stonechat revisited

A trip to Klarningen was always part of the plan today as I did my rounds of chores. So I was well pleased when I got an SMS an hour before I was due there that a stonechat had been found on site. Bonus. I missed Jan's bird on the 9th and then the site was burned which must have put the bird off somewhat.

An adult white-tailed eagle had a good go at catching something right in front of the tower today at Klarningen.

Sure enough on arrival the tower had residents and they quickly put me onto the stonechat sitting on a fence post in the southern part of the site. An hour-and-a-half here was very productive with more year-ticks in the shape of garganey (one male), willow warbler (1) and a whinchat (1, early record? I guess but the database is down for maintenance so I cannot easily check). Other birds included a hunting white-tailed eagle, green sandpiper (3) and a single wheatear. Nice session.

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.

eagle

2K white-tailed eagle over Klarningen this morning

Had an hour at Klarningen part of a bid to take a day off from the roof and try and get over the virus that has been dogging me for weeks. A white-tailed eagle perched up for a while was the easy highlight of the session which also included little grebe (1), shoveler (1) and ruff (4). Rather quiet.

year-tick bonanza

Wheatear was a predictable addition to the year-list today, still only present in low numbers though with just four seen around Gröthögarna.

After nearly three weeks away on tour, a walk around Gröthögarna in the late morning produced a good crop of year-ticks. It was good to be back on patch and I enjoyed the fine weather. Highlights of the walk included; peregrine (1), gannet (4), four green sandpipers, plenty of chiffchaff and white wagtails, migrating barnacle geese, three goldfinch (at last), a male blackcap and the first swallow of the year.

News of a king eider at Eskilstorpsstrand sent me over that way later in the day and we eventually found it in the company of velvet scoter. A nice 2K male, my first in that plumage for some time and probably my first king eider in Halland too. A white-tailed eagle here spooked everything and so we headed for Klarningen and a picnic.

Klarningen was great with a good selection of waders; oystercatcher (2), little ringed plover (2), ruff (5), snipe (1), curlew (1) and green sandpiper (1). A total of eight swallows was the icing on the cake. Seven year-ticks takes the BK year-list to 136 and I am still somehow ahead of the competition.

This white-tailed eagle put many of the seaduck in Laholmsbukten to flight, including the 2K male king eider I was chasing.

45 minutes at Klarningen

All beak and no trousers, yet another photo of a white-tailed eagle.

Had a short session at Klarningen in the afternoon. Rather quiet on the migrant front. The teal flock has built to 55 but there were no other notable wildfowl species. The stars of the show were a rough-legged buzzard hunting all the rough ground and diving spectacularly at times. The buzzard went high at one point as a white-tailed eagle came through and tried to catch a teal. Two reed buntings were new-in.

Rough-leg back at Klarningen after being absent for most of the winter.

shed load of year-ticks

It wouldn't be winter without at least one photo of a white-tailed eagle

Got out for another morning of birding today. Checked out Torekovs rev at first light and found one roosting purple sandpiper. Finally logging one for the year, others saw up to ten later in the day of course. A flock of 32 wood pigeon here too.

Next stop was the main purpose of my day out, ie to try and locate the Arctic redpolls found by Nils Kjellén two days ago. I knew where they would be, as I had found a small flock of redpoll in the area in early November... Sure enough the fallow fields just north of the golf course held a big and very flighty flock of about 150 redpoll. In amongst them at least one Arctic but it was difficult to get good views of it sadly.

Moving on to Norra Ängalag I met up with Olof Jönsson and Thomas Svanberg and they were kind enough to find me some more year-ticks whilst I rested my shingles. Kittiwakes were flying past, a bird I have been overlooking this year! A sub-adult white-tailed eagle cruised north. Thomas called a trio of snow buntings as they flew north offshore. Razorbills were present offshore, together with a few red-throated diver and one black-throated.

We all headed back to the redpoll field and saw the Arctic again and the guys noticed a few twite in amongst the redpolls this time. Nice. On the way home I bagged barnacle goose and collared dove bringing the BK year-list to fairly creditable 72.

skuas! (05112013)

The comedy moment of the seawatch today came when Bengt informed us that he had passed a brent goose on the track out to Yttre Kattvik and it was coming our way. Sure enough half an hour later it paddled west past us with great determination. No Svalan code for migrating this way funnily enough...

We were promised half-decent westerlies today so I headed out to Yttre Kattvik after my domestic taxi-run this morning. Wind direction stayed a little to the south of west I suspect and we did not get the strength that was forecast but there was still stuff to be had, including a brace of year-ticks for me.

The four-hour session was notable for the number of kittiwake out in the bay (at least 150 being logged but perhaps many more) and I counted at least 60 gannets too. Skuas were occasionally spotted feeding a long way out in the bay and dark juvenile great, pomarine and even a late Arctic were logged. The latter was a year-tick and was joined at last by an adult little gull. Everything was rather distant though and surprisingly little else was moving. Sea duck went past in very small numbers but included two long-tailed duck. Five snow buntings came in-off and a brent goose paddled past west (only my second record of bernicla this year in BK).

A 2K white-tailed eagle really tried hard to catch something at Klarningen today, putting up the best goose flock of the season in the process...

After four hours I was done and headed to Klarningen for a check, picking up a hunting goshawk on the way. The move paid off well as I connected with the four cranes (over-wintering attempt?) as they flew between Eskisltorpsdammar and Skottorp as I drove up the access track. Then at the hide I just had time to go through a large assemblage of roosting geese before a young white-tailed eagle stormed on site and put them to flight. In amongst 650+ greylag were 45 barnacle geese, at least five white-fronted geese, one Taiga bean goose and what I initially thought were six tundra bean goose were actually pink-footed geese (thanks Jan...). Amongst the geese and unafraid of the eagle was a single adult tundra swan, my first of the autumn. Later two more adults migrated past. Nice session.

On the way home I looked unsuccessfully again for the great grey shrike at Älemossen but did pick up a huge flock of 17 long-tailed tits.

snow goose

Today's 1K white-tailed eagle, moments later it scragged an eider and drowned it before tucking in.

Managed to drag myself out into the field just before 0800 today. Hit Ripagården for an hour but there was very little moving overhead here and not much on the ground. A 1K white-tailed eagle cruised past and grabbed a male eider, calmly drowning it before tucking into breakfast. A black woodpecker called in the plantation and bouncing around in the tops of the pines a flock of ten crossbills was predictable enough this autumn. A jay to the south on Gröthögarna was another sign of autumn. Little moved on the sea but two red-necked grebes heading south were notable.

Next stop was Norra Ängalag, a large gathering of gulls was checked thoroughly but yielded nothing. A single wheatear feeding n the seaweed-covered shore another reminder of autumn and colder days to come.

Torekov rev was strangely deserted (disturbance?). Only birds of note a single rock pipit and a flyby red-throated diver.

In the afternoon we all headed out to Klarningen, a snow goose had been reported yesterday and it was still present today. Plastic fantastic! Also here 21 ruff and a dunlin. Later we walked Eskilstorpsstrand but nothing could we find. Strangely quiet at the moment, most migrants have bugged out and there seems to be slim pickings on the eastern front.

22052013 - no savi

Over breakfast I discovered that a Savi's warbler had been reported at Klarningen. I headed that way after the school run on an awful rainy day. No sign of the Savi's singing anywhere when I visited. Highlights included a superb 2K white-tailed eagle (my first BK individual in May), as well as less exciting records of shoveler (male) and three ruff.

Late at night I returned to listen again but a good walk around produced singing grasshopper warbler and my first marsh warbler of the year.

2K white-tailed eagle and entourage over Klarningen this morning

gyr again!

An adult white-tailed eagle gave a fly by on it's way north.

The gyr gave a fly by on it's way south and then I caught up with it again whilst chasing a water pipit on Vasaltheden. It flew up from the beach with a bird's wing clasped in it's talons!

Had two hours in the field before knuckling down to more African invertebrate identification. It may be cold and snowy at the moment but the lying snow is good for one thing, spotting grey partridge, and I finally got six near Öllöv for the year. Glimminge was my destination this morning. Quite a bit going on here with flyby white-tailed eagle and five shelduck on the sea. The high point though was the gyr coming past close in on it's way south.

I went south too walking onto Vasaltheden and whilst chasing a very annoying and flighty water pipit bumped into the gyr on the beach. It flew up with a bird's wing in it's talons and landed on a rock. The water pipit distracted me then the gyr flew inland out of sight. The fog descended and I headed back to the office.

got jack!

Finally got a photo of an obliging jack snipe this afternoon, this was my first ever at Torekov rev and as always a really smart bird. 

Nipped out late today for a six-hour session in the snow. Checked out Glimminge first which produced another brief water pipit. Up to Torekov next. Påarps mal was rather quiet, just two dunnock along the edge of the oat crop. A quick look at the sewage treatment works produced nothing but Svarteskär had two shags. 

Then it all came together at the rev with a nice run of good birds. A redshank called as I got out of the car, a species that has got steadily scarcer in winter in BK as the recent cold winters have taken hold. A jack snipe flushed from the edge of the dunes and I tracked it to it's 'hiding place', getting a great photo at very close range. Nearby another dunnock called from deep cover. Out on the rev the best birds were a pair of gadwall. Offshore three white-tailed eagles flew north in a rather scattered but purposeful formation. A sparrowhawk terrorised the small birds eking out a living on the frozen shoreline.

My last planned stop of the day was at Norra Ängalag, pretty quiet here apart from the continued slow and steady trickle of mute swans overhead in small flocks. They never go at the same time as the whoopers!

On the way home close to dusk I got a pager message that some shorelark had been spotted at Vejbystrand. On the off chance that they had strayed north into BK I checked them out but sadly they had strayed a long way and I never found them. Maybe they are wintering?

One of three white-tailed eagles that sallied out from Hallands Väderö in the late afternoon. I caught this juvenile heading back later over Norra Ängalag.

Back in time for BK MEGA

Despite very cold temperatures overnight, this eastern black redstart made it onto my BK list this morning. This race has an excellent chance of being split I reckon. Last autumn produced a bumper crop of this subspecies, with seven here in Sweden (if you include this individual) and the UK had it's first record too.

Tanzania was great but it caused not a little alarm when I realised just before I got home that BK was hosting a huge bird - Sweden's seventh eastern (phoenicuroides) black redstart! I need not have worried though as this morning it was behaving impeccably at Rålehamn to a small but appreciative audience. I checked out Torekov afterwards hoping for purple sandpipers, but came away empty-handed. Just white-tailed eagle (1) over on Hallands Väderö, two oystercatchers, a flyby black guillemot and a 2K shag.

Kattvik was devoid of gulls and I could not find the over-wintering chiffchaff. Last stop was Båstad where I watched with a certain amount of horror as an adult white-tailed eagle dispatched a male eider over 15 long minutes. The eagle kept harrying the eider, hooking a talon into it's head or neck whenever it could, until the blood loss and continual diving ensured an unpleasant drowning... At least 44 whooper swans sheltering here and the sea is starting to freeze already!

This white-tailed eagle killed a male eider at Båstad this morning. Killing the bird over 15 minutes and then waiting patiently for the corpse to drift into the shore.

Disturbed

All the wildfowl on the rev flushed up this afternoon to greet this young white-tailed eagle.

Been busy the last few days but got out for three hours this afternoon and headed for Torekov. The easterly winds are driving the sea as low as I have ever seen it and there was plenty of habitat to comb through at the rev. I gave it a good go but could not find the recently reported purple sandpiper, but did get a single grey plover and a redshank. The latter my first in BK for six weeks, they seem to be scarce everywhere in Sweden at the moment. Two small flocks of brent geese went south during my watch, totalling 15 birds, it is turning into a good autumn for this species. Also three gannets milling about. I left after a sub-adult white-tailed eagle repeatedly buzzed the rev driving everything away. I think it had its eyes on a dead eider near my position, so I walked off to check the rather quiet woodland inland and left it to it.

Last stop of the day was Påarps Mal where the shoreline produced another redshank and the rocky offshore outcrops at least two shags. Then all the birds were put up again, this time by a hovercraft...

All the wildfowl around Påarps Mal flushed up again, expecting the eagle I was equally surprised by one of the Swedish Army's transport hovercraft heading south.

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.

Lucky shrike

Sorry for yet another white-tailed eagle shot, they are the only things slow enough and big enough to photograph in the current hand-chilling conditions!

Nipped out for a walk with Mrs B this afternoon. We walked between Kattvik and Yttre Kattvik. Blue skies, brisk N wind and about minus 7 degrees. Not many birds about but that said we found yet another great grey shrike, ripping up a small mammal and looking at home in the freezing conditions. Few other birds of note during the hour, just one great crested grebe and one red-throated diver on the sea. Alcids seem to have vanished (along with Slavonian grebes) this winter.

On the way home we checked out Båstad harbour, picking up another white-tailed eagle for our troubles.

Winter is taking it's toll.

Birds everywhere

I must admit I have been thinking that things have gone a bit quiet birdwise here in BK of late. But yesterday when I read Leif Dehlin's returns from Ripagården, I was pleased to note that I may well be wrong and not a little gripped off too. So with a free morning together Mrs B and I headed out that way.

Only my second Gröthögarna great grey shrike, showed well but briefly before melting away.

First stop of the day was at Vråen, just before Ripagården, the bunting/finch flock was right up against the farmhouse this morning but behaved reasonably well and luckily the farmer here is happy that the crop sown for birds attracts both birds and birders! We got a few glimpses of Lapland bunting as the birds repeatedly spooked into the trees and then two flew out over our heads, calling away and landed conveniently on the road for 'scope views. Also here five reed buntings. The rest of a chilly hour here was spent cursing at a flock of 40-odd redpoll, sure enough after an hour a good Arctic redpoll had been processed but as always I wonder how many there really were. I am not sure there is a more frustrating exercise than trying to determine Arctic from mealy redpoll. Mrs B could be heard chortling behind me as my invective got steadily more fruity.

A young white-tailed eagle, up in the air over Ripagården with an adult this morning.

Ripagården had a big flock of 200 mallard which included just one teal and two wigeon. A snowy walk around Gröthögarna produced more notable birds; red-throated diver (1 south), redwing (2, my first for ages), goldcrest (5) and best of all a great grey shrike. Out on Tjällran was at least one purple sandpiper. Back at Ripagården a scan of the bay revealed a black-throated diver (1), two splendid white-tailed eagles and in the wood behind we could hear black woodpecker. Driving back past Vråen we had a gang of four snow buntings and nearby a single skylark, the latter looking set to overwinter. Great walk, packed with great birds.

The adult white-tailed eagle.

Hat-trick on Öland

We all went to Öland for three days and it was fab!

The main drag through the Ottenby reserve down to the southern tip of Öland is excellent for getting close views of stuff - this fantastic grey grey shrike stopped us in our tracks as we headed down for the accentor on Day 1.

The star of our long-weekend was this MEGA black-throated accentor! It stayed just long enough for us to get amazing views down to two metres on the Friday and then disappeared overnight in time for the Saturday crowds (sounds familiar...). Team Benstead does not twitch much but this bird was truly splendid.

We rounded off Day 1 by finding this skulky reed warbler (in October!) at Sebybadet. The weather had gone wrong for continuing arrivals of Sibes sadly but the family appreciated the incredible blue-sky birding.

Sebybadet also produced my first waxwings of the autumn, they should be on-patch now too I reckon.

The highlights of Day 2 included my first Swedish dusky warbler (Triberga läge) and also my first steppe eagle (here with a white-tailed eagle). After ignominiously dipping one in Skåne with Terry on New Year' Day, it was a wonderful moment when this sub-adult bird appeared overhead with four white-tailed eagles at Ottenby.

Other highlights included a strong supporting cast of stuff at Ottenby including a good red phalarope, purple sandpiper, black redstart and bearded tit, an Arctic redpoll at Kapelludden and rough-legs were on the move throughout the island. We also saw more birders than I have seen all year. Great trip!

Patch tick!

I am not sure my thrash-birding approach to getting over this cold virus is working but at least I am seeing some birds. Kicked off this morning by walking Ripagården to Hovs Hallar, hoping as ever to hear a Siberian warbler or pipit to add to the patch list. No joy on the scarce migrant front but did get some good birds. The best thing was my latest ever red-backed shrike (1K), feeding quietly but looking a little tired (origin?). My first in October. Also here a monumental 10 jays, five over-flying parrot crossbills, a redstart (another October first) and a close white-tailed eagle.

This white-tailed eagle flew up from the beach on the way back to the car at Ripagården this morning.

Drove to Torekov next and was passing the golf course when I saw this hunting...

Ooooh, a 1K red-footed falcon, perhaps only the second recent BK record and an excellent patch-tick.

Yep, a red-foot, got really close and took some truly awful flight images (not the above, took that later...), before it flew off east and away. The photos were so poor, I almost bought a DSLR on the spot. Another day. Headed to the rev next and was surprised to find very few birds on the ground; grey plover (3), dunlin (1) and bar-tailed godwit (1). Had a good look in the woods which produced a few goldcrest, more jays and a nice green woodpecker. As I walked back a lonely brent goose batted past north.

Driving home I could hardly believe my eyes when I spotted this on roadside wires just outside Torekov...

The same wires that gave me a hawk owl last year... It was equally tame and allowed a swift redress of the photographic balance. Sweet!

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.

Postcard from the Elbe

Stopped off in the middle Elbe in Germany on our recent foray into France. The idea was to chase a few dragonflies, but other stuff kept getting in the way. This section of the Elbe was one of the few remaining strongholds of the European beaver before their successful re-introduction to parts of their former range. It was surprising though to be watching a huge adult down to less than 2 metres (with the kids perched on our shoulders) within half an hour of arrival... (my camera was in the car!)

Distant white-tailed eagle, one of a pair harrassing wildfowl along the river.

One of the obvious differences in the bird fauna compared to southern Sweden was that black kites were numerous.

Somatochlora metallica

A good population of white storks is found along this stretch of the Elbe.

Of the 16 species of dragonfly encountered the most pleasing for me was a small population of Erythromma viridulum. Not seen these guys since I left the UK. Our target species Ophiogomphus cecilia eluded us...