Lapland bunting

The day started nicely with this kingfisher at Lervik and got better as it went along.

Blue sky birding beckoned this morning, so I got out of the office and got stuck into some winter birding. Kicked off at a rather quiet Stora Hultsstrand before working the small Lervik harbour. Here the long-staying kingfisher showed well and I booted up three common snipe (but no jacks). Driving round to Grytskären I noticed a big flock of pipits in fields to the south, so walked back that way against the light for a couple of year-tick skylarks. Worked my way north to Ranarpsstrand, picking up a nice ringtail hen harrier for the year but little else. Back at the car I met Martin Berg and he told me he had just found a Lapland bunting in the big pipit flock... Back we went and there it was feeding in excellent light along the bottom of the wall. Missed that one!

I gave Martin a lift up to Dagshög for the black duck, which behaved impeccably as usual. Next stop was Påarps mal, with Martin's help the water pipit soon showed very well and was a pleasure to watch in the incredible light available to us. Driving on I checked out Torekov, a lone peregrine was sitting out on the navigation markers on Vinga and four shags fished together as a team off the rocks. Great morning out with three year-ticks.

water pipit

Water pipit at Ranarpsstrrand and my bird of the day (sorry about the photo!). It was glimpsed by Peder Winding yesterday and I was lucky enough to get good views of it this morning.

Had two hours in the field this morning and covered the coast between Stora Hultstrand and Ranarpsstrand. Highlights included some mundane year-ticks like common scoter, rook and yellowhammer as well as a single showy water pipit at Ranarpsstrand. Driving home I picked up two redwings in treetops in the hedge line bordering the apple orchard at Lervik and less excitingly two feral pigeons at Grevie kyrkby...

In the afternoon we ambled round the Killeröd loop trail. Plenty of storm damage here and we had to pick our way round numerous tree-falls. Very few birds noted but good numbers of goldcrest evident.

snow bunting

Had a media interview today in the field which started in horribly wet conditions at Torekov. We checked the rev and it was difficult in the rain, but we could not avoid the flock of 25 snow buntings - a welcome BK year-tick and a species I managed to miss completely last year somehow!

During the morning the weather ameliorated and we checked the rocks off Torekov (six shag) and searched in vain for the water pipit at Påarps Mal (25 more or the same snow buntings here though). Next stop was a quick check of Rålehamn for a wheatear sp. reported yesterday. No sign though so  we drove over to Ranarpsstrand hoping for a late jack snipe. On the way we saw some incredible storm damage - including an entire barn pushed over by the wind near Mäsinge. Sadly it was the storm which probably denied us jack snipe as well, as the previously excellent habitat at Ranarpsstrand is now covered in seaweed! We tried Lervik too with the same result. Not a very satisfying look around BK all-in-all!

Afterwards I had a quick look in the plantation at Grytskären, nothing here though just a single nuthatch.

October 1st

Had some good birds at work today with a nutcracker calling briefly at Båstad and four flyby two-barred crossbills at Hov later on.

After work I chased a reported Lapland bunting between Lervik and Grytskären but it had moved on. I did get my first hen harrier of the autumn though - a stunning male.

garden tick

A busy day but I still managed two hours in the field in the morning. I headed out to check the coast between Vejbystrand and Ranarpsstrand, picking up another marsh warbler on the way at Ljungbyholm. The coast was rather quiet and bitterly cold in a brisk westerly. Highlights included a greenshank (Stora Hult), and whimbrel and little tern (two apiece at Vejbystrand).

The best bit came at the end of the day though when a glance out of the window revealed a flock of 75 eider going over the garden. New for the garden and taking the garden list up to 106 - a low total but to be fair it is probably one of the more under-watched locations in BK.

reed bunting falls

Still no photos, sorry about that but there is nothing to point a camera at currently. Had a morning in the field and checked the coast between Ranarpsstrand and Lervik, hoping for a wheatear... No chance this spring it seems but I did snag a few reed buntings, some singing from suitable habitat. The only other bird of note was an invisible redshank at Ranarpsstrand, it's disembodied call floating around occasionally and defying location.

In the afternoon we had an hour at Klarningen. I was hoping for a bit of migration but had to settle for the birds on the ground which included at least 16 snipe, four whooper swans and my first migrant white wagtail of the year.

The year list stands at a mere 118. Look at the following figures for the dates 118 was attained in the five complete years I have been birding BK. 2012: 20/3; 2011: 20/3; 2010: 25/3; 2009: 9/3; 2008: 22/3. I am too tired to work out the average date. But 118 achieved roughly two whole weeks later this year compared to these figures.

Thrush double

Had a couple of hours out this afternoon after a busy morning claening the house (!) when an SMS arrived to tell me that Håkan J had scored his water pipit again at Grytskären and also found redwing and mistle thrush feeding on the beach (both potential BK year-ticks). The land is still held in an icy grip with no obvious thaw in sight and even more snow for us next week!

Off I went out finding no feeding birds on the beach at Grytskären although two red kite migrating past together was nice. Walking north I found the mixed flock of thrushes and pipits at Ranarpsstrand. Going through them as they turfed about in the hummocky rotten seaweed was quite hard but my suspicions that there were two water pipits was finally vindicated when they appeared in the same 'scope view together. Also here a feeding redwing, looking splendid as usual and about 55 starlings. As I searched through the ducks I got a flyby from a mistle thrush as it flew north - job done!

Back at the car I spotted a nice adult peregrine sitting on the rocks off Lervik and then just had time to check Stora Hultsstrand (one cold-looking ringed plover feeding surprisingly successfully on the foreshore) and Ljungbyholm (nothing).

snowy birding

Tramped through the snow all day today looking for birds and found a few. Kicked off at Stora Hultstrand just after dawn. Geese were on the move, with Canada geese going through in small numbers with a few greylag mixed in. Offshore were four Slavonian grebes and a few velvet scoter.

The walk off-patch and into Vejbystrand produced plenty of duck, notably teal (107) and wigeon (70). The shoreline produced two meadow pipit and a handful of starling. Overhead a flock of geese consisted of 50 bean and ten white-fronted. Nice!

Next stop was a look at Lervik, after a reported water pipit, which showed quite well on the outskirts of a gang of about 11 meadow pipits. Offshore on and around the islands were at least two purple sandpipers, a tight flock of 200+ common scoter and 15 tufted duck. Walking up to Ranarpsstrand produced another water pipit, five snipe and two jack snipe (multiples of the latter are very noteworthy).

In the afternoon I checked Kattvik (too exposed) and Ripagården. The latter site was quiet but did offer up little grebe (1), white-tailed eagle (adult) and finally as I turned for home another unseasonal song thrush.

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.

Vejbystrand to Glimminge

Had time for a quick check of the garden this morning. Somewhere up the hill a thrush nightingale was singing and the pied flycatcher is still singing strongly but no sign of a female yet. All three tree sparrow nests have noisy young that will fledge in the next week I guess.

Took the chance to walk between Vejbystrand and Glimminge after breakfast. It was a rather quiet affair but did produce some good birds. Chief amongst them being two BK year-ticks - marsh warbler at Ljungbyholm and Lervik and a nice male red-backed shrike at Vasaltheden.

Saw my first wall browns of the year during the walk today.

Pearl-bordered fritillary at Vasaltheden.

A brisk NW wind made the long walk a bit of a chore but the other birdy highlights just about made up for it (!); shelduck with fluffy young, avocet (1, Vejbystrand), a few singing icterine warblers and thrush nightingales and at least two broods of young wheatears on the wing. Time speeds on, young birds are appearing, ducks are going into eclipse and autumn migration is just round the corner already! My walk ended with a well-timed pick-up at the pond in the Mäsinge part of Glimminge, where I had my first Orthetrum cancellatum of the year, as well as Ischnura elegans and Enallagma cyathigerum.

Payback

I left the patch to twitch a stonechat yesterday. Later that evening I found that I had dipped one in BK at Grytskären. Today I tried to make amends but dipped, although the bird is apparently still present. No time to go tomorrow so I will have to sweat it out and try again on Tuesday. Bugger!

Whilst searching Lervik, Grytskären and Ranarpsstrand for the stonechat I did get some good birds including my first twite (4) of the year, the male pintail, four barnacle geese north and a crane flying south. But managed to miss a wheatear too so not the most successful outing.

A last minute session in the evening at Klarningen chasing a reported ruff was equally unsuccessful. It was just one of those days.

Dipper!

Not only did I manage to see a dipper today (year-tick) but it actually gave amazing views. You forget how hyper-active and splendid they are when you only see them occasionally.

Dropped off the team this morning and had 43 waxwing in Förslöv, still some around. Had an hour in the field afterwards and elected to go for dipper at Axeltorpsravinen, one of the more picturesque spots in BK. It took just half an hour to find dipper here, some have bounced back from last winter's weather. Great encounter, the bird shooting upstream and landing right in front of me. Also here redpoll (25) and the ever-present sounds of bullfinch.

In the afternoon I walked the stretch of coast between Stora Hultstrand and Lervik. Pretty quiet here with just four Slavonian grebes, a curlew and a white wagtail.

Weekend birding

Dead quiet on the stretch of coastline I walked this morning.

Had a little time in the field today but missed all the good birds in BK today. Two great northern divers and a very late red-backed shrike were gripping. The shrike is doubtless the same slightly damaged individual that has been seen on-and-off at Ripagården during the late autumn. Might be able to catch up with the diver tomorrow hopefully.

Did get an hour walking between Vejbystrand and Ranarpsstrand in the morning. Surprisingly little of note. Two rock pipits at Vejbystrand underlined how scarce these birds are so far this season. A few flocks of greylag geese drifted south, at least ten barnacles in one group too. A dead 1K kittiwake was a reminder that autumn gales are not always fun. The only redshank seen were two at Lervik, again this species is scarce this season. Also two dunlin here and two snipe at Ranarpsstrand. So a fairly quiet walk.

In the afternoon I took the team out to try and show them a little auk, that was showing well yesterday at Torekov harbour. No joy sadly. Offshore a gannet and a couple of kittiwakes remained from the gale though. Driving away Perstorp produced a single jay, much more notable than they were two weeks ago.

Big vis mig missed this morning but caught the back-end somehow

Worked in the garden this morning, there was no indication of the epic vismig going on further north and I was happily clueless. We did get out after lunch though and walked Segelstorpsstrand with the kids. There were a few things knocking about here, a wood lark over was nice and redpoll (2), common crossbill (12) and parrot crossbill (7) were all recent arrivals.

Much later Mrs B and I went for a therapeutic walk without the kids between Stora Hultsstrand and Ranarpsstrand. During the walk we had a total of wood lark over south. Big day for wood lark with over 150 south from nearby Grötvik. Other highlights included; barnacle goose (5), red-necked grebe (1), oystercatcher (1), curlew (2), snipe (4), greenshank (1), grey plover (2), wheatear (1) and mistle thrush (7 south). Just one chiffchaff during the day and still no sign of any Siberians.

Back on patch

After driving from Holland yesterday, there was just enough energy available to walk from Vejbystrand to Ranarpsstrand this afternoon. The patch has been quiet in my absence, the hot weather continued for a while and then broke down. A good blow at the end of July produced a few good seabirds and someone reported a serin at Torekov too. Waders have also been more in evidence with a good spread of species, many of which would be patch year-ticks. With this in mind I headed out.

Starting my walk at Vejbystrand was always going to be risky, it is just outside the patch, but it is a good stretch so it would be churlish to avoid it. I BK-tick using UK county rules (ie the bird has to be in or over the patch to count), Vejbystrand has made me curse in the past and it did not disappoint today. Not one but three would-be patch year-ticks (bar-tailed godwit, two grey plover and two knot) sat on rocks just yards from the BK border...

Walking on into the patch I hoped to claw them back but a single knot at Ranarpstrand was my only reward. Big numbers (55) of common sandpiper present along the coast today. Also small numbers of wood sandpiper and ringed plover, as well as green sandpiper (1), golden plover (2), whimbrel (2) and greenshank (3). Two adult Arctic terns at Ranarpsstrand were my first of the autumn. Good to be back.

The fantastic Mr Ekenberg!

Yesterday at Flytermossen, amid the rain and cacophony of water rails and Acro warblers I thought I could hear the chatter-grunting of a great reed warbler right at the back of the pool. So this morning the pre-breakfast session took me back there in much better weather. Sure enough as I approached the reedbed the bird was singing close by - result! Great reed warbler is a good bird for BK and follows on from my first record in May last year. I wonder if they are regularly through in May these days? On the pool three pochards were nice, always scarce in BK, and a thrush nightingale was belting out its song.

Checked out the rev, which true to current form was rather quiet. Two Sandwich terns were good to see, my first this month. Offshore things were moving on a small-scale; barnacle goose (37), common scoter (16), velvet scoter (16) and red-throated diver (12). And so to home. I put the news out about the great reed warbler and went to muck out the car - a much over-due and rather unpleasant job. Martin Ekenberg rang me for directions to the warbler and as I chipped congealed sweets and soggy biscuits from the livestock area of the car I idly wondered if he would find something I had missed. Martin lives in the village and is an active local lister in the NW Skåne region (currently topping the Microbirding NW Skåne league for the year), he has been known to find a good bird or two...

The phone rang!

Look what Martin found!

Collared flycatcher is a very scarce spring over-shoot in our neck of the woods, last seen in BK in 1977 (I was 12 and lived in another country then).

These poor shots show most of the important bits; nice large white patch above the bill, full white collar, large white patch at base of primaries. No worries about this one being a hybrid! Excellent find Mr Ekenberg.

Yes, the phone rang and it was Martin, he was watching a spanking adult male collared flycatcher at Flytermossen. Throwing the hoover and the shovel out of the car I zoomed off and arrived to find the bird (and Martin) waiting patiently. Luckily it was not where I had been birding in the morning, otherwise I would have been a bit miffed! We watched the bird for ten minutes and then it flew to the island in the lake and showed rather poorly for the slowly increasing crowd before coming back to the roadside for the photos above. Great twitch, superb bird.

Back at home I finished off the car and then we all headed out to walk the coast between Vejbystrand and Ranarpsstrand. Counted breeding birds mostly, but also recorded 1-2 turnstone, an avocet and there were unusual numbers of sand martins about.

Cute

Nearly!

A bad shot taken in haste to try and record part of a high-flying flock of migrating red-throated divers. This is perhaps one of the more exciting aspects of migration in this neck of the woods. Observers further north recorded 1300 birds this morning.

A day of not connecting with stuff! Hit the beach at Eskistorpsstrand early this morning but just five minutes too late for a chance of a yellow-billed diver reported a little further north. One of the features of birding Laholmsbukten is the incredible passage of red-throated divers in early May. Birds collect rapidly offshore over a few days and then fly high in huge flocks before heading overland. This morning saw at least 360 down my end of the bay, but I must admit that counting this phenomenon is difficult to do accurately. Many divers go over and then chicken out and head back to sea, so there is a constant to-and-fro that is hard to keep track of.

Walked in to Eskilstorpsdammar next, picking up a great female merlin en route...

"You looking at me?"

The pools were quiet with snipe (3), curlew (1), greenshank (1), cuckoo (male), tree pipit and a few other migrants including redstart, whinchat, lesser whitethroat and chiffchaff. From the pools you can just see water at Klarningen and this produced ruff (2), greenshank (1) and wood sandpiper (1).

After breakfast took the gang out for a walk between Lervik and Ranarpsstrand. Highlights were few and far between; purple sandpiper (1 Grytskären), greenshank (1), common sandpiper (3), little tern (6 at Ranarpsstrand), sparrowhawk (1 north) and yellow wagtail (1 north). The bad news was a couple of little egret probably travelled through BK whilst we were walking along, did we miss them too?

Finally nipped out for a quick look at Torekov in the evening. The rev was quiet, although I managed to leave my 'scope at home which did not help. Highlights included; shoveler (male), little tern (1), more redstarts (a big influx today?) and a displaying redpoll. Flytermossen had a marsh harrier (male) and a singing reed warbler.

Birding with Mrs B - 22/03/10

Mrs B and I headed out for another walk between Lervik and Ranarpsstrand this morning. En route we checked the big field at Ljungbyholm again and were rewarded with not one but two year-ticks. First up was an adult lesser black-backed gull, resting by the side of one of the many pools in this poorly-drained field. Nearby a flock of at least fifty golden plovers provided our second year-tick. Also here at least 100 lapwing, a single curlew, seven oystercatcher and a small flock of whooper swan (19, increasing to 31 on the return journey).

The coastal walk was good too, with the sea flat-calm. Eider were everywhere, at least 1000 between Lervik and Grytskaren. Lervik produced two redshank and a surprise purple sandpiper. Ringed plovers were displaying and overhead a few reed buntings were heard as they migrated north. A flock of 80 starling was easily the largest of the year so far.

Grytskaren was rather quiet, examination of the eider flock again drew a blank for other eider species but turned up a solitary Slavonian grebe. Behind us a green woodpecker called. Ranarpsstrand produced a third year-tick, a fine pair of gadwall. Two cranes silently flew north.

In the afternoon we took the kids out for a run to Glimminge. Highlights here included at least 12 Slavonian grebes (they are obviously on the move) and seven common crossbill. The ugly male wigeon x mallard hybrid was still around.

Birding solo - 14/03/10

The lone goldfinch was at the feeder this morning. The team decided that they wanted to go into town by bus today so I opted out for a long walk along the coast. Driving in I stopped at Ljungbyholm, the huge field here is often good for swans and geese and produced a few birds today; whooper swan (8), Canada goose (121), lapwing (12) and skylark (50). Birds are setting up territories despite 30-50% snow cover, spring will arrive.

Walked the stretch from Vejbystrand to Grytskaren, a blue sky day with a light NW wind. Highlights included Slavonian grebe (1), good numbers of shelduck and teal, small numbers of wigeon, oystercatcher and ringed plover, as well as curlew (2) and dunlin (2). A calling green woodpecker at Vejbystrand was nice to hear and I flushed a single meadow pipit (very scarce at the moment). Grytskaren was busy with eider (at least 400), a few go-throughs produced nothing unusual, apart from six coot. Walking back a few migrating raptors were evident, including two superb strandline-hugging red kite and a single sparrowhawk.

More walking - 10/03/10

We all headed up to Önnarp this morning, it was good to others at the weekend, but the mist and cold and hint of snow did not do us any favours today. We trudged around a nice snowy circuit but the place was practically birdless. Just towards the end we came across a flock of tits that included three fantastic and annoyed coal tits, complete with little spiky crests. Coal tit was a patch year-tick for me, they are rather local on the higher ground in Bjäre.

Next stop was more wood-gathering at Lervik and Grytskaren. Good numbers of eider here (700), plus oystercatcher (1), lapwing (1) and curlew (1). Back at home I picked up the kids and walked back the long way around the village. It was pleasing to pick up three bullfinches and a single hawfinch. A flock of 30 brambling were around the garden today.

We had the famous white buzzard at Ängelsbäck on the way home, all white apart from a brown nape patch. Looked good in the snow.