16042012

Had time for a bit of birding in the morning of the 16th. Checked Greviebackar for ring ouzels, will I ever see one here I wonder? A pair of wheatears were in residence though and a barn swallow flew through.

Took the team to Dagshög next and we sheltered out of the biting northerly wind, fairly quiet here though in the hour we were here. Just a few barnacle geese shuttling back and forth and another feeding barn swallow.

Torekov rev in a quick look produced three purple sandpipers but little else of note. A rather scrappy effort!

On the way to Helsingborg to celebrate Number 2's birthday in the time-honoured fashion we diverted to Farhult chasing glaucous gull but in the short time available I could not pick it out. It must have moved on.

winds northerly

Quite cold this morning when Number 2 and I headed out for a morning in the field. We stopped first to look at the 'big field' at Ljungbyholm, nothing doing here, just a reed bunting in residence and no sign of any golden plovers.

Likewise Ranarpsstrand was rather quiet, two curlews being the best of it. Intriguingly small packets of eider were heading north here, where are they gathering this year? There must be a king somewhere in BK.

Our last stop of the morning was a mooch about Vasaltheden. Snipe active here and the best birding of the day too with plenty of linnets, a great grey shrike and a rough-legged buzzard.

In the afternoon, I took Mrs B for a walk in the sun off-patch at Farhult. Water level up here but enough edge for 20 avocet, my first of the year.

Three meadow pipits!

Just appalling weather today, it is always a shock when the rain comes after a prolonged cold spell and it rained all day today. Mrs B and I headed out in the afternoon to Farhult. No sign of the long-eared owls at the roost but they were probably tucked away in the depths of the spruce. The number of pellets here was unbelievable. A walk along the beach produced just three meadow pipits! We were soaked.

Bloody kingfishers

A big flock of 300+ waxwing at Båstad was a great start to the day.

Hit Båstad at dawn today hoping for a kingfisher year-tick but the little bugger is proving incredibly difficult. It has been reported daily for about a week, but it must be hiding up under the wooden walkways or flying in occasionally from the Stensån because I cannot find it. Frustrating.

But a thorough going over of the harbour did produce some good birds; the surf scoter and little auk remain entertaining numerous visitors, also here a huge and noisy flock of 300+ waxwing, a black redstart, and late chiffchaff and blackcap.

Rough-legged buzzard at Klarningen. Klarningen is the only reliable site for this species in the winter in BK.

Klarningen was pretty quiet, the flock of teal (180) also contained a few wigeon (5) and shoveler (3). Two ringtail hen harriers hunted over the wetand and a rough-legged buzzard hovered out the back. On the way home I dropped into Petersberg for a quick look and was surprised to find 47 tufted duck in residence and the flock included a single female scaup (my first freshwater one in BK). Two little grebe here too. Six hawfinch passed over high, calling that high-pitched "tsrrii" flight-call that is often a giveaway to their presence overhead.

In the afternoon we all headed out to look at Farhult and Sandön. Farhult was quiet, no geese here just 9 Slavonian grebes and a lonely shelduck of note. Driving round to Sandön via Stureholm produced a single great grey shrike and again no geese. However when we got to Sandön we found plenty of geese. At least 1000 barnacles and 500 greylag but the only other species I could find were white-fronted geese (about 44).

Not much birding but a Swedish tick!

I have a very ambivalent attitude to twitching these days. I can pretty much take it or leave it, but today we had planned a trip to walk at Farhult in the afternoon, not knowing it was shortly to be hosting a MEGA. En route to pick up Mrs B from work we learnt of the long-billed dowitcher and drove round to the Jonstorp side of the bay to view it. UK readers might be surprised to discover that this was a first long-billed dowitcher for NW Skåne and only the 20th record for Sweden. Feeding alongside the 112 on the way were two nice white storks.

The dowitcher was close and behaved well, although it was a little sleepy. Great bird. Also here; Slavonian grebe (8), little grebe (1), pintail (10), gadwall (2), scaup (1), long-tailed duck (2) and at least 14 grey plovers.

A quick stop at Sandön on the way out against a tide of speeding birders produced a white-tailed eagle and two white-fronted geese.

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.

In which the Circus finally comes to town and the wind keeps blowing

Number 2 and I headed out to do a little more sea-watching this morning. En route we picked up a migrating male marsh harrier at Troentorp, ending a personal four-month harrier drought that was beginning to get me down. It remains to be seen if I can actually see a hen harrier this spring. Nils Kjellén was already on site and reported 320 common scoter and a reasonable 'passage' of red-throated diver. I packed Number 2 into the car with her toys and she passed drawings and comments out through the window at regular intervals.

The wind was strong but had backed westerly again and the scoters were passing a little further out. Things slowed down a lot for my two hour stint, I logged just 89 common scoter but 31 red-throated divers was a reasonable effort until these too started to pass less frequently. The main difference from yesterday was the absence of gannets and the replacement of great crested grebes (1) with red-necked grebes (9). Two sandwich terns flew past and a small flock of 13 barnacle geese went west. Today's other year-tick was a brace of black-throated divers flying west in glorious plumage. Nils pointed out a migrating osprey that whilst ostensibly flying south did a nice easterly vector past our position, driven by the strong westerly wind. After two hours we had to leave and run some errands and then had time for 15 minutes at Klarningen, where there was nothing new to report.

In the afternoon I was down south so I checked out Farhult, water levels were very high and the only stuff picked up was flying by, the highlight being 7 bar-tailed godwit. Rönnen next were at least there was sone shelter and many more birds around Lilla Viken, including a flock of 50 avocet and seven gadwall. Three Sandwich terns roosted with the gulls and then I staggered back against a wind that was increasingly strong. Sandön was barely worth the effort, not an inch of mud or sand exposed and the spray flying, just two goosander! Meanwhile back in BK a northern fulmar and more gannets had been spotted...

Misty morning

Woke up to find the garden shrouded in mist, at least 12 siskins in amongst the chaffinch and one bramblin gtoo. Things had dropped out in the night. Drove over the top to Klarningen, picking up small numbers of redwing in amongst the other thrushes. Also here the occasional brambling in large flocks of chaffinch. Spring migration seems to involve lengthy stop-overs with us this year for a number of species. Yesterday there were a staggering 7,200 cranes at one site in southern Skåne!

Klarningen was bitterly cold again in a bracing westerly. Little new to report although a green sandpiper was good to see, numbers of everything else remained stable. After yesterday's glut of gadwall at Ranarpsstrand I had hoped some might be present here but no joy. A quick look at Eskilstorpsstrand was quiet, although eider are starting to get antsy and flying around the bay. Many eventually fly overland to the Baltic coast and I guess north from there.

Petersberg had defrosted and produced two fabulous pairs of red-necked grebes. They still seem an exotic breeding species to me, even after four years. I was surprised to flush a snipe from under a birch tree here. A grey wagtail flew downriver as I left. Sad to think the whole site is scheduled to be bull-dozed soon.

In the afternoon the team headed for Farhult, picking up two cranes at Ängeltofta and a rough-legged buzzard at Södra Utmarken. Farhult was very windy but I finally managed to catch up with the bar-tailed godwit that has been haunting the area since last month. Redshank are finally arriving in numbers (nine here) and we also had dunlin (2) and avocet (14). The reeds were thrashing about but occasionally I could hear bearded tits, they must have been on the ground!

Last stop was Sandön where we had two gadwall, 14 avocet, a redshank and some annoying fishermen.

Cold easterlies and vanishing avocets

We had this monster visitor to the feeder this morning, my first hawfinch this month.

Over breakfast this morning we scored a superb hawfinch at the feeders. I love seeing these monsters in the the garden.

The kids finally got tired of me after being stuck at home ill for a week and requested a transfer to their grandparents. This allowed me to slip out to work the area between Sandön and Mjöhult. I was hoping to catch up with the recently arrived avocets reported this week and also have a go at the unseasonal (early) bar-tailed godwit. Neither could I find, perhaps the easterly blow and chilly conditions have sent them south again?

Sandön did produce calling bearded tit and reed bunting. The sandflats were fully exposed but few waders were present apart from a handful of curlew and oystercatcher and 17 ringed plovers. Rönnen was even cooler in the wind and apart from a hunting white-tailed eagle had little to recommend it. At Farhult I felt that I would surely track down the errant avocet but it really was not to be. Here though a pair of pintail and a single dunlin were some consolation. Both redpoll and bullfinch called from the trees.

Driving home through Lönhult and Stureholm I found 55 whooper swans and connected with the golden eagle again. A great end to the session.

Last bird of the session was the 2K golden eagle at Stureholm, a nice way to end the day.

Snow, rain, hail, sun and repeat

A mixed day weather-wise, classic spring stuff. A strong SW wind throughout made the whole thing a bit unpleasant. But I did spend most of the day outside which was nice. In the morning I checked out Yttre Kattvik, winds were supposed to shift westerly but it never happened... A few things were moving though including red-throated diver (2), crested grebe (7) and guillemot (2).

Next stop was Ripagården were I was swiftly engulfed in snow and spent most of my time sheltering behind a bunker. Not much noted in these conditions unsurprisingly and I left with four coot and a collection of recent arrivals (shelduck, oystercatcher and starling).

In the afternoon, Mrs B and I headed out to look for geese around Lönhult, we found just one substantial flock of greylags (250+), but could only find two white-fronted geese. The light and distance were poor though and frustratingly a neck-collared bird evaded a protracted reading attempt. A check of Farhult for geese revealed that the sea had risen, driven by the gale force southerlies. Few birds about, especially waders, as a result.

Rönnen was better with a reasonable flock of eider building, which included two smart-looking long-tailed ducks. Will this be the location for the annual spring king eider this year? Other notables here included smew (3), white-tailed eagle (1) and ringed plover (4).

Last stop of the afternoon was Sandön where we found a huge total of six smew, as well as three scaup. Again high water levels meant few birds close in, but 75 oystercatchers were roosting on the Själrönnen offshore rocks.

Ringo!

Another blue sky day had me shelving work at home in favour of more walking and birding. Got to get out whilst it is nice at this time of year, especially after the winter we have had. We headed over to Farhult again. En route there were lapwings and stock doves on offer, things are really moving now. Farhult was packed with whooper swan (45), shelduck (50), wigeon (15), goldeneye (110), smew (3), oystercatcher (32), lapwing (5) and curlew (12). The highlight for me though was three dainty white-fronted geese that flew in to loaf about on the ice. Other good birds included ringed plover (1, year-tick) and reed bunting (1).

A quick look at Sandön on the way back produced more big numbers of shelduck (76) and oystercatcher (24), and four more smew.

In the afternoon the entire team headed out for a circular walk from Mäsinge strand to Rammsjöstrand. Yellowhammers were singing and buzzards were definitely heading north this afternoon. Walking the shoreline produced more shelduck (50), teal (7), oystercatcher (3) and a dozen starlings. The tap is on and stuff is on the move.

Goldie!

Spent the afternoon looking quickly at the sites between Lönhult and Sandön, en route picking up two rough-legged buzzards. First stop was a quick look at Farhult to check if the gyr falcon was sitting around. No luck but three curlew looked out of place in a break in the sea-ice. Next stop was another favourite of the gyr (Lönhult), I worked the fields and eventually spotted a dead thing being picked apart by gulls and crows. Sitting nearby was a very fat young white-tailed eagle. Widening the search I found a tree with two more eagles, one of which was a splendid 2K golden eagle. I have done really badly finding this bird during the winter so this was a great moment. Just round the next bend a big gang of greylags got me working but nothing else apart from a few Canadas. As the sun broke through the low cloud skylarks soared into song. Nice - perhaps spring may come after all... Hard to beat.

A quick look at Rönnen produced another white-tailed eagle and four lapwing flying by. Last stop was Sandön, which had more curlew (10) and two smew at very long range. Only three weeks till the cranes start moving, hope it warms up for them.

Blue skies

The return of the cold weather brought the sun back out for the first time in ten days so out I went to enjoy it. Checked out some off-patch sites in the morning. Sandön was first, pretty quiet here but a male smew gave a nice flyby (year-tick), a white-tailed eagle (2K) flew in and 12 velvet scoter headed west. I never see enough smew in a year...

Rönnen was also quiet but ten curlew were new in and there were two more white-tailed eagles perched up and looking naughty. No sign of the gyr so I moved on to Farhult. Here another male smew flew past (surely the same one?) and there were three more curlew here. A cruise around for long-eared owls failed to produce the goods.

Last stop of the morning was a quick look at Lönhult for the merlin. There has been a regular bird here all winter, which I caught up with last month. There was a raptor perched distantly in the field on arrival, it looked good but then flew - a sparrowhawk. A single lapwing and a flock of 45 goldfinch were good - the latter another year-tick.

In the afternoon driving in the village produced four more lapwing - they really are moving early this year. Three wood pigeon in the garden were new in and proof of more movement. At the end of the day I managed an hour at Ranarpsstrand but had to settle for four wigeon, rather quiet to say the least.

Foggy

No birding over the weekend, just a short walk along the beach between Hemmeslövsstrand and Eskilstorpsstrand on a rainy Saturday that netted 33 tufted duck - whooo!

Today I spent the morning in the field, more fog and rain and mushy underfoot. Went off patch to look at Farhult. No sign of the reported oystercatcher, but two curlew were year-ticks. Also here my first Canada geese (30) of the year, a nice adult white-tailed eagle and a calling bearded tit.

Rönnen next hoping for the gyr falcon but had to settle for two more white-tailed eagles, the best birds were three lapwing. The first sign of a thaw and they come back - too early in my opinion!

Last stop of the day was Vejbystrand, just metres off-patch this time and still hosting a female pintail amongst a sizeable flock of mallard, teal (9) and wigeon (60). Also here four starlings - another year-tick. The year-list stands at 79 - hard work this year.

Gyr!

Had a few hours in the field with the team today and elected to search for the regular wintering gyr falcon south of the patch. We headed for Farhult first, picking up seven grey partridges scratching about in the snow at Ranarp in BK on the way. Farhult was ice-bound and gyr-free but we did get close looks at two rough-legged buzzards.

Our next stop at Rönnen produced the goods within minutes of arrival, a superb adult gyr resting on the west end of the island. We drank it in and then it flew a short distance west (mega!) and landed on the ice out at sea. Nice encounter! We left it there to go to Sandön to find people twitching a gyr falcon... Are there two, or had it flown round to Sandön, or was it a late reaction to an earlier report? We could not stay to find out sadly and moved on with our non-birding chores.

The adult gyr on the sea-ice off Häljaröds hamn today. My digi-photography is appalling as usual. This was my best encounter with this bird at Rönnen by far. The underparts are always a good tell for this species when perched, like a peregrine whose bars have slumped downwards collecting at the flanks. Superb!

The bridge may be dismantled but the sea-ice is thick enough to allow access onto Sandön. Grytskären next and then Hallands Väderö!

Off-patch in the snow

We had our heaviest snowfall of the winter overnight and it lasted well into mid-morning, which effectively scuppered my plans to search out the gyr falcon today, the backroads would have been a bit dicey before the ploughs got out I reckon. But with a trip to Ängelholm in the morning, it was only natural for Number 2 and I to get out along the coast between Farhult and Sandön before lunch.

We had a quick look at Rönnen, no sign of the gyr at roost, but inevitably we had a couple of bullfinches and a handful of bramblings at the feeder near the KOF shed. Next stop was Farhult, hoping again to catch the gyr at another of its regular haunts. No dice. Highlights here were a single dunlin, four redpoll and a reed bunting.

Last stop of the tour was Sandön where we were treated to a close flyby by a ringtail en harrier, had two kestrels heading south together (never too late to migrate) and another reed bunting.

Later on in the day caught up with nine wood pigeon (heading south) at Karstorp (on-patch), a red kite over the garden (scarce at the moment) and two starlings in Laholm.

Me and Mrs B

Had a nice few hours alone with Mrs B in the field today, which was a bit novel. We went south and looked at Hasslarp - almost devoid of bird interest although the flock of 30 redpoll were annoyingly hard to go through as is so often the case and then equally typically vanished.

Did the 'eagle circuit' picking up waxwing (25) in Kattarp, a superb adult white-tailed eagle at Tursköp and a rough-buzzard at Lönhult. No sign of a goldie. Hit the coast at Farhult for ten Slavonian grebes and finished up at Sandön where we found single bar-tailed godwit and oystercatcher. Pleasant day but birds rather thin on the ground. I am not used to being around at this time of year, but it just feels like it is about to go very cold and stay that way for some time...

Off-patch snapshot

Got a couple of hours birding in the afternoon after a relaxing morning with Mrs B. Headed straight for Farhult; scanning the bay at the start produced at least 25 Slavonian grebes. Also offshore nine whooper swans and four great crested grebes. Waders were few and far between, one disappearing grey plover was nice, otherwise just four snipe and 27 curlew. Walking the beach produced a single snow bunting and the reedbed I had at least 10 bearded tits and a single reed bunting. Jumping the fence into the wet field behind resulted in my first wellyful of water in many years. I squelched along after that and failed to add materially to the list; I was hoping for a jack snipe. Back at the car a big flock of redpoll (65) left the nearby alders flying off east and I could hear a bullfinch in there too.

My schedule allowed half an hour at Rönnen. Notable birds noted in this short time-frame included brent goose (5) and ten butch-looking twite. I wonder if the gyr falcon is going to make it back this winter? Lastly I stopped for four minutes to look at Sandön from the main road. More grey plover here (3), a single bar-tailed godwit and the village had a dozen waxwing. Out on Själrönnen a cluster of 50+ dunlin were roosting. Like many birders in southern Sweden I am looking out for the Norwegian stilt sandpiper, which left it's last known location two days ago. You gotta dream!

Sandön calling!

Limax maximus - the leopard slug, out during the day at Hasslarp.

Panic on the streets of Sandön.

The culprit, a 2K+ white-tailed eagle.

If these SE winds keep blowing we will be able to walk to Denmark soon. I have never seen Sandön so low.

With errands to run off-patch it was time to hit the coast between Farhult and Sandön in a flurry of flying visits. Also managed to squeeze in a short look at Hasslarps dammar first off. Pretty quiet here despite a good number of wigeon (185), as well as shoveler (10), gadwall (1) and little grebe (1). A few song thrushes knocking about and small flocks of chaffinch were often spotted flying south.

Tried Rönnen first, lured by tales of the flock of little stints that have taken up temporary residence. Six! Fantastic. Also here white-fronted goose (2), ruff (1), spotted redshank (2) and greenshank (1). As I walked back to the car a slow procession of an eventual total of 8 migrating jays drifted west just inland.

Farhult was fabulous. On arrival a very close 1K hen harrier appeared over the dunes and fought with the local crows. All the geese went up - white-tailed eagle and before I could look at it, I noticed a migrating short-eared owl going west offshore. Spoilt for choice, I opted for the owl (a year-tick) and watched its leisurely progress abruptly interupted by a group of greater black-backed gulls. Meanwhile the eagle was casually checking through the geese for the odd lame duck. The geese included a further 12 white-fronts. Plenty of waders here too with oystercatcher (10), avocet (1), ringed plover (3), grey plover (10), knot (2), dunlin (150) and bar-tailed godwit (1). As I trudged back to the car, my peripheral vision noted an Arctic skua harassing a common gull, it quickly gave up and flew off south and inland. Not a bad 55 minutes.

Last stop of the day on this whistle-stop tour was Sandön. The place was packed with geese, all up in the air, as the same white-tailed eagle did the rounds. Fantastic numbers and if I learnt one thing in Norfolk it was how to go through geese. The majority were greylags, but with perhaps 2500 barnacle geese in attendance. It did not take long to get to a count of 23 white-fronts and more diligent searching unearthed two tundra bean geese, a cackling goose (plastic) and best of all a single pink-foot. Gone are the days of the easy pink-footed goose year-tick. Each one is lovingly appreciated and enjoyed nowadays. Other notables here included; water rail (1), grey plover (4), knot (1) and coal tit (1). As I drove back home, the white-tailed eagle followed me into Ängelholm, a huge companion on a great day of local birding.

Two year-ticks today!

This male Lestes virens was just one of a swarm noted at an off-patch site near Gånarp.

Mmmm, nice! Mrs B is starting to call me a nerd when I whip out my hand-lens and start looking at anal claspers...

The site at Gånarp, it looks very good and I will try to get back next year. Not got much of this kind of habitat in BK but searching it out is a priority. We found two possible contenders today.

After dropping off Number 1 at school the rest of Team Benstead headed off to scope out a few dragonfly sites for next year. [I have taken on 8 BK squares for the 2009-2014 Dragonfly Atlas of Skåne, which is why there has been so much dragonfly action of late.] Our first stop was Gånarp and a beautiful little site crammed with Lestes virens. One on patch last week and now this! Too much. Afterwards we headed back on patch to check out a few sites that might offer the same biotope, we kind of succeeded but no sign of any more virens. A single honey buzzard (probably a resident) was our only birdy reward.

Aeshna mixta (female) at Rönnen.

In the afternoon I jettisoned the team (who were going shopping) and headed out to do the nearby coast from Sandön to Farhult. Sandön had a scattering of waders, best of the lot was my first sanderling of the year but also notable were; grey plover (1), knot (10), dunlin (60), ruff (2), bar-tailed godwit (2), curlew (58), redshank (6) and turnstone (1).

Rönnen was quiet, the geese had taken over and I could not avoid flushing 850 barnacle geese from the paths where they were happily grazing. Clearly no-one had been birding much today, which was why I could roll up and find these dollying about on the water...

Surprise of the afternoon was not one but four red-necked phalaropes at Rönnen, my first multiple encounter in Skåne and a year-tick to boot! There are three in this photograph (honest!), taken at long range on macro setting...

Other waders at Rönnen included; avocet (13), knot (1), another sanderling, Temminck's stint (1), three spotted redshank and at least 15 wood sandpipers. Last stop of the day was Farhult, thrashed about behind the reedbed for dragonflies and then did the birds. Waders again providing the interest. Another single sanderling made me wonder if I was being followed. Also here; avocet (4), grey plover (3), knot (21), curlew sandpiper (1), dunlin (105), bar-tailed godwit (20, most flying past including one with an orange leg flag - French?), an impressive 57 redshank and 14 greenshank.