last day of the storm and more seabirds

 Fulmar on the year list at last

With a borrowed car I was able to get to Yttre Kattvik early in the morning and birds were going past still. Good numbers of red-throated diver (56+) were on the move but I could not spot any other diver species. Highlights here in three hours were Slavonian grebe (5), fulmar (4), gannet (3), little gull (1), razorbill (1) and a fantastic close little auk.

Little auk scuttling past Yttre Kattvik

I checked Petersberg before lunch for some year-ticks; green woodpecker (1) and a little grebe. After lunch the team all headed for Axeltorpsravinen where we quickly connected with a dipper. Then we headed for a walk at Ripagården where a nice 2K little gull was feeding in the bay and we whopped off parrot crossbill (2), coal tit (1) and goldcrest for the year.

Little gull feeding near the harbour at Ripagården

Black

Mmmm - waxy goodness. Waxwings are definitely starting to move now, this one was in a flock of 25-30 in Båstad this afternoon.

Morning birding around Gröthögarna for me this morning. Slightly foggy start but it burned off quickly leaving me scratching about for birds. A few goldcrest flocks provided some excitement. All the highlights came at Ripagården; black woodpecker (1) and black redstart (1), although Dalen had two wheatears again and Norra Ängalag a massive total of 12 collared doves!

In the afternoon we all went for a walk around the harbour at Båstad. The surf scoter seems to be making itself at home, together with a female scaup, just offshore. Really rather obliging. Likewise the little auk has made itself comfortable. New birds today though were at least 25 waxwing, another black redstart and a single chiffchaff.

A quick look at Klarningen on the way home failed ot produce anything noteworthy.

The little auk remains in Båstad harbour and together with the surf scoter has drawn crowds of depressed dippers heading home from Kullen and the no-show of the isabelline wheatear this morning.

221!

My BK year-list hit 221 today, my best ever total and still a few birds to play for. Kicked off at first light with a circuit of Gröthögarna and Ripagården. Nice sunny day with first easterly winds here for some time, and forecast to go on through the week! Could be interesting.

Plenty of in-off finch action on the headland this morning with high flocks coming in from the west and just carrying on east overhead. At least thirty crossbill in amongst the commoner species and a low Lapland bunting called a few times overhead but did not appear to drop in. Bullfinches have started to appear in small numbers with at least eight during the walk. Gannets milled about offshore.

Ripagården produced the best birds in some ways with two grey wagtails, a great grey shrike and my first waxwings of the autumn (25 streaking south).

Picking up the team we all walked to the sea down Sinarpsdalen. I was hoping to make contact with the 1K golden eagle I saw sneaking along Hallandåsen and probably into BK two days ago. Just before lunch I got text telling me there was one offshore on Hallands Väderö. Well at least we knew which direction it would come from if it came our way! We had lunch at a suitable vantage point and blow me if the bird did not turn up flying in from the west just as we were packing up; a nice clean 1K bird and my first in BK since December 2007! It was also 221 for the year! Following close behind it was a rough-legged buzzard.

This young golden eagle was a most welcome addition to the BK year-list. In my first year here I saw two birds and since then nothing, so long overdue for a re-appearance.

Båstad harbour continues to host a little auk.

Walking on into Båstad we enjoyed another quick look at the surf scoter and took in the harbour little auk before taking the bus home. Great day in the field.

Rats!

Today's signature bird was undoubtedly the great skua, it was hard not to find at least one out in the bay at any point during the session.

Had a great sea-watching session today but I missed two good birds, one a BK tick, so it was a bitter-sweet experience. I spent five hours at Yttre Kattvik, arriving to find a quality team had already assembled and recorded a great northern diver. Not much I could do about that.

One of two Arctic terns sneaking past under the radar at Yttre Kattvik today.

Loads of birds going past, with the flavours of the day being great skua (12+,but uncountable really), kittiwake (241, BK year-tick...) and razorbill (49). Last week's favourite the gannet could only muster 38 individuals today. Other highlights included two Slavonian grebes, four fulmar, three sooty shearwaters (BK year-tick), a rough-legged buzzard in-off, two Arctic skuas, a little gull and five little auks (another BK year-tick). Without a doubt though the best bird was a really close adult Sabine's gull, sauntering past with a gang of kittiwakes. Adults are very scarce in Sweden and this one was very late. Terns were typically scarce with just one Sandwich and two Arctics past. Other non-seabird notables were a great grey shrike and a grey wagtail.

With just 1.5 hours remaining and with no sign of a Leach's petrel I decided to head to Båstad and try there. This was my downfall, had I stayed I would have been the proud owner of a second-hand Cory's shearwater... Gutting. But Båstad is good for close views of things and in the hour here I got great views of five great skuas, a frisky flyby little auk and also a tired-looking little auk which motored into the harbour and back out again. A single barn swallow enjoyed the late afternoon sun.

Seven little auk during the day were my first of the year. Always charming.