sunday morning (20150614)

Got out in the morning and checked Ripagården (a late long-tailed duck was the easy highlight of a quiet session) and then the woodland at Haga. Caught quite a few new micromoths at both sites but the backlog of unidentified species is starting to get daunting! Haga also produced two new macromoths in the shape of Drepana falcataria and Scopula floslactata.

Later on in the day I set the traps at Rosentorp and bumped into the lesser spotted woodpecker again.

great hobby (20150509)

Had a quick birthday birding session after going through two largely empty moth traps (frost overnight!). Checked Ripagården en route to Hovs Hallar. A little ringed plover was singing in the carpark, together with a cuckoo and the first of three thrush nightingales. Walking the site suggested a light fall overnight with plenty of wheatears, a single redstart and a few lesser whitethroat on the ground. Offshore a single black-throated diver and three red-necked grebes. Walking back to the car I was overtaken by a hobby powering inland.

brace of year-ticks (20150403)

Got out for a couple of hours in the afternoon today. Near Boarp a goshawk crossed the road. At Ripagården things were fairly quiet, just a red-necked grebe offshore. Nearby in fields at Vråen a large flock of gull included at least eleven lesser black-backed gulls (my first of the year).

A quick look at Torekovs rev produced a nice grey wagtail (ditto), at least ten rock pipits and a few white wagtails.

great day out (20150226)

Had an increasingly rare day in the field today in southerly winds, blues skies and lots of bird movement (mostly skylarks!). Skylarks were definitely the bird of the day, plenty already singing on territory and they could be heard overhead nearly continuously along the coast in the morning.

Great grey shrike finally fell for the year at Ripagården (one of four year-ticks recorded during the day), an engaging individual that was hopping about on the short turf searching for invertebrates. Thanks Sara!

I started the day at Glimminge plantering, where the beach failed to produce a ringed plover but it was evident here and at all coastal sites visited afterwards that shelduck had arrived in numbers. Dagshög next to check for the black duck (no sign), two black guillemots well offshore were the highlight here. Påarps mal did produce the black duck, sheltering in the rocks from the brisk southerly wind. Out on the island were my first ringed plovers (3) and three lapwing. Torekovs rev had two more ringed plovers and at least three oystercatchers. A single purple sandpiper was spotted way to the south on Svarteskär.

Norra Ängalag had a few birds moving through including ten white-fronted geese and a single stock dove going like a bat out of hell. My last coastal stop of the day was at Ripagården hoping for the great grey shrike reported earlier in the week. It was still present and showed very well, hopping about in search of food in the short turf by the sea. A Lapland bunting calling as it flew north was a nice bonus.

Finally I had a quick look at Klarningen. Lots going on here for a day in February with 17 shelduck, 12 teal and 36 lapwing all seeming very early.

Wildfowl count - Torekov to Hovs Hallar

Had a great session doing another wildfowl count today. Snow was on the ground but the temperature barely dropped below zero, we might get a winter yet though. Torekov harbour had seven coot (!), 25 over-flying and very noisy twite (year-tick) and I nearly saw a black redstart I think...

The rev produced another noisy flock of 35 twite and at least two purple sandpipers. Rålehamn next and pretty routine here although the mirror calm sea produced the first three razorbill of the day. Out on Tjällran it was pretty quiet, something to do no doubt with the two large white-tailed eagles in residence.

Norra Ängalag produced another year-tick in the shape of a red-necked grebe (finally!) and there were at least ten twite feeding in fields here too. The final Ripagården leg delivered another year-tick (black guillemot), as well as 12 common crossbill and a dunnock. Not a bad count.

Afterwards I checked Klarningen for rough-legged buzzard and scored one. A few thrushes going past south included a single redwing. Checked Petersberg next and discovered that machinery is on site to level the reedbed and pit for development. I never really found anything amazing here over the last seven years but I always enjoyed poking about here for birds and other wildlife and it was one of the few bits of deep, open freshwater in the municipality. It will make reedbed birds harder to find, and destroy one of only two of the municipality's red-necked grebe breeding sites. Why the kommun is building houses in a floodplain is anyone's guess but no doubt money talked.

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.

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

yellow-browed!

At least four snow buntings at Torekov this morning, my first of the season.

After eight days in the UK it was great to be back in the field in BK today, despite the soggy weather. I checked out Påarps Mal first but there was little to see. Further north in Torekov proper I tried to find yesterday's little auk in the harbour but it had already departed. Four shags on the rocks here though and a peregrine paid a brief visit unsuccessfully hunting a starling. At the rev the easy highlight was four snow buntings and a redshank. Checked Ripagården for the reported parrot crossbills without success.

Wondering if I was destined to get a year-tick for my troubles I decided to head for Båstad harbour for another crack at little auk. Unfortunately there was way too much disturbance here with the harbour basin still being dredged and the damage from last winter's storms being repaired. So I figured on Klarningen next but Paul Cook rang me just as I got out of town, he had seen a yellow-browed warbler briefly in his lunch break and needed the id confirmed. Where was he? Only in the grounds of the dagis my daughter went to for three years!

Meeting up with Paul, he filled me in and I walked off down the footpath finding the bird quickly just where he had left it earlier, despite it remaining completely silent. What a great bird. I put the news out once I had got some decent images and Kent and Håkan popped out to have a look at it whilst I waited in vain for the bird to call and tried to get images. In the end I had to drag myself away to pick up the kids.

Yellow-browed warbler, one of my most-wanted BK birds finally falls.

woo hoo!

Cracking day in the field today together with the kids, who kept themselves amused in typical fashion and enjoyed a superb burst of weather, with sun and ridiculous temperatures for the time of year.

Kicked off at Ripagården hoping for the three species of crossbill that have been hanging round. No dice with crossbills but the session here was not without excitement, most of which was offshore. The stiff southerly breeze produced a surprising number of seabirds. The best of which was a fairly close-in 1K pomarine skua. Further out a steady trickle of little gulls and kittiwake was evident and there were reasonable numbers of gannet in the mix too. Pleasant birding. Met up with Bengt here and as he was going south we went north!

Still a few cranes knocking about

Next stop was Yttre Kattvik just to see what the wind conditions were doing to sea-watching here. There were gannets going past but the gull passage was reduced. Interesting. Having promised the kids a burger for lunch our next stop was on the way - Klarningen. Some great birding here too with seven cranes flying in as we approached and quite a few geese on the ground. A quick look through the greylags and barnacle geese revealed at least four tundra bean geese and 11 white-fronted geese. The best bird here though was a redhead smew - only my second record of the year. Amazingly the curlew sandpiper remains, although this should not really be a surprise when we you consider that we have yet to experience temperatures consistently below double-figures this autumn...

After all this excitement we retreated to have lunch and run a few errands during which time I failed to notice that my phone was trying to tell me something. Jobs done we drove to Torekov, parked and finally received a text message saying that the rose-coloured starling was still being elusive!!! Where was it? Less than 300 metres from where we had parked! It took a while for members of the small team hunting for the bird to find it but there it was - a BK tick and one missed during a China trip two years ago. Amazingly this bird was found in the same place and on the same date as the one two years ago. The finder? Bengt of course. BK now has three records of this species and all come from Torekov.

Record shot of the rosy starling

Paul Cook had been one of the people trying to contact me during my 'lost hour' and he eventually joined us to have a look at the bird too. Before he arrived though the most surprising bird of the day drifted through the nearby gardens - a willow warbler, my first in October! Great day out.

another two!

The white-tailed eagle was hunting again at Klarningen...

With new optics in the bag it was time to go for a test drive. Hit Ripagården first thing and had a tidy little session. I could hear bearded tits in the reedbed from the harbour and wandered over to have a peek. Nine birds were present and they occasionally called and flew up out of the reedbed and back again but I did not have to wait too long before they plucked up the courage to depart high to the south. A scarce bird in BK and my first record for three years. Whilst standing by the reedbed a loud cough produced calls from two water rails. Checking the sea produced a surprise short-eared owl, angling to come in-off at Gröthögarna it was intercepted by hooded crows as it made landfall and chased north again, eventually hitting the coast at Hovs Hallar! Looking south and at long-range I spotted the black redstart that Bengt found a couple of days ago on the harbour breakwater. Nice run of birds!

Driving over to Klarningen to test my new scope produced a few good birds. The white-tailed eagle adult was tearing about chasing after wildfowl when I arrived. Otherwise fairly standard fare here with good numbers of lapwing (250), golden plover (300) and shoveler (7). Amazingly the 1K curlew sandpiper is still present. This time I found it feeding on the grass with a small flock of lapwing! No-one else has reported this bird during it's stay and I am starting to doubt my sanity...

Last stop of the day was at Lya where a fine great grey shrike was predictable but welcome nonetheless.

wildfowl count - part 2 (20140920)

The second part of my September wildfowl count produced some great birds including two BK year-ticks - nice to get a reward sometimes.

Getting out of the car at Torekovs rev just after 0800 was greatly enlivened by a close flyby Richard's pipit, calling well as it flew low south (just flushed from golf course?). Only my second BK record and my first self-found bird. Excellent. The rev was otherwise quiet although six shoveler were present, barnacle geese were obviously moving in modest numbers and a single bar-tailed godwit was only my second of the year...

Next stop was Rålehamn where a brief glimpse of a wryneck was confirmed by a sudden, surprising and very brief burst of song. The rest of the count up to Hovs Hallar passed without further excitement.

scorcher

A warm sunny day had the odos out along the coast including this Cordulia on the golf club ponds at Torekov. Worth getting shouted at by irate golfers...

Had a morning in the field today and headed for the coast in blazing sunshine. Torekov rev had obviously received some migrants with two red-backed shrikes, a sedge warbler, two icterine warblers and a thrush nightingale in the bushes and at least nine yellow wagtails in the grass. A quick look at the new golf club pools in between golfers produced Cordulia aenea, Ischnura pumilio and Coenagrion pulchellum. But then I had to move on...

Norra Ängalag next and the plantation here had five spotted flycatchers for a year-tick. Down at the coast and in line with the many SMS texts received from the NW boys was a splendid passage of barnacle geese (1500+ but no brent). The shoreline near my watch point eventually delivered a nice set of waders with single dunlin, green sandpiper and best-of-all a single Temminck's stint.

Last stop of the day was at Ripagården which was rather quiet for birds barring 18 mostly thunbergi yellow wagtails. The odos though included a single tiny female Ischnura pumilio - my first of the year.

back on patch

Had an hour in the field this afternoon during a busy day. Good to be back in BK.

Woke to find a pied flycatcher singing in the garden which was nice. It was singing right by one of our nest-boxes. An hour at Ripagården in the afternoon produced another year-tick - common whitethroat but little else of note. Eider ducklings were new for the year too and I also had flyover yellow wagtail and singing thrush nightingale and reed warbler.

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.

polecat (20140325)

Not how I hoped to find my first BK polecat... Dead on road at
Västra Karup.

Nipped out in the afternoon for a look around for firecrests again. On the way stopped for a dead polecat at Västra Karup, my first in Sweden and the first Artportalen record for BK.

It was bitterly cold in a NW wind at Yttre Kattvik and I saw no small birds of any kind. On my way round to Ripagården I stopped for a huge gathering of gulls following a plough and picked up four adult lesser black-backed gulls. At Ripagården things were slow but there were four white wagtails on the beach and two song thrushes in the plantation.

rock pipit at Klarningen!

Had another good morning in the field which kicked off with my first moorhen of the year at Lindab in the village.

First up today was a good look in the plantation at Ripagården to see if I could latch onto a firecrest during the mini-influx that we seem to be experiencing in southern Sweden at the moment. No joy on that front but it was god to be out. Two lesser-black-backed gulls in a huge gathering of herring gulls were new for the year and several chiffchaffs and a song thrush were belting out their songs. It was calm on the sea and there were several red-throated divers (17) offshore, the start of the build-up that will see thousands departing inland in early May.

I could not resist a look at Klarningen before lunch and an hour here was excellent. The easy highlight being a rock pipit in summer-plumage (initially mis-identified as a water pipit...). Rock pipits are regular winter visitors to coastal BK but I never thought I would see one away from the shoreline! A nice record. Also here barnacle goose (2), wigeon (37), gadwall (4), teal (67), snipe (5) and redshank (1).

pinks

One of today's highlights was the huge flock of 30 purple sandpipers that is currently in residence at Torekovs rev.

Got out this morning to search along the coast between Påarps Mal and Ripagården. Plenty of year-ticks to be had, I ended up with five! I had not even got to the coast when I stopped at Slättaröd to check out my first stock dove of the year. Påarps Mal produced a flock of 19 resting ringed plovers and nearby the sewage works had my first oystercatcher. I checked out Svarteskär next for shags but there were none, instead an adult  peregrine offshore on Vinga Skär, four black guillemot on the sea and two razorbill past. The rev produced a fantastic flock of 30 purple sandpipers (my previous best of 17 blown away in the process).

Last proper stop of the day was Norra Ängalag, here a mistle thrush erupted out of the juniper and going through the greylag geese out on Tjällran produced the big surprise of the day - two pink-footed geese. A quick look at Ripagården on the way home failed to turn up anything notable.

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!

wildfowl count - Torekov to Hovs Hallar

Another morning duck counting, this time in much milder conditions, between Torekov and Hovs Hallar. In between the counting I found a few good birds. A male pintail popped up at Rålehamn. I finally found a raven (!) for the year, one flying noisily around Norra Ängalag. Ripagården produced a treecreeper in a small flock that also included three goldcrest. Tjällran had a roosting peregrine.

After the count I headed for Båstad to have a quick look for the oystercatcher, no sign but 18 whooper swans in the bay. Klarningen next hoping for the great grey shrike that has been reported occasionally over the winter. It was quiet on site but amazingly on the way home I picked up a great grey shrike as I drove up Sinarpsdalen. Year-tick number four for the day but as I opened the door I added another as ten waxwing swept over the front garden.

BK tick!

2014 got going nicely today with a BK tick no less. Checked out Torekovs rev very late in the morning (relaxed and slightly lazy birding being the order of the year so far). No sign of any purple sandpipers here sadly but the coastal bushes had goldcrest (1), dunnock (1) and reed bunting (1). More indicators of the ridiculously mild winter we are experiencing.

A quick look for the shags (5) south of the harbour was a very good idea. Here I found Nils Kjellén and he had just found an adult yellow-legged gull! Result. Perhaps the same bird that spent the early part of the winter just north of BK in Halland? Also here one gannet for the year-list. Driving out of BK to pick up Mrs B we bumped into our first red kite of the year and that brought up the 50. Slow and steady!