Falsterbo 31st August - 5th September 2015

Transcription

1 Falsterbo 31st August - 5th September 2015 Oriole birding Tour report

2 TOUR LEADER Steve Cale PARTICIPANTS Raymond Cruise David & Anne Erdman David Higham Deryck Leivers Andrew Peel & Toni Menezes DAY ONE After the group had met up at Gatwick airport, our flight departed late and we arrived in Copenhagen at local time. We picked up the mini bus and then drove across bridge to Malmo where we turned south towards Falsterbo. The only birds of note en route were thirty or so Barnacle Geese that flew over us and two hundred Great Cormorants, a few Hooded Crows and three Common Kestrels. As we could not check into the hotel until later, we got lunch and then went to Nabben, where we spent the afternoon and had a good introduction to birding the area with an Osprey, a Eurasian Hobby, a Merlin and three Marsh Harriers. A Black- throated Diver Three Common Eiders and three Red-breasted Mergansers were on the sea and the bushes held a few Willow Warblers, a Common Whitethroat, a Whinchat and a lone Red-backed Shrike. The greens on the golf course were ablaze with two hundred and fifty plus Grey-headed Wagtails which kept being disturbed by golfers and the many hunting Eurasian Sparrowhawks. At one point we had nine in the air at once, but we estimated a minimum of twenty five passing through. A few Tree Pipits and nine Common Swifts moved through and the shore held a dozen Common Greenshanks, one Spotted Redshank, at least twenty Wood Sandpipers and nineteen Sandwich Terns. After a very good start to the trip, we headed for the hotel, tired but happy. DAY TWO Shortly after dawn we arrived at Falsterbo Golf Course and made our way down the path to the headland at Nabben. Migration was evident straight away and Eurasian Sparrowhawks were pouring through in almost impossible numbers to count. The official count was three hundred and forty five by 07.15!! We also saw our first Eurasian Honey Buzzard; a lone bird, as well as three Marsh Harriers and a Merlin which headed out to sea. The lagoon held lots of birds including two Spotted Redshanks, Common Snipe, four Common Greenshanks and two Ruffs, while four Green Sandpipers passed through without landing. Overhead, there was a constant stream of Yellow Wagtails and Tree Pipits, along with a few White Wagtails, four Greenfinches and three hundred Common Starlings. We got a shout from one of the counters which alerted us to the presence of a cracking adult Caspian Tern and Sandwich Terns were picked out among the loafing Black-headed Gulls. The bushes held little as most birds were going straight over and out to sea as the weather was so good, but we did see a Lesser Whitethroat and a couple of Willow Warblers. As we walked back to the bus we saw a second Merlin, a juvenile that came quite close at one point and then away over the shore. Surprisingly having missed a bird it tried to catch, it caught a dragonfly which it then sat on a bush to eat it where we had excellent views for some ten minutes. We also saw a lone Common Swift and three Reed Buntings before we returned to the hotel for breakfast. Following breakfast, we left for The Heath where we set up to watch passing raptors, but in truth saw very little. The weather had changed with low cloud coming in off the sea and the wind had gone from south east to south west. A few Eurasian Sparrowhawks and a Marsh Harrier were still passing along with a light trickle of Yellow Wagtails and Tree Pipits. One low bird gave a distinctive call, identifying it as a Red-throated Pipit, but unfortunately although we saw it, it did not stop. After half an hour, we relocated to the southern end of the canal, but still almost nothing was moving. The harbour held three Common Eiders, and from here, we wandered into the dunes in search of migrants. We only found onetree Pipit in the way of birds but the butterflies were quite good.

3 We saw five Small Tortoiseshells, a Painted Lady, Brimstone, a female Common Blue, four Graylings and two very smart Queen of Spain Fritillaries. Back at the Canal two of the group had seen two Eurasian Honey Buzzards, so we watched here for an hour or so. The weather slowly cleared and we did see a further four pass through as well as a pale Common Buzzard and a steady trickle of Barn Swallows. After we had our packed lunch the birds had dried up completely, so we drove the Northern end of Skanor. We parked by the church and walked out to headland along the western shore and returned via the central track. The fields held one hundred and fifty Yellow Wagtails close to the road and the first small copse produced Spotted Flycatcher, a male Common Redstart, two Willow Warblers, two Common and one Lesser Whitethroats and a Chaffinch. Further out, we came across a roaming flock of no less than twenty one Whinchats which gave fine views, along with a couple of Tree Pipits. As we walked out towards the west coast of Knosen the passerines dwindled away and it was then the shorebirds which took centre stage. There were around twenty Common Greenshanks, two Spotted Redshanks, five Pied Avocets, twenty Eurasian Curlews and two thousand five hundred European Golden Plovers. A sizeable number of many Barnacle Geese in small groups were also present before we made the long return walk and back to the hotel for dinner. DAY THREE We left the hotel at dawn for Nabben again this morning. It was bright and sunny with a brisk south westerly wind but there was no evident migration and the birds that were here were located mainly around the lagoon. Five Northern Pintails were a nice addition to the trip list, while eight Ringed Plovers, two Dunlins, three Ruffs and four Common Greenshanks were also present. The Sandbar this morning had forty Atlantic Grey and twenty Common Seals on show. There was a light passage of Common Terns moving west totalling around sixty birds. As we walked back across the golf course we noted that the greens still held around one hundred Yellow Wagtails but little else. After breakfast, we headed inland. En route we made a brief roadside stop for two Eurasian Honey Buzzards flying low over the woods before heading north east of Malmo to Hardeberger to a site reputed to hold Eurasian Eagle Owl. We parked up and walked the short distance to a view point. There were a couple of Red Kites swooping around and lots of Stock Doves in the immediate area. We began scanning the cliff face opposite and within a few minutes one of the group said "I think I can see one" and sure enough there hiding in the shadows of a tree in a small ravine was an adult e owl at roost. We quickly got the scopes on the bird and it gave us a superb chance to study it. In the birds talons was half a rabbit, presumably the other half was already being digested! What a brilliant find!! The surrounding fields were also productive and we picked up a group of eight White Storks feeding in a field that was being ploughed. We also added four Rooks and our kite total for the area reached at least ten birds. From here we drove to Soderskog National Park where we birded the rest of the morning. We were looking for woodpeckers but had no luck. The only birds of note here were a Marsh Tit, a Common Nuthatch and a Grey Wagtail. After lunch, we headed east to Vomb which turned out to be an excellent area. We spent most of the rest of the afternoon exploring this area and had some good sightings. There were twenty Common Cranes feeding with two hundred Greylag Geese in fields, whilst the shoreline had a number of waders including six Common, one Green and one Wood Sandpipers. We found an area with a number of Willow Warblers, a juvenile Common Redstart and a female Blackcap. An Icterine Warbler showed briefly but not many of the group managed to see this bird and we could not relocate it. The lake held at least fifty Great crested Grebes, forty Eurasian Wigeon and seventy Great Cormorants. At the northern end of the lake we found a flock of around two thousand five hundred Northern Lapwings. We drove around to the eastern shore and stopped to scan. No sooner had we stopped than a juvenile White-tailed Eagle appeared from behind a tree and proceeded to circle around right in front of us along with a further two Red Kites. The eagle departed to the north, so we decided to see if we could re find it but without luck. We continued on, until eventually we were on the western shore. We stopped at a suitable vantage point and after a few minutes picked up a distant, soaring adult White-tailed Eagle. As we watched this eagle getting closer it suddenly went into direct fast flapping flight as if on a mission. The bird was coming straight towards us and gaining height all the time.

4 As we continued to watch, we realised there was a soaring Osprey with a huge fish in its talons which the eagle had clearly seen from a great distance away and was heading straight towards it. An aerial battle ensued with the eagle chasing with amazing ease and agility after the Osprey. Eventually the Osprey had had enough and I think as much to save its own skin jettisoned its prize fish. The eagle immediately plummeted earthwards after the fish which it easily caught before returning back the way it had come and away over the trees on the far side of the lake another fantastic sighting. A little while later, we picked up distantly a second adult eagle flying north. By now it was early evening, so we headed for Falsterbo, tired but very happy with our days birding. DAY FOUR Again we headed for Nabben for our pre-breakfast walk. The wind had now gone southerly but was not strong and again it was sunny and mild. The migration was much better this morning with birds pouring overhead and all heading south west. Once again, Yellow Wagtails dominated and we saw noted a thousand pass over, along with at least three hundred Tree Pipits and five hundred Common Starlings. A lone Fieldfare and a single Hawfinch both went through, along with twenty Barn Swallows, six Sandwich Terns and single of Common Redstart, Red-backed Shrike, Whinchat and Red-throated Pipit. Surprisingly, only three Eurasian Sparrowhawks were recorded. The lagoon held sixteen Common Goldeneyes, fourteen Ruffs and four Common Snipe. Small numbers of water birds were also moving with eight Brent Geese, twenty two Barnacles; two Black-throated Diver and sixty Eurasian Wigeon past. Another surprise was the eight Tree Sparrows which stopped for a few minutes and then moved on south west. After breakfast we went again to look for passing raptors at The Heath. By birds were moving and the impressive counts totalled one hundred and seventy three Eurasian Honey Buzzards, two Common Buzzards, twenty Eurasian Sparrowhawks, five Marsh Harriers, fourteen Ospreys, a lone Red Kite, a single Peregrine and three Common Kestrels, along with twenty Tree Pipits, twelve Yellow Wagtails and two Common Swifts. By late morning the passage had stopped, so we decided to head east along the southern coast of Skane following the coast road as far as the cape at Kaseberga. En route along this low rocky coastline, we noted thousands of Great Cormorants, Greylag Geese, Mallards, Black-headed, Common and Herring Gulls as every boulder seemed to have a bird sat on it. We reached the Kaseberga just as it began to spit with rain. The small harbour held Common Eiders, three Common Sandpipers and a flock of twenty Tree Sparrows. We climbed the steep coastal path towards the headland & as we got to the top it began raining more heavily and the wind strengthened. We struggled on as far as the ancient Ales Stener, the famous Stone Boat, which is a small Stonehenge type structure of standing stones. We noted a Whinchat and a Northern Wheatear on the way but by the time we got to the stones we were all soaked & it was still pouring with no end in sight. We began to make our way back and as we did came across three Spotted Flycatchers, one of which gave us very close views. The birds looked like they wished they were somewhere else and so did we. It was now late afternoon and the rain looked set in so we decided to call it a day and head back to our hotel. As we arrived at Falsterbo the rain eased and the sun came out, but everyone was ready for their evening meal by now so our birding ended for the day. DAY FIVE Stormy skies today, but still very mild and during the day we had to try and dodge some heavy bands of rain. We had an early breakfast and by 08.45, we were birding on Falsterbo Heath [ljung] until rain stopped play. We saw two Common Redstarts, a Whinchat, a Spotted Flycatcher, two Willow Warblers and nine Tree Pipits, and we saw a Red Squirrel from the bus in Skanor. The rain was heavy and seemed to have set in so having studied the weather forecast, we headed east in an attempt to miss the worst of the weather. Inland we arrived at Borringesjon Lake, where another Common Redstart and Tree Pipit were seen, along with two Yellowhammers and a Great spotted Woodpecker. Two Red Kites showed well as did more Yellow Wagtails and a Common Raven before more rain closed in and we headed further east to another lake at Krageholmssjon. Approximately one hundred and fifty Great Crested Grebes were present, along with four hundred Tufted Ducks, six Gadwall, three Common Goldeneyes, fifty Mallards, two Common Pochards, three Eurasian Wigeon and one hundred Common Coots.

5 The surrounding vegetation also held birds and we found four Spotted Flycatchers, three Red Kites and three Common Buzzards before the rain caught up with us again, this time with no let up. We had our lunch and then decided to head north back to the Vombs area and despite losing two hours birding time we lost the rain at last. Vombs again gave us good birding, as we picked up a pair of adult White-tailed Eagles, probably the same two as previously, as well as Osprey, fifteen hundred Northern Lapwings, seven Common Cranes, a Marsh Harrier, one hundred and fifty Great Crested Grebes, fifty Tufted Ducks and forty Eurasian Wigeon. We had a super sighting of ten White Storks soaring right over us before drifting away to the east and we also saw ten Eurasian Siskins, a Common Raven, a Roe Deer and a Brown Hare. The reserve at Vombs Angar was very good as were fifteen hundred Greylag Geese and a further nine Common Cranes in the wet meadows. There was one particular ditch 7 fence line with a narrow reed bed and small trees that seemed very Attractive to the birds and along its length were no fewer than six juvenile Red-backed Shrikes, a Spotted Flycatcher, forty Barn Swallows and a Sand Martin. A Grey Heron, a Marsh Harrier, a Common Buzzard and two more Red Kites all put in an appearance. Our final stop of the day was at a small private marsh area at Torreberga. Over the reed beds were Barn Swallows, a House Martin and eight Common Swifts, another pair of Marsh Harriers showed very well as did another six Red Kites. Nearby trees held two more Spotted Flycatchers, a female Blackcap, a Willow Warbler and eight Goldfinches. It was early evening by now so we headed for the hotel for dinner. DAY SIX Grey & windy this morning and at we headed down to Skanor Harbour where we soon picked up on a smart drake Velvet Scoter that had been hanging around the main breakwater. The bird was only little way out and gave us very nice views and there were also twenty four Common Eiders here. The car park on the sea front had grounded migrants totalling eighty Barn Swallows, six Sand Martins that looked exhausted, and twenty five White Wagtails were also feeding here. The marsh between the harbour and the village held nine Northern Wheatears along with a nice selection of waders that included three Dunlins, two Pied Avocets, five Wood Sandpipers, a Ruff and three Common Greenshanks. We arrived at Nabben at 07.00, but very few birds were evident and the wind was really blowing. We walked out to the point in a vain attempt to find birds but no sooner had we gotten there and the heavens opened on us again. We were all soaked, so made our way back to the hotel. After breakfast we packed and then checked out of our hotel. We had a little time before we had to set of towards Copenhagen Airport. We decided to check the fields north of Skanor again, but the strong wind was keeping birds low. Two Common Greenshanks were on a small pool in one field where we also saw two Tree Pipits. The fields held Eurasian Curlews, Hooded Crows and a Common Kestrel. We then had a stroke of luck when a huge female Northern Goshawk came dashing out of a small wood and perched on a fence post at the edge of the wood. Obviously hunting, she only stayed a few moments on here perch before dashing back into the wood after prey. En route to the airport, we checked out some more fields at Lillehammer. Again a Common Kestrel and fifteen Yellow Wagtails and a couple of White Wagtails were close to the road along with five Tree Pipits. Our time was up and we headed for Copenhagen as the rain set in again. It had been a super first tour with great company, some great birds and lovely accommodation. SYSTEMATIC LIST 1/Mute Swan 2/Greylag Goose 3/Canada Goose 4/Barnacle Goose 5/Brent Goose 6/ Common Shelduck 7/Eurasian Wigeon 8/Gadwall 9/Mallard 10/ Northern Pintail 11/Northern Shoveler 12/Common Teal

6 13/Common Pochard 14/Tufted Duck 15/Common Eider 16/Common Scoter 17/Velvet Scoter# 18/Common Goldeneye 19/Red-breasted Merganser 20/Common Pheasant 21/Grey Partridge 22/Great Crested Grebe 23/Great Cormorant 24/Grey Heron 25/White Stork 26/Common Crane 27/Osprey 28/Red Kite 29/White-tailed Eagle 30/ Common Buzzard 31/Eurasian Honey Buzzard 32/Northern Goshawk 33/Eurasian Sparrowhawk 34/Marsh Harrier 35/Peregrine 36/Eurasian Hobby 37/Merlin 38/Common Kestrel 39/Common Coot 40/Common Moorhen 41/ Water Rail [H] 42/ European Oystercatcher 43/Northern Lapwing 44/Grey Plover 45/European Golden Plover 46/Ringed Plover 47/Eurasian Curlew 48/Common Snipe 49/Common Redshank 50/Spotted Redshank 51/Common Greenshank 52/Common Sandpiper 53/Green Sandpiper 54/Wood Sandpiper 55/Ruff 56/Dunlin 57/Black-headed Gull 58/Common Gull 59/Herring Gull 60/Lesser Black-backed Gull 61/Greater Black-backed Gull 62/Caspian Tern 63/Sandwich Tern 64/Common Tern 65/Stock Dove 66/Wood Pigeon 67/Collared Dove

7 68/Eurasian Eagle Owl 69/Common Swift 70/Great Spotted Woodpecker 71/Red-backed Shrike 72/Black-billed Magpie 73/Western Jackdaw 74/Rook 75/Hooded Crow 76/Carrion Crow 77/Common Raven 78/Great Tit 79/Blue Tit 80/Marsh Tit 81/House Martin 82/Sand Martin 83/Barn Swallow 84/Common Swift 85/Willow Warbler 86/Reed Warbler [H] 87/Icterine Warbler 88/Blackcap 89/Lesser Whitethroat 90/Common Whitethroat 3 91/Common Treecreeper [H] 92/Common Nuthatch 93/Common Starling 94/Northern Wren 95/Blackbird 96/Fieldfare 97/Spotted Flycatcher 98/European Robin 99/Common Redstart 100/Whinchat 101/Northern Wheatear 102/House Sparrow 103/Tree Sparrow 104/Meadow Pipit 105/Tree Pipit 106/Red-throated Pipit 107/White Wagtail 108/Yellow [Grey-headed] Wagtail 109/Grey Wagtail 110/Chaffinch 111/Bullfinch [H] 112/Greenfinch 113/Goldfinch 114 Eurasian Siskin 115/Linnet 116/Reed Bunting 117/Yellowhammer

8 Mammals Roe Deer Common Seal Atlantic Grey Seal Red Squirrel Rabbit Brown Hare Butterflies Painted Lady Small Tortoiseshell Red Admiral Common Blue Brimstone Speckled Wood Grayling Small White Queen of Spain Fritillary Small Copper