quiet afternoon

Today's highlight (!) was a colour-ringed black-headed gull at Eskilstorpsstrand - I think white J63 will prove to be a Danish ringed bird.

Spent the afternoon birding today but things were quiet for me. Checked Klarningen first, arriving  just as a helicopter flushed all the geese! Chasing swans I strayed over the border into Laholm kommun and was immediately punished by three lapwing - a year-tick (but outside BK). Eskilstorpsstrand had a good-sized flock of gulls but no sign of the glaucous gull. Båstad had a surprise in the form of a male gadwall with no tail! Also here four long-tailed duck remain and a single oystercatcher was sitting out on the rocks. 

The lengthening days meant that Number 2 and I could check out Ranarpsstrand after school. Something she was not entirely pleased about. I am not sure the total of 23 shelduck and a rock pipit was worth the tears.

New bridge camera - Nikon P510

In the absence of a big lens for my SLR I have opted for the impressive 42X Nikon P510, if it works well I will be taking this on tour with me instead of the heavy SLR set-up. First impressions are that it easily outcompetes my old Panasonic FZ35 in terms of distance work and produces nice images. It should work well for herps, birds and large invertebrates I think. You cannot beat an SLR for fiddly macro work though! Full review of the P510 later perhaps. This young grass snake was not impressed when I unearthed it the other day at Petersberg.

 A quick look-in at Båstad harbour produced a single yellow wagtail yesterday. This is a cropped image taken at range.

Yesterday was just one of those days when nothing goes to plan. Dropped in on Båstad harbour for fifteen minutes chasing birds with my new bridge camera, a yellow wagtail was on the grass here and tree pipits were evident overhead (they remained a low-level part of the audioscape for the rest of the day). Did a spot of work, lunching at Kattvik where a single Arctic skua was the only highlight. Then the school rang and I had to pick up one of the kids who was under the weather.

Escaped later and had an hour at Klarningen en route to the do the weekly shop. Klarningen was cold and wet and aside from a fly-through adult hobby it had little to recommend it! Waders here though included; ruff (3), common sandpiper (1), spotted redshank (1), greenshank (3) and a single wood sandpiper.

A poorly-looking black-headed gull at Båstad yesterday.

Birding - 15/11/09

One of two rough-legged buzzards spotted at Klarningen this evening.

Spent the morning mucking out the garden at my kids daycare place. Highlights included a showy black woodpecker and a calling green woodpecker. In the late afternoon nipped down to Klarningen to get some more exercise in the last hour of light. The big flock of 50 snow buntings is still on site and a flock of 35+ goldfinch was notable. At least two rough-legged buzzard present too, with hen harrier (ringtail) also hunting the site. The highlight came at the end of the day, as dusk gathered around me I heard an unfamiliar and rather irate call. Peregrine! It had been robbed of a black-headed gull kill by a rough-legged buzzard and was very pissed off. Great views on the deck (sub-adult bird) and as it got really dark the bird started flying to an fro in front of me. My first for the site and a great encounter to boot.

Black-headed gull - whacked by a peregrine and eaten by a rough-legged buzzard. Life can be harsh.