Swedish tick - pallid harrier!

Those of you who read this blog regularly will know that I stray out of BK (my beloved recording area) grudgingly and with some trepidation. But the area just to the south of me in Skåne is very good birding and it would be churlish not to have a look occasionally... The problem is I occasionally find birds I would give my eye-teeth for in BK. Today was one of those days...

Team logistical reasons suggested a trip to work the coast between Farhult and Sandön today and the sun shone for the first time in ages. Happy days. I kicked off at Farhult just after nine o'clock and this proved to be inspired. Within ten minutes I was watching a juvenile harrier. Picked up as a rufous ringtail coming in-off - I got excited. The bird was heading away in the scope and I prayed for it to thermal and show itself well, which luckily it quickly did. Check out that boa! Pallid! Great bird, a Swedish tick and one of my most wanted BK birds. Shame I wasn't there! But mustn't grumble, I have not been troubling the scorer's much this year, so I was just glad of the find. I forgot to photograph it though, being too busy enjoying it through the scope! Quite a large number of waders here too, in amongst the 175 dunlin were; knot (2), sanderling (6), little stint (10) and curlew sandpiper (4).

Next stop was Rönnen. A huge flock of barnacle geese in here - at least 2200, and all up in the air at one amazing point. Never found the culprit, but a peregrine appeared just afterwards. Waders much in evidence here too with knot (3), little stint (15), curlew sandpiper (14), a massive 16 spotted redshank and two woood sandpipers.

Adult peregrine at Rönnen.

Sandön provided more raptors with two white-tailed eagles and my first merlin on the autumn. Osprey and marsh harrier on the move too. Waders here included nearly 50 knot and six more sanderling. Two juvenile black terns hunted just off the boardwalk.

Osprey and white-tailed eagle over Sandön.

One of two juvenile black terns at Sandön.

Decided to check Halsarevet next, a site near Jonstorp that I have never visited but that has been hosting a few red-necked phalaropes lately. The birds were apparently present earlier but I dipped badly. As I arrived a sparrowhawk did a pretty comprehensive number on the place and every wader was up and off. A few things returned including seven little stints, a wood sandpiper and a turnstone. Great site though and one I will return to.

It was time to guiltily speed-thrash a few sites in BK, quickly worked the coastal stretch from Vejbystrand to Ranarpsstrand but with little effect. Just one migrating osprey at Lervik of note.

Birding - 08/05/09

Up at the crack of dawn this morning for a check around some likely firecrest spots on-patch. Some have been reported very close by along the Hallandåsen (the ridge I live on) recently. No joy with firecrest (a sporadic breeder in these parts) but did hear lots of wood warblers and goldcrests, as well as the first cuckoo for the year on the patch. I eventually slipped off-patch and tried at the site where firecrests have been reported this week. Nice walk, through fantastic beech forest dotted with small conifer plantations but no sign of any 'crests. Looking down from the ridge Skottorps våtmark glinted in the middle distance. I fancied checking out this site whilst I was here but I had a DIY appointment back at the house. Little did I know I would soon be there...

Chickweed wintergreen - just out and joining the abundant wood anemone and Oxalis in the forest floor flora

After DIY'ing, checked the computer to find that a black tern had been found at Skottorps våtmark. Bundled the kids into the car and we all headed out to check it out. Amazingly for a family trip we connected well. Nice site. We finished the day by trying for firecrest again but despite plenty of birdsong, no sign of the target.

Big news after DIY was this black tern, just off-patch at Skottorps våtmark

Number 1 pointed this green-veined white out to me and demanded that I take a photo