aythya_hybrid
real name Jonathan Dean
Sean Nixon and I just returned from an excellent long weekend in Southern Scandinavia. Whilst further north in Sweden probably has a more fearsome reputation for top quality winter birding, and the region of Sweden we were in is better known for autumn raptor passage, our three days of birding in the easily accessible environs of Copenhagen and Malmö produced high quality birds with relatively little effort: Hawk Owl the clear highlight, but a decent supporting cast included Arctic Redpoll, Eagle Owl, Golden Eagle, WT Eagle, RL Buzzard, Crane plus other bits and bobs such as Smew, Scaup, Twite, Snow Bunting, Red Kite...
21st Feb
Hareskov, NW Copenhagen:
After a very early flight we left Copenhagen airport before 11am and arrived at Store Hareskov in the northwestern outer suburbs of Copenhagen in the hope of catching up with the Hawk Owl that has been here since christmas. Upon arrival, we were highly perturbed by the tree felling that was going on. No sign of the owl at first, but we bumped into an amiable group of old Danes who told us we were in the wrong area, so we headed back towards the railway line just NW of the station, and Sean soon spotted the Hawk Owl perched prominently in a tree. Awesome. We watched it for the next hour and got superb views as it, among other things, flew around, preened, sat still, ate a mouse. Good times. It also dropped down to around eye level for a time, before relocating to a slightly higher branch. Champagne birding all round and compensation for my horrific 2006 double dip at Gribskov.
Also several Skylark, Nuthatch, Jay
Nordhavn:
From Hareskov we made our way via central Copenhagen to the Nordhavn area on the coast north of Langelinie. After getting lost we eventually found the Unicef building, plus a birder crouched down beside a scrubby mound in the rough ground north of the Unicef building on Oceanvej. Upon arrival, we saw a big redpoll flock (as expected) as soon (as hoped) latched onto a Coues' Arctic Redpoll. It was a really smart pale, small-billed bird and was easy to pick out from the rest. There may have been more than one but the flock was flighty and difficult to keep track. Some fairly pale Mealies too, but none with the small billed, bull necked appearance of the Coues'. After waiting for a while and getting ridiculously muddy feet, we had a look from the road just to the north. No more redpolls here but c25 Snow Bunting showed well in flight and 6 Twite showed well on a fence and feeding on the ground.
Thereafter we went over the bridge into Sweden but by then it was too late to add anything much to the day's tally, except Hooded Crow and other such delights. We checked into our B and B (Lyckebo Gård, between Trelleborg and Höllviken), and had a nice evening meal in Höllviken.
22nd Feb
This proved to be a fairly leisurely day's birding in the SW part of Skåne.
We began on the Falsterbo canal, where there were good numbers of Goosander, RB Merganser, Eider, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye and at least 6 Smew including two drakes at the southern end.
The northern end produced only a big flock of Coot and 1 Whooper Swan, so we headed for Skanör Harbour where, just offshore, was a lovely flock of no fewer than 148 Scaup, showing beautifully in the light. Also present were more RB Mergs plus GC Grebes and a distant male Long-tailed Duck.
From there we headed north to the large open marshy area north of the Viking museum at the east end of Höllviken. Here we got good views of one adult Rough-legged Buzzard, which was fairly subtle until it flew to reveal the tail pattern. Also 1 Common Buzzard and about 20 Barnacle Geese.
From there we headed NE and stopped at the viewpoint by the car park looking north between Borringesjön and Havgardssjön, south of Malmo Sturup airport. From the viewing platform we saw lots of Raven and Red Kite, plus Buzzard, Treecreeper, Great Spotted woodpecker.
Moving on towards Näsbyholm we got excellent flight views of a first winter White-tailed Eagle drifting over the lake, which also had a nice pair of Smew, as well as a good range of commoner ducks including Pochard.
Further driving around in the same area yielded a superb sighting of 4 wild boar - an adult and three juveniles - poking about in a roadside field, looking very comical. They made haste for the nearby scrubby woodland when they saw us, but not before I'd seen them well in the scope.
Also 5 Crane in flight, plus lots of Hooded Crows, a smattering of nice Nordic Jackdaws, a big flock of Fieldfare, Yellowhammer, Skylark, Rook, Tree Sparrow, assorted common stuff.
Hardeberga Quarry, 4.15-6pm:
We finished the day at this site northeast of Lund. Looking over the vast quarry there was little sign of life at first, but two loud "hoo" calls from the quarry betrayed the presence of the hoped for Eagle Owl. Yeah. After a period of silence at least one Eagle Owl called persistently for 20mins or so, although despite persistent searching we could see it. Still, it was quite an atmospheric birding experience... Also several Redpoll briefly...
23rd Feb
After a leisurely breakfast we headed for the viewpoint by the car park between Borringesjön and Havgardssjön. Here we got excellent close views of a lovely first-winter Golden Eagle at relatively close range, showing obvious white flashes on the inner primaries. We chased it south and relocated it before it was lost to view. Also a nice Rough-legged Buzzard showed well for a time south of the car park between the lakes, vying for attention with the Eagle.
Also in the same area many Red Kite, Buzzard, Raven, Hooded Crow etc.
The Näsbyholm area produced 2 Crane showing brilliantly in flight low over Näsbyholm Road. The area around the lake was quiet at first bar a nice group of c15 Whooper Swan as well as, later, an adult White-tailed Eagle at middle distance in flight.
Just off the main road north of Näsbyholm a flock of Greylag and Canada Geese in a field also contained about 12 Eurasian Whitefronts, but nothing else...
After that we went back across the bridge to Copenhagen.
Søvang and Aflanshage were pretty much a washout, just common duck species and not a sniff of the Glaucous Gull seen at the site yesterday.
After some food we returned to Nordhavn, where the redpoll flock gave itself up reasonably well: there were definitely two Arctic Redpolls, both accentuating their distinctive features by fluffing up their rumps, and at times feeding together. Pretty confident there were only two, despite some claims to the contrary. Also about 6 Twite.
We rounded things off with a late afternoon stroll around my old stomping ground of Amager Faelled, which was quiet bar one very nice Northern Long-tailed Tit, which I saw briefly but Sean didn't catch up with.
Then back to the airport and so ended our Scandinavian adventure.
21st Feb
Hareskov, NW Copenhagen:
After a very early flight we left Copenhagen airport before 11am and arrived at Store Hareskov in the northwestern outer suburbs of Copenhagen in the hope of catching up with the Hawk Owl that has been here since christmas. Upon arrival, we were highly perturbed by the tree felling that was going on. No sign of the owl at first, but we bumped into an amiable group of old Danes who told us we were in the wrong area, so we headed back towards the railway line just NW of the station, and Sean soon spotted the Hawk Owl perched prominently in a tree. Awesome. We watched it for the next hour and got superb views as it, among other things, flew around, preened, sat still, ate a mouse. Good times. It also dropped down to around eye level for a time, before relocating to a slightly higher branch. Champagne birding all round and compensation for my horrific 2006 double dip at Gribskov.
Also several Skylark, Nuthatch, Jay
Nordhavn:
From Hareskov we made our way via central Copenhagen to the Nordhavn area on the coast north of Langelinie. After getting lost we eventually found the Unicef building, plus a birder crouched down beside a scrubby mound in the rough ground north of the Unicef building on Oceanvej. Upon arrival, we saw a big redpoll flock (as expected) as soon (as hoped) latched onto a Coues' Arctic Redpoll. It was a really smart pale, small-billed bird and was easy to pick out from the rest. There may have been more than one but the flock was flighty and difficult to keep track. Some fairly pale Mealies too, but none with the small billed, bull necked appearance of the Coues'. After waiting for a while and getting ridiculously muddy feet, we had a look from the road just to the north. No more redpolls here but c25 Snow Bunting showed well in flight and 6 Twite showed well on a fence and feeding on the ground.
Thereafter we went over the bridge into Sweden but by then it was too late to add anything much to the day's tally, except Hooded Crow and other such delights. We checked into our B and B (Lyckebo Gård, between Trelleborg and Höllviken), and had a nice evening meal in Höllviken.
22nd Feb
This proved to be a fairly leisurely day's birding in the SW part of Skåne.
We began on the Falsterbo canal, where there were good numbers of Goosander, RB Merganser, Eider, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye and at least 6 Smew including two drakes at the southern end.
The northern end produced only a big flock of Coot and 1 Whooper Swan, so we headed for Skanör Harbour where, just offshore, was a lovely flock of no fewer than 148 Scaup, showing beautifully in the light. Also present were more RB Mergs plus GC Grebes and a distant male Long-tailed Duck.
From there we headed north to the large open marshy area north of the Viking museum at the east end of Höllviken. Here we got good views of one adult Rough-legged Buzzard, which was fairly subtle until it flew to reveal the tail pattern. Also 1 Common Buzzard and about 20 Barnacle Geese.
From there we headed NE and stopped at the viewpoint by the car park looking north between Borringesjön and Havgardssjön, south of Malmo Sturup airport. From the viewing platform we saw lots of Raven and Red Kite, plus Buzzard, Treecreeper, Great Spotted woodpecker.
Moving on towards Näsbyholm we got excellent flight views of a first winter White-tailed Eagle drifting over the lake, which also had a nice pair of Smew, as well as a good range of commoner ducks including Pochard.
Further driving around in the same area yielded a superb sighting of 4 wild boar - an adult and three juveniles - poking about in a roadside field, looking very comical. They made haste for the nearby scrubby woodland when they saw us, but not before I'd seen them well in the scope.
Also 5 Crane in flight, plus lots of Hooded Crows, a smattering of nice Nordic Jackdaws, a big flock of Fieldfare, Yellowhammer, Skylark, Rook, Tree Sparrow, assorted common stuff.
Hardeberga Quarry, 4.15-6pm:
We finished the day at this site northeast of Lund. Looking over the vast quarry there was little sign of life at first, but two loud "hoo" calls from the quarry betrayed the presence of the hoped for Eagle Owl. Yeah. After a period of silence at least one Eagle Owl called persistently for 20mins or so, although despite persistent searching we could see it. Still, it was quite an atmospheric birding experience... Also several Redpoll briefly...
23rd Feb
After a leisurely breakfast we headed for the viewpoint by the car park between Borringesjön and Havgardssjön. Here we got excellent close views of a lovely first-winter Golden Eagle at relatively close range, showing obvious white flashes on the inner primaries. We chased it south and relocated it before it was lost to view. Also a nice Rough-legged Buzzard showed well for a time south of the car park between the lakes, vying for attention with the Eagle.
Also in the same area many Red Kite, Buzzard, Raven, Hooded Crow etc.
The Näsbyholm area produced 2 Crane showing brilliantly in flight low over Näsbyholm Road. The area around the lake was quiet at first bar a nice group of c15 Whooper Swan as well as, later, an adult White-tailed Eagle at middle distance in flight.
Just off the main road north of Näsbyholm a flock of Greylag and Canada Geese in a field also contained about 12 Eurasian Whitefronts, but nothing else...
After that we went back across the bridge to Copenhagen.
Søvang and Aflanshage were pretty much a washout, just common duck species and not a sniff of the Glaucous Gull seen at the site yesterday.
After some food we returned to Nordhavn, where the redpoll flock gave itself up reasonably well: there were definitely two Arctic Redpolls, both accentuating their distinctive features by fluffing up their rumps, and at times feeding together. Pretty confident there were only two, despite some claims to the contrary. Also about 6 Twite.
We rounded things off with a late afternoon stroll around my old stomping ground of Amager Faelled, which was quiet bar one very nice Northern Long-tailed Tit, which I saw briefly but Sean didn't catch up with.
Then back to the airport and so ended our Scandinavian adventure.
