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.

half an hour

Been busy this week working in the gardens of the rich and famous. Had 23 cranes south over Hov on Tuesday otherwise things have been fairly quiet at work. This afternoon I grabbed half an hour at Ranarpsstrand but nothing much was happening - three adult lesser black-backed gulls and a greenshank...

Sea-watching - 24/11/09

White-chinned petrel - not off Yttre Kattvik today. Regular from boats in Walvis Bay (Namibia).

Headed out for the last hour of the day for a quick look at the sea. Winds light westerly and a few bits and pieces reported further north so worth a go. En route had a nice male hen harrier over the road at Hov. Spent an hour at Yttre Kattvik for red-throated diver (3), red-necked grebe (1), kittiwake (3) and guillemot (7). Pretty quiet really.