birding the E6 corridor

Had much to do today but still squeezed in some quick looks at three sites along the E6. First up was Brandsvig, wet here this year but no birds to speak of strangely in a very speedy appraisal.

Next stop was Hasslarp, plenty of birds here including white-fronted goose (32), barnacle goose (2), gadwall (9) and shoveler (2). My first red-necked grebe of the year put in an appearance too.

Last stop was Klarningen where five gadwall and four shoveler were present.

01062012

Busy with the kids most of the day on a shopping run to Hyllinge, but we managed a quick look at Hasslarps dammar in appallingly windy conditons. Number 1 found a nice sheltered spot with four species of damselfly but nothing unexpected. Rönnen next where we quickly coshed off a summer-plumaged little stint but should have checked the new top pool. A pec was found there this morning, together with two broad-billed sands...

Last stop was Klarningen, not much doing here but three whooper swans flew in. It was so cold and windy they did not seem out of place. Are we heading for another dreadful summer?

Missed!

Number 2 and I headed out to Klarningen this morning, fewer birds in evidence today but we still came away with three year-ticks. Wildfowl present included the five pintail and male garganey from yesterday but nothing new in. A light passage of raptors was evident again overhead, including a high marsh harrier and my first osprey of the year. Waders failed to impress today, with just four redshank and a green sandpiper leftover from yesterday, that is until I heard the distinctive "chu-it" call of a spotted redshank and watched it heading north low over the site and off into Laholm. Nice one. Thinking it might have dropped in on the newly re-modelled Skummeslövs dammar we squelched over there and peeped over the river into Laholm kommun. No sign of it but we were rewarded with another year-tick in the shape of a rather neat little ringed plover.

We checked out Eskilstorpsstrand, plenty of scoter here and worthy of more attention soon. Single scaup, long-tailed duck and great crested grebe looked good on the flat calm sea. Driving home we bumped into a nice male hen harrier coming through Sinarpsdalen on his way north.

In the afternoon the kids and I had time for a quick look at Hasslarps dammar (three pochard) and a long drive looking for a reported black kite. This bird crossed form Denmark earlier in the week and unknown to me had probably flown south through BK whilst Number 2 and I had lunch. Around the same time a black stork probably did the same but heading north! Doh!

Minky 'magic'

The kids and I headed out in the afternoon for some birding, still windy and grey which makes dragonfly work a bit tedious. First stop was Ranarpsstrand. An hour here produced three tufted duck, two goosander and seven redshank. I spotted a female American mink carrying a youngster and the kids charged towards it, the minklet was sacrificed as the female headed for cover, allowing us great close-up views of the cute youngster as it mewed plaintively. Not sure what would have happened to it if I had been alone, my boot was twitching but such thoughts had to be abandoned with Number 1 and 2 cooing over it. We retreated back 15 metres and lay down and the female eventually retrieved the infant and carried it away. Nice encounter, just a shame that the introduced American mink population is high enough to make it sadly rather commonplace.

Mink youngster, dropped by the female when she came face-to-face with my offspring.

Mink female at Ranarpsstrand today.

Black-necked grebe at Hasslarps dammar today, birds have been reported on-and-off since spring, maybe the same skulky birds are responsible.

Last stop of the day was a look at Hasslarps dammar, I was hoping to catch up with a couple of black-necked grebes and we eventually tracked them down. Also here a variety of wildfowl with wigeon (male), gadwall (pair) and pochard (two males). Small numbers of waders too with little ringed plover (2), green sandpiper (6), spotted redshank (1), greenshank (1) and wood sandpiper (6). Marsh warbler and grasshopper warbler sung sporadically.

Klarningen garganey drought breaks

Migration in Sweden has been ongoing since the end of February, but we are now entering the exciting phase (at least for former UK birders like me). The later arriving migrants such as honey buzzard, red-backed shrike and icterine warbler all having a special cachet for me. This honey buzzard spotted from the car today was my first this year.

I always try and spend my birthday in the field and today was no exception. Kicked off early morning at Klarningen and finally found a pair of garganey at the site, these should be regular spring birds from now on I reckon. Also here were eight rather elusive Temminck's stints, nine ruff, one common sandpiper, at least 40 wood sandpipers and three whinchat. Cuckoos have arrived in force now, with singing birds or females at all today's sites.

After picking up the team and dropping Number 1 at school we headed to Hasslarps dammar. Birdsong filled the air, with grasshopper warbler (1), reed warbler (2) and sedge warbler (4+) singing away. Overhead two swifts added themselves to the year-list. Waders included common sandpiper (1), greenshank (1) and wood sandpiper (15). Driving away from the site we stopped just north of Hasslarp village for a migrating honey buzzard - another year-tick.

We just had time to check Sandön and Rönnen before picking up Number 1 from school. Sandön was very low, with plenty of exposed rocks and sand. Highlights in 40 minutes of spotting included; bar-tailed godwit (10), spotted redshank (5), greenshank (5) and an immaculate adult little gull.

Rönnen was even quicker but we just had time to look at Lilla Viken - six Temminck's stints stole the show here, otherwise quiet with just one ruff and one wood sandpiper.

After picking up Number 1 we headed for a birthday picnic at Ranarpsstrand. Sitting in the sun, sheltered from the SE wind it was all very pleasant. Out on the rocks sat an untidy huddle of nine ruff, also here one gadwall and one shoveler. Lounging back and relaxing, I occasionally scanned the skies and the approaches. I was delighted to pick up two black terns, that drifted down to have a look at the rocks before slowly gaining height and drifting north. Superb and a great end to our time in the field today. The last few days has seen a huge movement of black terns, just glad to have cashed in on it - only my second BK record!

Dawn patrol

My first dawn start of the spring, saw me out in the field at 0430. In the half-light of dawn at Petersberg I had my first cuckoo of the year. Next stop was just off-patch at Dömestorp where an hour in the woods produced five singing wood warblers and a firecrest - both year ticks. Nice to hear wrens here too, they are rather scarce this spring.

Klarningen next, water levels are dropping here again, hopefully intentionally to attract waders and not an indication of a partially disabled field drainage system. Certainly favours the wood sandpipers, a good total of at least 25 and perhaps 30 here today, also golden plover (7), ruff (2) and snipe (1). Wildfowl were scarce but varied with wigeon (2), gadwall (1), teal (9) and shoveler (4). The big news though was the pair of coot on the pond at the back, they have finally hopped the river and made it onto my site list!

On the way home I walked Frestensfälla and Älemossen, loads of tree pipits everywhere and after a bit of searching I finally tracked down a singing whinchat - my first of the year and very overdue. A wood warbler singing at Atteköp was a BK year-tick.

In the afternoon the kids and I had a quick look at Sandön - common tern (11), Arctic tern (6) and greenshank (1) and then went ot Hasslarp. Hasslarp was packed with year-ticks - sedge warbler (1), grasshopper warbler (1) and sand martin (2 - every year this is the last hirundine to fall!)

A day out with the kids

Promised the kids a day out today so off we went to enjoy the sun during the Easter holidays. The garden over breakfast produced a year-tick - a nice feeding male blackcap, slightly overdue. I could also hear a redstart but we have yet to see one in the garden this year. Driving to Klarningen we stopped off at a Sinarpsdalen overlook and had the male black redstart at the farm and we could also hear common redstart here too.

Klarningen was fairly quiet; just the ruff (male), two barn swallows and a late twite (1) to get excited about in a quick look. Then we drove offpatch and had a walk around Hasslarps dammar. Plenty of birds here, as usual making Klarningen seem a bit ordinary. At least 7 displaying marsh harriers were up in the air on arrival. Duck had great variety with a splendid pair of garganey (year-tick) and a pair of pintail too. A reasonably thorough search for waders failed to produce the recent black-tailed godwit but did turn up my first common sandpiper of the year.

After lunch we tried Sandön. Plenty of terns here with at least six Sandwich terns, two Arctics and nine commons. The latter two were year-ticks and a single greenshank added another to the annual total. Before home we just had time for a quick look at the new wetland at Stureholm. A great spot which produced three pairs of red-necked grebe, as well as the sought-after two spotted redshank.

Two brief sessions in a busy day

Had a goshawk through the garden after breakfast, occasional but still exciting. Had a busy day with the team today but shoe-horned in some time in the field as usual. Stopped off at Hasslarps dammar for a picnic lunch and enjoyed pochard (9), red-necked grebe (2), red kite (1), a splendid adult peregrine and my first redshank of the year (!).

Later we swerved past Sandön and had 25 avocet hunkered down facing into a fierce westerly wind - another year-tick.

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...

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.

A day out with my Mum

With the kids at school and Mrs B at work, it left Ma B and I with a chance for a day out. In amongst a bout of shopping we managed to spend some time at both Hasslarp and Sandön in search of birds. Hasslarp was fairly quiet, just one ruff on the wader front. But a migrating osprey, two feeding swifts and a calling brambling were notable.

Sandön was great with at least six water rail feeding along the edge of the reedbed and a single spotted crake. Many more waders here than in BK with; knot (6), little stint (1), dunlin (132), bar-tailed godwit (2) and greenshank (9). A single bearded tit was tracked down on the island.

Day out with Mrs B

Had a day out with Mrs B after an appointment in Helsingborg. We did Hasslarp first but high water levels (after all the rain) had put most of the waders off. I got unreasonably excited when I realised that for once Klarningen was better value than Hasslarp for waders and ducks! The easy highlight was a gang of 3 honey buzzards drifting south with a sparrowhawk.

Sandön next, reasonably quiet here too though a 1K Caspian gull was briefly spotted before it flew north perhaps to Själlrönnen. Also here water rail (1) and calling bearded tits.

We saved the best for last though with a couple of hours at Rönnen. Lilla Viken was fantastic. First up was a fine 1K red-necked phalarope, and then closer examination revealed a superb broad-billed sandpiper, a little stint and a Temminck's stint. All at close range in splendid light, no hide, no other birders. Just superb! It was so good we had a snooze on the grass in the sun.

Geography and geomorphology have conspired to create an excellent wader pool, Lilla Viken at Rönnen. If there is a more exciting wader location in NW Skåne I would be amazed. I just wish it was in BK! It had a mouth-watering array of waders this afternoon.

Swedish tick - Erythromma viridulum!

Nipped out pre-breakfast for a look around Torekov this morning, strong easterlies blowing but still overcast and very muggy. The rev was fairly quiet and the waders were a bit jumpy. A 1K goshawk steamed in at one point from the direction of Hallands Väderö, which may have explained this behaviour. Migrants mostly consisted of waders with; ringed plover (30), dunlin (29), ruff (8), bar-tailed godwit (1), redshank (8) and greenshank (3). A nice 1K red-backed shrike was by the car as I left.

The quest for a good fox photo continues... This was just one of a string of predators scaring the birds at Påarps Mal this morning.

A quick look at the sewage works area, revealed that it was being disturbed, just 2 greenshank flying away and a depressed-looking kestrel were present. Påarps Mal was better, although in the 50 minutes I was there the plover flock was put up by buzzard, sparrowhawk and a fox. This allowed me to estimate the number of golden plover present at about 300 though. Also here; lapwing (80), snipe (6), redshank (4), greenshank (2), green sandpiper (2) and common sandpiper (3). Driving home for breakfast I stopped briefly at a potato field near Dagshög for a big flock of 60 linnets and at least 8 yellow wagtails.

In the afternoon, Mrs B dropped me and the kids at Hasslarp for an hour while she went on to Helsingborg. Hasslarp was good today. The easy highlight was a single male Erythromma viridulum and a range extension for this recent colonist. Is there a colony at the site already or is this the vanguard of the inevitable invasion?

Dragonfly species number 42 for my Swedish list and probably a good find too. Erythromma viridulum has been spreading from the extreme south of Sweden, where it was first recorded in 2004. This sighting may be the most northerly in Skåne and may also be the first in NW Skåne, there are no other records in the excellent national invertebrate database anyway. I reckon I will find it in BK this year if I look hard.

X marks the spot! One of the diagnostic features of Erythromma viridulum is the black cross incised into the blue of S10 (the apical segment of the abdomen).

Birds were good too, with a garganey, a superb broad-billed sandpiper and a good scattering of common migrant waders including a splendid 26 wood sandpipers and 11 spotted redshank.

Number one modelling this year's Aeshna mixta (female) at Hasslarp today.

Last stop of the birding day was an hour at Sandön. The easterly winds had cleared a lot of water off the site and birds were abundant. Wildfowl included wigeon (2), gadwall (2), pintail (1) and shoveler (1). The mudflats held waders galore with three superb broad-billed sandpipers being the best of it, but also knot (6), Temminck's stint (2) and curlew sandpiper (1). From the island the gull and tern roost contained two 1K and two adult black terns, as well as two dinky 1K little gulls. Walking back the reed edge revealed two skittish water rails and a couple of feeding bearded tits. Two ospreys hunted overhead and an adult hobby shot past. A superb day out.

Another day out with the kids...

Four days in a row! Birding kicked off in the garden this morning over breakfast. The garden has been very quiet in the last fortnight, but this morning we woke to find at least four redstarts, a pied flycatcher and a couple of robins hopping about. Migrants or just our breeders returning to fatten up from the woods nearby?

The kids have been great this week and did not grumble at all when they got themselves ready for another day in the field. We did not get far before we pulled over to look at a migrating honey buzzard. Before going off-patch we dropped in on Ranarpsstrand quickly. A 20 minute survey revealed that the garganey was still present and a loud trilling revealed that I had over-looked a Temminck's stint that was now noisily making its getaway. Other notable birds here; golden plover (13), dunlin (2), spotted redshank (3) and wood sandpiper (4). At least five yellow wagtails flew south whilst we sat.

Our next stop was Hasslarps dammar. Not been here for a while and it was full of birds that are hard to find in Bjäre as usual. Notables here included; shoveler (5), pochard (1), tufted duck (25), little grebe (3), Temminck's stint (3), curlew sandpiper (1), ruff (47), spotted redshank (10), greenshank (13) and wood sandpiper (12). A few dragonflies on the wing too in the sultry weather; I checked carefully through the small numbers of Aeshna mixta that were flying hoping for an affinis (Sweden's first records have come this summer, part of a widespread invasion of northern climes this year). Also here Aeshna cyanea, Aeshna grandis, Sympetrum vulgatum and Enallagma cyathigerum.

On our way back from Helsingborg we dropped in on Sandön but failed to make any serious contribution. Highlights were; wigeon (2), pintail (1), goosander (7), knot (13), ruff (6) and bar-tailed godwit (14).

Got home to find that Olofsson had seen a 2K female Montagu's harrier in BK this morning!! Had I hastily mis-identified my ringtail hen harrier of yesterday? I had forgotten that Monties had an identifiable 2K plumage in females, what a dude! I am checking my photos and trying to get the gen from Olofsson. I have an uneasy feeling, just off to read Forsman now...

More rain

More rain today but not much time for birding. En route to Helsingborg, Mrs B and I dropped in on Hasslarps dammar. Pretty quiet here just three green sandpipers, the vanguard of the southward wader migration that will kick off soon. Single teal and three shoveler were the best of the wildfowl and a red kite and a raven were having a conversation on one of the pylons.

On the way home we stopped at Sandön, despite plenty of mud, very few waders of any kind. Rather disappointing but at least 7 bearded tits were worth seeing. At least one carrying a metal ring (presumably the work of Don Ehrenberg).

Birding - 28/05/10

Nipped out in the morning and walked a few stretches of coast. Vejbystrand/Stora Hultstrand produced six avocet, greenshank (1), common sandpiper (1) and best of all a flock of 41 brent geese. The latter species a patch year-tick and one I missed last year. Walked Grytskaren and Ranarpsstrand next and perhaps had the same flock of brent (43 this time) and two more avocet. Sandwich terns are starting to loaf around. Last stop of the morning was Glimminge which was quiet just shoveler (2) and a single great crested grebe.

In the afternoon the kids and I had to go to Helsingborg, so on the way back we stopped briefly at Hasslarpsdammar. Marsh warbler singing away here and heaps of hirundines and swallows, which received plenty of fruitless attention.

Things look good for a bit of coastal vismig action tomorrow morning.

A purple patch with blue bits!

My most-wanted BK bird falls at last. Finding bluethroats is always good, but this one was special.

Singing his little heart out. After six months without a patch tick, yesterday's collared flycatcher notched up the 230 and this little beauty was 231. What next?

Hard to believe that a week ago I was worried about losing my mojo. What a three day period I have had! The ninth saw me finding a marsh sandpiper off-patch, yesterday I found a great reed warbler on-patch and Mr Ekenberg found a collared flycatcher nearby and today it continued in a similar vein...

I have been boring Mrs B rigid with my master plan for this May - simply put to find a bluethroat on the patch. Ripagården-Hovs Hallar has a good track record in May for this species, so I headed there this morning pre-breakfast (ignoring the build-up of red-throated divers down the road in Laholmsbukten - they recorded 3200!). I had hardly got started when I flushed a small passerine from the vegetation along the shoreline. My brain screamed "bluethroat" and it was! A fantastic male, that started singing as I watched it. Superb. This is a tough bird in spring on the west coast of Sweden; amazingly it is about as hard as finding your own on the east coast of the UK these days. Sent an SMS to Martin and he rang for news and got to me very fast. The bird sat up on a clump of Rosa rugosa and sang lustily. Walked the rest of my route around the site, picking up 250 migrating barnacle geese, a single wood sandpiper, a hobby in-off and a fine male red-backed shrike. And so to breakfast.

With an appointment in Helsingborg, Mrs B and I headed south off-patch for the day. Before the meeting we squeezed in quiet flying visits to Sandön (90 more barnacle geese on the move and a nice hepatic morph female cuckoo) and Farhult (four spotted redshank and my first bar-tailed godwit of the year).

Gregory Peck! Hasslarp has an excellent record of turning up pectoral sandpipers in May. After three roller-coaster days the family are forcing me to change my lucky underpants, so things should quieten down tomorrow.

After the meeting we just had time for half an hour at Hasslarp. An inspired choice as within ten minutes I was looking at NW Skåne's 13th pectoral sandpiper! Superb! I spend a lot of time looking for waders and to finally find two scarce species in one week is rather excellent! The supporting cast looked good too, at least three Temminck's stints and a few wood sandpipers. What a day.

Ortolan bunting is on the top of the most-wanted list now, a few records today from around Halland and Skåne suggest this one could fall too with luck.

Lost my mojo!

Mrs B and I wandered aimlessly around off-patch hoping for a few of the birds that have been seen recently without success. The marsh sandpiper was gone from Hasslarp, but we managed to scare up three wood sandpipers, three common sandpipers, a ruff and a little ringed plover. The bitter SW wind soon saw us off the place though. Sandön was very quiet too, with just three greenshank and a gadwall representing the migrants.

At Rönnen we were unsurprised to discover that the black-tailed godwit had moved on and little had replaced it. Decided to check Sibirien on the way home, the same (?) flock of common scoter was there togther with a small group of scaup (8). No sign again of the black scoter, but I bet he is still out there somewhere.

More spring birding

Out the door early again for a pre-breakfast session in the mist at Ripagården. On the way picked up a pair of grey partridge in the village. Ripagården was rather quiet, two house martins were my first of the year. Few migrants around but did get several singing lesser whitethroats and two greenshank and a whimbrel were nice.

In the afternoon Mrs B and I hit Hasslarps dammar, still grey and rather cool here and we failed to find anything of great import. There was a large number of hirundines in though, barn swallow (80) dominated but a few house (10) and sand martin (5) present too. Other notable birds included barnacle goose (6), gadwall (pair), pintail (male), shoveler (6), avocet (2), ruff (20), redshank (6), green sandpiper (1), wood sandpiper (2), common sandpiper (1) and at least seven blue-headed wagtails.

Bits and bobs - 23/03/10

Five redwing over the house in the morning were the first of the month for me.

Not much time for birding today but managed a half hour visit to Hasslarpsdammar which is defrosting nicely. The Egyptian goose had moved from Sandön to here just to pollute my optics again. Not much doing here, I was hoping for an early chiffchaff. A buzzard movement was evident overhead and included at least one sparrowhawk. A cold looking redshank huddled on the edge of the water looking lonely and yet another single meadow pipit was recorded. It seems ages since I saw a flock of meadow pipits. Reed bunting sang from the reedbed and coot and tufted duck jostled on the open water.

On the way home we stopped at Ljungbyholm where the flock of 29 whooper swans were present together with curlew (3), ringed plover (6), golden plover (20), dunlin (2) and oystercatcher (1). With tractors still unable to work the land this field could be excellent over the next few weeks.

The weather looks good for spring over-shoots on Thursday and Friday so could be a good weekend in southern Sweden.