Glimminge and Vasaltsheden produced Slavonian grebe (1, full summer-plumage), two little terns, a couple of male red-backed shrikes and a singing icterine warbler. The latter two my first of the year.

A quick look at the pond at the Mäsinge end of the plantation produced a damselfly year-tick - Enallagma cyathigerum and a big grass snake.

Last stop of the day with some kids in tow was fantastic. We went up the hill to Hålehallstugan and the sun shone down. The carpark must have had 150 Cordulia aenea sheltering in it and down by the lake edge we found a good number of Coenagrion lunulatum. Overhead a male honey buzzard displayed with a frog grasped in it's talons. A nice end to a superb day in the field.

 Cordulia aenea

Honey buzzard displaying with a frog dangling from it's talons

another odo (20140429)

Odo number two for the BK year - Pyrrhosoma nymphula at Bösketorp.

This crazy warm and sunny weather had me out again for much of the day. A quick look at Ljungbyholm before doing some housework saw me not finding dotterel again.

After lunch I nipped out to Bösketorp and easily added little grebe (4) to my year-list. Also here a few green sandpipers, common sandpiper (1) and two Pyrrhosoma nymphula for the odo year-list. Nearby at Hålehallstugan were a couple of red-necked grebe and a singing reed warbler (another year-tick).

At the end of the day I checked out Ranarpsstrand for an hour, things were quiet but five whimbrel and a similar number of greenshank livened things up a bit. Nearby in Ranarp a pair of grey partridge.

Glorious 14th

An adult female Montagu's harrier was a nice way to start the day, it crossed the road in front of me on my way to the post office.

A busy morning in the office and running errands that started really well. After dropping the kids at school I decided to check the 'big field' at Ljungbyholm. I had not even got there when I noticed a slender harrier crossing the road, I sped up to intercept, jumped out and grabbed my camera and managed just two shots, one was terrible but I was overjoyed to see the other was the above image. After a bit of lightening up on the computer it revealed a lovely female Montagu's, only my second BK record. I gave chase as it drifted off by moving the car but lost the bird in the process... The field had two resting whimbrel but still no sign of any golden plover for my BK year-list.

The sun finally came out in the late afternoon and I headed out again to look for Odos. Temperatures remained rather low though and a check of the ponds at Vysterborg and Hålehallstugan. Vysterborg had singing garden and icterine warbler and Hålehallstugan produced the usual red-necked grebes, two red-backed shrikes and a hawfinch.

During the morning I belatedly noticed an Artportalen record of two singing great snipes at Klarningen on the 12th... I was gutted but then pleased when Johan Hamringe texted out that they were still present. So after dinner I headed out for an evening session. On arrival at Klarningen the snipe were singing sporadically - job done. Also here six Temminck's stint, hopefully part of a spring build-up in numbers. On the way home I did some owling and managed to get a tawny owl for the year. Great day, gotta love May.

Another new dragonfly for BK!

Slightly worse-for-wear but they all count. This was my first silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis paphia) of the year.

The sun was sort of shining during the middle of the day so out I went, this time to check the area around Hålehallstugan. The westerly wind was appalling and there were few large odonates on the wing. I checked through various damselflies, watched an agitated male red-backed shrike, saw my first silver-washed fritillary of the year, disturbed a grass snake and then my eyes fell on a male Leucorrhinia albifrons! A first for BK sheltering in the lee of a bramble bush. I spent some time trying to get a decent photograph of this obliging individual before checking a nearby swampy bit. On my return five minutes later I expected to be reunited with the little beauty but instead it's place had been taken by a male Leucorrhinia dubia (in rather atypical habitat). Were random Leucorrhinia species blowing past and stopping briefly? Should I have waited for caudalis?

Another BK first - Leucorrhinia albifrons! Despite the poor weather the dragonflies are still providing entertainment. This bundle of fur and pruinescence is incredibly difficult to photograph well it transpires...

Last stop of the day before the weather deteriorated again and I got hungry was a look at the pools at Bösketorp. Created for crayfish and twice emptied by the tunnel construction this site was swarming with damselflies. It last emptied in the autumn, how do the larva survive such a catastrophic event? Teneral Sympetrum danae and vulgatum were available but the best find was a decidedly chilly Anax imperator which tolerated some close-up work with the camera.

It was so cold by the time I left Bösketorp that when I found this emperor on the ground, I could just pick it up and pose it for photos.

thrush

I seem to be off the pace this year and chasing other people's birds, this song thrush (a great February find) was spotted by others yesterday at Ripagården.

Spent a day in the field today. Kicked off at Ripagården for a look around. The song thrush reported yesterday was still feeding on the seaweed bank by the harbour and whilst I watched it I heard skylark migrating north overhead! Also a male hen harrier past.

Torekov was amazing, the brisk northerly and the mild conditions conspiring to break up the sea-ice and send it streaming south through the sound. The noise of the ice-laden rollers breaking on the reef was like a passing jet. Bird-wise the highlight was the pile of seaweed, which was busy with four redwing, seven fieldfare and ten starling, as well as the usual dozen meadow pipits. No sign of any rock pipits today. Out on Vinga a lone white-tailed eagle looked out over the mess of ice.

In the afternoon I tried walking the Killeröd loop for birds but it was rather tiring in the snow and I saw no birds. I did hear common and two-barred crossbill though. A drive around to Hålehallstugan produced my first-ever February great grey shrike, a confiding and rather satisfying bird. Also here a pair of bullfinch and a single female common crossbill. A good day out, the BK year-list finally creeping over the ton.

Finally a February great grey shrike for the boy. I found this one from the car at Hålehallstugan at the end of the day. Always excellent.

Stormy weather

Got up early this morning but was pinned in the car during the mother of all thunderstorms. Really impressive show. Eventually the lightning drew away and the rain stopped and I could get out and check the weed between Vejbystrand and Stora Hult. Still plenty of waders here but no notable increases; oystercatcher (2), knot (5), Temminck's stint (4), little stint (4), curlew sandpiper (12) and ruff (4) being the best of it. A surprise goshawk male headed south and then I headed up to check the Hålehallstugan area.

Pretty quiet up here but I did hear crossbills briefly. The lake shore produced a red-backed shrike and a honey buzzard appeared overhead as it migrated south. No sign of any Lestes virens here, just a few Enallagma and lots of sponsa.

Picked up the team for a walk between Båstad and Malen. Nothing moving and little on the ground, just three grey wagtails of note. A quick look at Klarningen produced single spotted redshank and greenshank, as well as a handful of whinchat and single red-backed shrike and wheatear.

Luck of the Irish

Had my first BK swift at last as I came over Salomonhög at midday. The Scandinavian high has broken down now and we have cloudy unsettled weather. Still warm enough for dragonfly action though so after lunch I headed out to Hålehallstugan.

In June 2008 I found a single male Coenagrion lunulatum (my first) at Hålehallstugan and have seen none since. I went back this afternoon and found about 35 individuals at the site. So far the only colony known in BK.

Cordulia aenea were emerging too, these guys wander away from the shoreline to emerge. The furthest exuviae today were about 20 metres from the water's edge!

My first female Coenagrion lunulatum - a plumage tick, that blue S8 mark is a good tell.

It was a good session, because I confirmed the presence of a colony of Coenagrion lunulatum (only the second time I have seen this species). Also here Libellula quadrimaculata and Cordulia aenea. Birds noted included a green sandpiper, 30-odd sand martin, sedge and reed warbler singing and a monster hawfinch just over my head. On the way home I checked out Ranarpsstrand, but I don't think I have ever seen it quieter, just one male gadwall and a flyby little tern.

Party time

I found this just offpatch at Skummeslövsstrand this morning. I saw a single harbour porpoise off Yttre Kattvik on the 7th, perhaps it was this one?

Beautiful blue sky day, with light NW winds at dawn. Nipped out before breakfast for a quick look at Gröthögarna. A scattering of barnacle geese (6 in total) flew over. My first displaying snipe of the year appeared in the sky overhead and a green sandpiper called as it migrated north. The sea was very calm and I therefore decided to cut my walk short and head for Eskilstorpsstrand to go through any scoter that might be present. This was not a bad idea, the flat sea revealed a huge gathering of 1150 velvet scoter and just 50 common scoter. I scanned back and forth through the available birds for an hour before heading for home but there were no surprises, just eight Slavonian grebes and two red-throated divers. Hopefully we will get a few more calm days before these scoter depart and get another look through.

In the afternoon the house filled with small party guests and I slipped out to recce a few dragonfly sites for the summer. I was hoping that the sun might have warmed things up for a chance of Sympecma but I think it was too cold and with no kommun records yet I will be lucky to find this species anyway. But it could be here! Hålehallstugan had three pairs of red-necked grebes, including one pair excitedly mating. Otherwise just two tufted duck and six coot. Next I looked at the pools at Bjäred and the adjacent mire. Best birds here were little grebe (1), crane (2) and a light passage of siskin (58 north). Then it was time to head home to help clear up the debris of a successful party.

Ring ouzels dropped out everywhere along the west coast today, be nice to score one on the patch soon.

Wren!

A bright sunny morning had me out in the field like a shot. Checked Ranarpsstrand first hoping for an early wheatear. No luck, still early days for them, with none reported anywhere in Sweden yet. The rocks here did produce a few notable species such as the still-present pintail (male), single dunlin and curlew and two rock pipits.

Next I headed uphill to recce more dragonfly sites for the summer, I checked a little corner of BK near Venedike that I am not very familiar with. I got splendidly confused here finding several good-looking bogs, streams and a nice little lake. A black woodpecker called nearby but I still need to work on my whistled imitation... A grey wagtail flew over the canopy at one point, presumably a local breeder (?) and my first for some time. Checked the lake at Hålehallstugan next, still iced up, but a pair of confiding black woodpeckers scampering about by the side of the road made the trip up worthwhile.

Last gasp was a quick walk around the Killeröd loop trail. The best bird was a superb wren in the car park, amazingly a year-tick and a great reunion. No flocks contacted on the quick walk round, just two song thrushes and two mistle thrushes.

A few dragonflies

Not much birding today, busy in the house. Did manage to get out for a couple of hours looking at a few dragonfly sites. The ponds near Lindab in the village were surprisingly good value with 9 species of Odonata, including another Sympetrum flaveolum. Also here three grey wagtails, presumably local breeders dispersing as a family group.

Checked out Hålehallstugan too, more common dragonflies on the wing and a surprise Calopteryx splendens here (another late record). The tufted duck flock has reached 21 and then it was time to return to domestic duties.

Dragonfly tick!

Nipped out this morning briefly to check Eskilstorpstrand (hoping for little gull or black tern, both reported nearby and just off-patch recently) but nothing seen of note. Also spent an hour up the tower at Klarningen too before breakfast. The teal flock has reached 51 and a few fieldfare, yellow wagtail and tree pipit were on the move. Waders were not very obvious but I scraped up ringed plover (2), golden plover (6), lapwing (75), snipe (1) and curlew (2). On the way home drove over the top but the high ground was too foggy to bird.

In the afternoon we all checked out the loop trail near Killeröd, which I thought we had walked before but actually was new! Nice walk, mixtures of different conifer species and plenty of softwood too. Some nice wet hollows choked with Sphagnum as well. Despite the overcast conditions we did well for dragonflies; recording Aeshna grandis, Aeshna juncea, Sympetrum danae, Sympetrum vulgatum, Sympetrum sanguineum and best of all a single female Lestes virens (a lifer). Birds did not feature much although we did get a pair of bullfinch and a female red-backed shrike.

Aeshna grandis, lots of these guys on the wing at the moment. One of my favourite dragonflies.

Lestes virens a female, my first in Sweden or anywhere for that matter. I originally mistook this for dryas but the pterostigma was brown with pales sides and the ovipositor sheath (although not pale but bicoloured, contra Dijkstra and Lewington) was gently pointed.

A rather cross grass snake I showed the kids, they were quite keen until it stank the place out by voiding a cloacal secretion that smelled strongly of rotten garlic. Who needs poison?

Female Aeshna juncea in the hand - such good views allow the diagnostic yellow costa and yellow spots behind the eyes to be appreciated.

On the way home we quickly checked Hålehallstugan hoping for more dragonflies but the weather had deteriorated too much. Big flock of tufted duck here though (19) and a single little grebe.

Red Tuesday

Took the team for a rainy walk around Önnarp in the morning. Did the usual loop and had a good time. The kids munched on blueberries and I walked on a bit to hear what was about. I did good in a limited way with a few scarce patch species; heard my first nutcracker of the year and had a couple of willow tits. The undoubted highlight though was a good view of a perched adult female honey buzzard, interrupted whilst feeding. Checked out the lake at Hålehallstugan, lots of young birds on the water and a spotted flycatcher hunting round the edge.

In the afternoon, Mrs B and I headed for Sandön. The rain overnight and during the day had knocked a few waders down. I was chuffed with five curlew sandpipers but many more were to come later. Also here dunlin (80) and bar-tailed godwit (1).

As the rain had eased off I decided to check Rönnen quickly. The shoreline west of the island was heaving with calidrids. At least 450 dunlin, a massive 52 curlew sandpipers and seven knot. 52 curlew sands all in summer plumage and whizzing about like maniacs!! Despite the huge number of calidrids there were no stints or broad-bills. I was I suspect robbed... Also here little ringed plover (2), ruff (2), snipe (2), greenshank (2), wood sandpiper (10) and common sandpiper (15).

On the way home stopped at Sandön again quickly for grey plover (1) and golden plover (1). A successful day.

Home, sweet home

After four weeks away it was fantastic to get back out on the patch this morning. The weather was equally enthusiastic with a brisk westerly whipping in some spiteful little wet squalls in the first few hours after dawn. Nice!

Kicked off at Klarningen where water-levels have dropped considerably since my last visit. The wind pump has yet to be connected up and I suspect that some former field drains still need disabling... But, maybe it has just not rained much or the site is being managed low for some reason? A few noteworthy birds here; crane (at least three calling early on from Eskilstorpsdammar but they slipped away unseen somehow), little ringed plover (1), redshank (2 pairs), green sandpiper (3) and my first chiffchaff at the site.

Torekov next, Flytermossen produced a calling water rail, and two barn swallows here were a hint of spring. The rev was quiet, just one purple sandpiper briefly (no doubt more were hunkered down in the rocks) and a splendid little tern (my earliest date on the patch). Just had time for a quick look at Ripagården, the westerly wind did not seem to be producing much in the way of passage but I was not concentrating too hard. Did see red-throated diver (2), little tern (2 south) and razorbill (2). On land things were quiet with blackcap (2) and brambling (heard) being the best of it.

Ten minutes at Hålehallstugan on the way back from the shops produced the bird of the day, a stonking ring ouzel.

A quick session at Hålehallstugan in the afternoon produced a big flock of thrushes by the pond (which had three vocal red-necked grebe). At least one ring ouzel present, as well as mistle thrush and song thrush.

The bright day is done...

A firewood-gathering session at Glimminge with all the family this morning, was hard work but produced a few good birds in passing. Two white-tailed eagles easily stole the show, we are being spoilt with these at the moment. Also here shelduck (9), goosander (1), lapwing (1), starling (25) and crossbill (heard only). No doubt more was present but we were too busy to look.

Our first sausage BBQ of the year took place at Hållehallstugan at lunch time and passed without any birds of note!

Birding - 12/11/09

Another four-hour session today after dropping off the kids. Started at Glimminge, hoping for yesterday's brent geese, but no joy. Did get goosander (2), hen harrier (female), snipe (1), twite (4 south) and common crossbill (4 south).

Moved on to Ranarpstrand and walked through to Lervik. Highlights of this leg were Slavonian grebe (2), shag (2), bean goose (1 south, only my third patch record), skylark (4), white wagtail (1), twite (25 south) and snow bunting (10).

Picked up the kids and took them up the hill to Hålehallstugan (whooper swan 4) to play. Drove back via Ehrenstorp and found a flock of thrushes with small numbers of mistle thrush, redwing and fieldfare.

A good day - 02/09/09

Kicked off at dawn at Torekov - a grey day with a blustery SW wind. I was busy counting waders when I found a red-necked phalarope (presumably Sunday's bird?), it flew off almost immediately and I could not relocate it. Elusive! Other waders included; redshank (5), common sandpiper (1), ruff (1), turnstone (2), dunlin (25), knot (3), ringed plover (20) and golden plover (64). Wildfowl were obviously on the move too with gadwall (2) and pintail (4) new in.

Checked out Hasslarp after breakfast with Mrs B. We sadly managed to overlook an adult black-necked grebe which was reported just five minutes before our arrival (I must get that pager soon it seems!). But we had a good session here nevertheless. The easy highlight was a string of eight honey buzzards migrating over the site. A few wildfowl evident here too, with teal (160), shoveler (20) and pochard (2) noteworthy. Not many waders though with just ruff (6), wood sandpiper (1) and snipe (5).

An hour at Sandön produced a large number of geese (800 barnacle and 350 greylag). Searching through the goose horde looking for neck-collars I was surprised to find a small cackling goose (minima). It was obviously paired with a barnacle and they flew off together towards Rönnen after a decent grilling. Educational, but plastic as all hell. In amongst the geese were Slavonian grebe (3), grey plover (2), bar-tailed godwit (9) and oystercatcher (1).

Nipped into Ranarpstrand on the way home (4 bar-tailed godwit south) and took the kids to play at Hålehall stugan (25 common crossbill). Shame about the black-necked grebe but a top day nevertheless.

Bits of birding - 17/6/09

Managed five minutes birding today at Hålehallstugan with the kids. Pretty quiet, three red-necked grebe were nice, but no sign of any young. A few fledgling coot, four tufted duck and some sand martins completed the cast. Hard to get too excited about but Mrs B did some lovely work on the house whilst I looked after the animals.

Birding - 16/04/09

Redstart - new in and back in the garden

Took my bowl of cereal to the back window to peruse my domain as is usual and nearly sprayed it with muesli this morning. Two male redstarts were fighting for exclusive rights to the only organic lawn for miles. A year-tick and a species I still cannot believe I get in my garden. The victor is pictured above - now I will have to reward him with a suitable nest-box. Last year they fed regularly in our garden but nested just outside it. Also in the garden this morning; a song thrush (first for the garden this year) and a dunnock.

A brisk easterly wind dictated a walk along the moderately sheltered shoreline north of Båstad during the late morning. Light passerine migration evident, with finches, white wagtails and a couple of swallows passing north out at sea. The coastal woods and scrub produced little in the way of migrants, plenty of resident and recently arrived breeders singing though including a smattering of chiffchaff and willow warbler. Petersberg had a fly-over green sandpiper and a pair of red-necked grebe.

Finished the day with a hot dog session at Hålehallstugan to celebrate the birthday of No. 2. Birds here included two pairs of red-necked grebe, another green sandpiper, black woodpecker and my first jay on the patch this year.