night-birding with the family

There was a big common toad (Bufo bufo) waiting for us on the front step when we got back from our first family night-birding session.

Made the most of some afternoon sun yesterday and checked out Petersberg for dragonflies (just Enallagma on the wing). Then tried Klarningen. Still waders here with the best of it being a single whimbrel that lifted off the wetland and went south calling. Also four curlew, at least eight greenshank and the usual 20-ish wood sandpipers.

We were saving our energy for the big event though, a night drive around BK looking for nightjar and the two common owls that have been eluding me successfully so far this year. The kids were very keen and we arrived early at Killeröd, getting eaten by midges as we looked through a bewildering selection of micro-moths. As dusk fell we heard at least two male nightjars and Number 1 and I headed uphill to listen to them more closely. Here we had a very close encounter with a long-eared owl that tried to land on my head and Number 1 spotted the nightjar whizzing past at close range. Returning to the car we did not have to wait long for another very good view of a nightjar, courtesy this time of Mrs B (her first in Sweden!).

The kids did not last long on the drive-round, quickly falling asleep under a pile of sleeping bags. It was eerily quiet, a few roe deer calling and a quick glimpse and a couple of calls from a 1K tawny owl. But mission accomplished - all three potential year-ticks in the bag.

Woohoo! Five year-ticks and a touch of spring

Common toads appeared at Ilasjön this morning and nearby at Dalen moor frogs were in song.

Had a day in the field today and it was packed with birds. More than a touch of spring in the air today with light winds and sun for most of it. Kicked off by walking the Gröthögarna and Ripagården circuit hoping for another ring ouzel but had to make do with a single wheatear and my first white-fronted goose for the site - a noisy singleton that headed north. Song thrush and chiffchaff were present in small numbers throughout. Redshank have obviously moved in since I was last here too.

After lunch I headed over to Klarningen anticipating an influx of birds here and this was indeed the case. Wildfowl included at least 181 teal and 24 wigeon, as well as a single shoveler, five pintail and best of all a superb male garganey. A pair of red-necked grebes slept at the back of the main pool - an exciting addition to the birds I have recorded at this fledgling wetland. A light passage of buzzards and sparrowhawks was evident overhead and these were occasionally joined in the air by over-wintering hen harrier (ringtail) and rough-legged buzzard (1).

Searching the edges produced three greenshank, a green sandpiper, eight curlew and at least five redshank and hawking over the pools were five little gulls! I was pretty pleased with this haul and as I enjoyed the range of birds present, four swallows swooped by, the icing on the cake of a great day in the field.