windy

Got out for an hour along the coast this morning but had not factored in a very stiff westerly wind. Checked the coast between Stora Hult and Ranarpsstrand hoping for an early wheatear but no dice. The best birds were a flock of 20+ purple sandpipers going north off Ranarpsstrand.

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.

return of the glaucous

Spent the morning tramping around the Killeröd loop with Paul Cook and his mate from the UK, this nutcracker was one of the target birds we did find but we failed to find the normally easy crested tits...

Had a rough-legged buzzard in Grevie on my way to meet up at Killeröd with Paul Cook and a mate of his from the UK. A crossbill dropped in whilst I waited for them to arrive and then we walked the long loop which was very quiet apart from a nutcracker halfway round and four willow tits near the car park when we got back.

Next stop was Torekov but a biting northerly wind sapped our enthusiasm after we had logged 23 purple sandpipers at the rev. Also here a redpoll (my first of the year at last), a shelduck and a Slavonian grebe. I split from the guys here and headed south to check Ranarpsstrand for jack snipe - no habitat after the storm so no joy. Apart from 16 starling feeding on the foreshore the place was pretty quiet.

It all happened on the way home when I noticed a large flock of fieldfare feeding in a field at Ranarp. Stopping I found myself next to a large flock of greylag in a ploughed field that demanded inspection. Sure enough two neck-collars were in the flock but no other geese species sadly. As I got out of the car for my 'scope I flushed a covey of nine grey partridge (nice year-tick) and later when the geese were checked I turned round to the ploughed field on the other side of the road and found the elusive glaucous gull feeding with other gulls and getting ridiculously muddy feet! This bird has not been seen since the 18th but is obviously still present! A quick check of the fieldfare flock revealed a redwing - bonus!

soggy

Had three hours in the field this morning but the weather was not very pleasant with light rain throughout. It was hard to take a great deal of pleasure from the session and this was not helped by a paucity of birds. I started at Stora Hult, Grytskären and Ranarpsstrand. Little of note here, a single Slavonian grebe (Stora Hult), gannet (1 past) and a sparrowhawk at Ranarpsstrand.

Moving north significantly dropped in on Rammsjöstrand hoping for jack snipe but there were workmen all over the sewage works field and after grabbing my first dunnock of the year and checking for the black duck I moved on again. Påarps mal produced the black duck and it was pleasant going through the pipits here, but no sign of the water pipit today.

My birding day ended later at dusk when three waxwing flew over Grevie kyrkby - my first of the winter, let alone the year!

catch up

Great views again today of the very confiding BK glaucous gull, this time at Ranarpsstrand. The porpoise carcass out on Grytskären got washed over to the mainland in the storm and she has followed.

Whizzed around with the kids today to try and cosh off a few potential year-ticks found by others during the last few days. Started off at Påarps Mal and we quickly connected with a pipit flock that contained the three species we were after, including at least five rocks and a water. Out on one of the islands the black duck was roosting.

Next stop was Torekov rev where four purple sandpipers finally put in an appearance and then we dashed off to Ripagården. Here we quickly found a small flock of about 12 common crossbills and finally got great spotted woodpecker for the year. Another reed bunting here was nice.

After lunch we nipped down to Ranarpsstrand to try for jack snipe but only succeeded in getting great views of the 2K glaucous gull as the sun dipped to the horizon.

New Year New List

Spent six hours in the field today chasing a few year-ticks. Ended the day on 40 but these included the recently arrived glaucous gull (this time found at Grytskären) and the long-staying male American black duck. Bonus! Not a great deal of excitement apart from these two species, a very brisk westerly put paid to a lot of passerine action along the coast... I did see an unseasonal snipe (1, Ranarpsstrand), starling (12, Grytskären), white-tailed eagle (1, Ranarp), whooper swan (6 south at Torekov) and gannet (3, Kattvik). Finished up at an empty Klarningen before rain stopped play for the day.

kingfisher

Checked Ranarpsstrand for an hour in the afternoon and found some good birds; kingfisher (1) was nice and we also had jack snipe (1) and skylark (1). Two starlings south were my first for a while and there was a reed bunting briefly too.

two BK year-ticks

Shorelark - a scarce bird in BK, only my third record since 2007.

Got out for an hour-and-a-half after lunch and mopped up a few niggly omissions to the year-list. First stop was Stora Hultstrand where the shorelark found yesterday by Håkan J was showing well. A good supporting cast here too with a Slavonian grebe on the sea, three brent geese and a greenshank.

Just had time for a look at Ranarpsstrand and managed to find a jack snipe very quickly, allowing to time to enjoy three more Slavonian grebes and a flock of four greenshank.

 Jack

another odo (20140429)

Odo number two for the BK year - Pyrrhosoma nymphula at Bösketorp.

This crazy warm and sunny weather had me out again for much of the day. A quick look at Ljungbyholm before doing some housework saw me not finding dotterel again.

After lunch I nipped out to Bösketorp and easily added little grebe (4) to my year-list. Also here a few green sandpipers, common sandpiper (1) and two Pyrrhosoma nymphula for the odo year-list. Nearby at Hålehallstugan were a couple of red-necked grebe and a singing reed warbler (another year-tick).

At the end of the day I checked out Ranarpsstrand for an hour, things were quiet but five whimbrel and a similar number of greenshank livened things up a bit. Nearby in Ranarp a pair of grey partridge.

first BK dragonfly of the year

My first teneral BK odo fluttered into view today at Frestensfälla - surprisingly it was an Anisopteran - Leucorrhinia rubicunda. The first April record for BK and my earliest by two weeks.

Could not resist a day out today. Started off checking the big field at Ljungbyholm. Dotterel are moving and there is a surprising amount of freshly tilled soil available... No sign though this morning just 41 golden plover and a curlew.

Did a number of sites quickly during the morning. Ranarpsstrand was great with a pair of garganey and a single common sandpiper providing year-tick action. Also here a single male gadwall and four white-fronted geese through north. Out on Grytskären were another couple of male gadwall and two female pintail.

Påarps mal next. Lesser whitethroats were blasting out their song and the calm sea allowed an appreciation of the sheer number of common scoter well offshore, at least a thousand birds stretching from Hallands Väderö down towards Dagshög. Torekovs rev provided another year-tick - a little tern. Also here six purple sandpipers, greenshank (1) and whimbrel (1). Nearby Flytermossen had a single male marsh harrier.

In the afternoon I headed along the high ground, picking up a crane at Atteköp whilst listening unsuccessfully for wood warblers. Nearby at Frestensfälla I had a single teneral Leucorrhinia rubicunda at the pool and tree pipits were singing here.

Last stop of the afternoon was at Klarningen. Rather quiet here but nine wood sandpipers and seven ruff were entertaining. Two wheatears were my first on site for the year and the wetland over the river in Laholm kommun was obviously busy with a marsh harrier flushing a flock of ten shoveler into the view at one point.

The afternoon was also notable for the great sandhill crane excitement, I was looking after the kids after school and could not take part in the hunt for Sweden's first record of this species.. It may have passed north over the eastern boundary of BK...

more year-ticks (20140421)

 Not just birds were on the move today, the kids found several eyed ladybirds (Anatis ocellata) at Ranarpsstrand

Another day spent largely in the field produced another crop of year ticks and took me over 150 for the year. First stop was Klarningen. Forty minutes here produced three shoveler and a ringed plover but apparently I missed a wood sandpiper... A short listen at Petersberg produced a demi-squeal from a water rail that was enough to secure it for the year. Eskilstorpsstrand was calm and there were lots of grebes on the sea, 13 red-necked grebes being rather special but also ten great crested grebes were also present. Surprisingly no real sense of a build-up of red-throated divers ahead of the migration spectacle in early May - just seven birds feeding offshore.

We all took a walk later around the Killeröd loop walk. I finally laid coal tit to rest for the year, they are singing well now and I also heard singing willow tit which is always a pleasure. Finally we checked Ljungbyholm en route to Ranarpsstrand, it was quiet. Ranarpsstrand however was interesting with greenshank (1) flushed on arrival and a house martin coming in-off. Also here of note were a pair of shoveler and a male gadwall.

super Sunday

Tufties in flight at Vysterborg today whilst I hunted in vain for Sympecma fusca...

Spent a large part of the day in the field today under a blazing sun. Started late but made the most of it. Stora Hultsstrand was excellent with a turnstone, bar-tailed godwit (1) and two Sandwich terns all providing year-ticks, plus the only barn swallow of the day. Ranarpsstrand had five gadwall and two resting common terns (year-tick number four). Nearby Segelstorpsstrand failed to provide anything new.

After lunch I quickly toured a few likely spots for Sympecma fusca but failed to find any. Full of hope I visited the only site I have seen a Sympecma in BK and skunked there too. It must have been a wayward individual but I am still hoping to find where it came from.

Later we checked out Dagshög quickly - gannet (1), osprey (1) and a surprise carrion crow. Next stop was Påarps Mal for gadwall (pair), shoveler (male) and 77 roosting golden plover. We BBQ'd our dinner at Ripagården picking up a solitary whimbrel south in the process.

arctic roll!

Had my first proper morning in the field for some time today and it was packed full of birds. I worked the coast between Stora Hult and Gröthögarna searching in vain for a large congregation of feeding eider but sadly failing. No king this year perhaps...

Stora Hultstrand had single Slavonian and red-necked grebe and redshank (2), as well as a decent-sized flock of common scoter (130+). Nearby Grytskären had a single flyby curlew and more redshank. Ranarpsstrand produced a single flyby white-tailed eagle, another red-necked grebe and (far inland) a flock of 200+ golden plover took to the air. Segelstorpsstrand was quiet (just five great crested grebe). At Glimminge I heard my first reed bunting song of the year and also bumped into three twite.

The king eider search continued north. I dropped into Rammsjöstrand (a rare event), no eiders here but the small birdy bay just north of the harbour had some redshank (2) and a pair of gadwall. Next stop was Påarps mal and here I got three year-ticks in no time at all. A white wagtail was feeding along the shoreline, as were at least three dunlin and back in the juniper there was a pair of linnet. Offshore at least two shags on the rocks. The rev was busy with birders when I got there but I had a quick look, counting one dunlin and 17 purple sandpipers out on the rocks before the crowds sent me scuttling on my way.

Last stop of the morning was a look at Norra Ängalag but before I got there I was stopped in my tracks by the Rålehamn redpoll flock. Back again and still containing an Arctic redpoll (this bird was last seen on 1st February) . I got reasonable views on the deck through the scope but the bird was very skittish as usual so no chance of a photo. Also in the mix, at least three twite and 25 linnets.

Very little time remained to me to examine Norra Ängalag but a quick look revealed a pair of gadwall and yet another redshank.

In the afternoon we all walked in Sinarpsdalen, the only bird of note being a single jay, although the kids made so much noise they were probably disturbing birds down on the coast...

eider know

Had a quick look through the eiders massing off Segelstorpsstrand and Ranarpsstrand this morning. No sign of a king eider yet but the build-up looks promising and many of the birds are feeding close inshore too.

A similarly quick look at the swan flock at Ängalag revealed that numbers have dropped just 217 whooper swans today and fewer geese but including at least one white-fronted goose and a limping pink-footed goose.

green woodpecker

It was wet and miserable this morning but I got out to look for the reported spotted redshank at Klarningen. No sign of it sadly but good numbers of widlfowl on site with teal (50), pintail (1), wigeon (7) and shelduck (6) amongst others.

Eventually the rain moved me on and I walked around Petersberg a bit. A large flock of tufted duck (149) was in residence and I finally heard my first green woodpecker of the year.

In the afternoon I checked out Ranarpsstrand with the kids quickly, plenty of oystercatcher (7) and shelduck (20) but nothing out-of-place.

100!

Bird of the day, an unseasonal 2K tundra swan, found by Jan and twitched off in the afternoon. Most of our tundra's come through in early spring and late autumn.

Got out early chasing a possible gyr falcon reported yesterday on Gröthögarna. Walked from Norra Ängalag to Ripagården and picked up a few good birds but no gyr. Walkign down to the coast at the start I flushed a common snipe from the side of the track. The big freeze is putting them in strange places apparently. A peregrine was out on Tjällran but there was little else of note until I reached Ripagården. Here on the seaweed bank by the harbour were nine starlings and a song thrush. Back at the car later a 2K female goshawk gave an impressive flyby.

In the afternoon we checked out Ranarpsstrand searching for pheasant (!), unseen by anyone this year in BK apparently... We saw a male! Hearing of a tundra swan found by Jan Skidell we drove up to Torekovs rev and were put onto the bird by a helpful birder. Also here at least one purple sandpiper to round off the day. The year-list hits 102 in record time, perhaps three weeks earlier than usual, although it has helped that I have actually been in Sweden during the whole of the month!

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.

23102013

Got out at last for a quick look at Grytskären and Ranarpsstrand in the afternoon after looking after one of my kids who was ill for the first part of the week. Off Grytskären there were tow red-necked grebes and nearby two Slavonians. A single crossbill flew out of the plantation.

Ranarpsstrand was similarly quiet a single late lesser black-backed gull and a jack snipe were notable.

calm

Had half an hour in the field at the end of the day today and hit Ranarpsstrand with the kids. It was flat calm and the conditions allowed me to see just how bird-free the sea is at the moment. Very few sea-duck or grebes. We did find five Slavonian grebes and one red-necked grebe offshore though. Walking the coast we flushed three jack snipe, my best day total in BK.