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.

whooper trooper

Part of a huge flock of wildfowl feeding in fields in Ängalag was today's treat, a huge congregation by local standards and including at least one tundra swan, two pink-feet and two white-fronted geese.

Managed to drag myself away from the computer this morning and get out in the field for a grey and wet afternoon of birding. We screeched to a halt in Ängalag when we spotted a huge flock of whooper swans in a fallow field. Closer inspection revealed a lot of wildfowl, with counts of whooper swan (270), greylag goose (237), barnacle goose (100) and canada goose (69) making it the biggest flock of grazing wildfowl I have ever seen in BK. In amongst all this we managed to pick up one tundra swan, two white-fronted geese and best-of-all another two pink-footed geese (perhaps the same individuals first seen on Tuesday). Epic stuff and indicative of the early move north by migrants this year due to the mild weather.

Afterwards Torekovs rev in the rain did not seem half as exciting and we did not linger long. A black woodpecker flew by and out on the rev was a single snow bunting.

busy morning

The wind went south overnight and today's session was a stark contrast to yesterday's. I got seven year-ticks! First up was a roadside flock of swans near Grevie kyrkby; 18 whoopers and three Bewick's. I motored up to Påarps mal happy with my first year-tick but the fun continued. Forty minutes of watching here produced ten bean geese north and as I was leaving two stock dove flew by. Also here a water pipit that was starting to colour up.

The sewage works finally produced lapwing (6) for my BK year-list and the goose action continued with four rather distant white-fronted geese. The rev was the next stop, the small patch of sand here produced a solo ringed plover, another first for the year. I checked Flytermossen but it was quiet and then looked in on Norra Ängalag (ditto). Driving home though I spotted eight waxwing in Ängalag - my first since mid-December and always a pleasure to see. A great morning in the field.