SWEDEN - 30th July

A busy morning at Fågelsjön produced the ringing highlights of 2 Red-backed Shrikes (both pristine, fresh juveniles), a good total of 7 Marsh Warblers (three new juveniles [two very small], one new adult female, one re-trap juvenile and two re-trap adults – one from 2018), the first Lesser Whitethroat of the campaign (and a Swedish tick!) and 10 Goldfinches.   

Other birds included 4 Golden Plover with 750+ Lapwings in the surrounding fields and a Great White Egret over the reeds – the rest of the day was very windy and very sunny, my least favourite weather conditions so I didn’t really do anything else.

Red-backed Shrike

SWEDEN - 29th July

The morning’s ringing at Ason was very quiet (although we did see my first Swedish Moose – a young female-type at the side of the road on the way in) highlighted by an Icterine Warbler and 2 Pied Flycatchers as the wind picked up after the first few hours; the wind picking up also ended the decent southbound migration first thing with a brute of an adult male Goshawk south over the bridge the pick along with a flock of 10 Greenshank, 102 Siskins, 20+ Chaffinches, 2 Crossbills and the odd Greenfinch and Linnet while 2 Pied Flycatchers and a couple of Willow Warblers also crossed the bridge.

Other birds here included a fine summer plumaged Black-throated Diver, a Sparrowhawk, an Osprey and a Hobby which was extremely annoyed at the Goshawk passing through!   

In the afternoon I walked along the forest roads to the north of the station where birds included at least 6 Red-backed Shrikes (including three adult males), a Hobby, a Whinchat and 4+ Spotted Flycatchers.   

I then had a little look at Löten in the early evening where waders comprised an increased 81 Dunlin, a juvenile Little Stint, 3 Curlew Sandpipers, a Bar-tailed Godwit, 6 Ringed Plovers and 10 Spotted Redshanks while the young Smew was again on Rysjön.

Waders on Löten 

Crane

2cy Common Tern from two days ago

SWEDEN - 28th July

A steady, if unremarkable ringing session at Rysjön in the morning with the weather becoming heavily overcast and threatening by the end; out of 73 new birds the highlights were an Icterine Warbler and a smart juvenile Siskin.   

Other birds around included a Kingfisher which flashed by the tower, the juvenile Smew still on the lake, a Grey Plover heard overhead and a Bittern seen perched on the boardwalk right next to the nets!   

A little look at Löten at midday before the rain moved in produced 3 Ringed Plovers, 3 Little Ringed Plovers, a Common Sandpiper and a Curlew Sandpiper.   

I walked back out across the reserve late afternoon making it to Löten to see the difference an afternoon of rain made to the wader numbers and it was significant as totals now comprised 67 Dunlin, 7 Ringed Plover, a Grey Plover (plus another in fields with Lapwings near the station), 4 Curlew Sandpipers and 40 Wood Sandpipers.

Siskin

Baltic Hawkers from yestedray

Eyed Hawkmoth caterpillar from yesterday

SWEDEN - 27th July

A steady ringing session at Fågelsjön with the definite highlight being catching 2 Bluethroats – a female with a big brood patch and a 2cy male in serious heavy moult and missing a tail; the only other thing of note were the 3 Great White Egrets leaving their roost with the increasing numbers of Cranes at dawn.   

A good long walk round the reserve in the afternoon was very productive, especially the excellent numbers of waders on Löten (probably due to the heavy rain overnight) which included 2 Little Stints (both pristine juveniles – a Swedish tick!), 46 Dunlin, 5 Curlew Sandpipers, 3 Spotted Redshank, a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, 28+ Snipe, 50+ Wood Sandpipers, a Greenshank, a Curlew, 5 Ruff and 13 Redshank (my peak count so far) while a 2cy Common Tern was also of note and new in.   

I was back at the tower when a little shower moved through and almost instantly a flock of 6 Grey Plover and 14 Bar-tailed Godwits dropped in, circled several times, decided that the shower wasn’t too bad after all and continued high away to the south.   

Other bits of note seen included maybe 3 Honey Buzzards (one over Fågelsjön and then two together over the fields near the bridge – the pale one was carrying a large chunk of honey-comb, maybe indicating nearby breeding?), two adult White-tailed Eagles in their usual tree, at least 5 Ospreys, a pair of mating Baltic Hawkers (a new Dragonfly species), a big Eyed Hawkmoth caterpillar and a dead Water Shrew.

Bluethroat #1

Bluethroat #2

How does it fly when its in this heavy moult

Blue-headed Wagtail also in heavy moult

Honey Buzzard

SWEDEN - 26th July

The morning’s ringing at Ason didn’t produce too many birds but a nice mix of more woodland species including a Nuthatch, a Treecreeper, three juvenile Goldcrests, 2 Icterine Warblers (both juveniles) and a French ringed control Reed Bunting; other birds of note comprised a Black Woodpecker, 2 Green Sandpipers, 2 Hobbies, a distant White-tailed Eagle and a few birds seemingly moving south off the point and over the bridge including c60 Siskins, c15 Chaffinches and a Nuthatch.   

A very brief look at Löten mid-afternoon produced single Grey Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Ringed Plover and Dunlin.

Icterine Warbler

Nuthatch

Treecreeper

French ringed Reed Bunting

SWEDEN - 25th July

A busy ringing session at Rysjön in the morning produced the highlights of 2 Savi’s Warblers (both fresh juveniles), the first juvenile Icterine Warbler of the year and good numbers of Sedge Warblers, Blackcaps, Garden Warblers and Willow Warblers.   

Other birds seen included a surprise juvenile Smew on the lake with a bit of an influx of 41+ Goldeneye (must be unusual at this time of year, this far south) while a smart, pale adult Honey Buzzard was around the house when we got back.   

A walk round in the afternoon didn’t produce much new but plenty of birds including single Bar-tailed Godwit and Ringed Plover on Löten along with 40+ Wood Sandpipers, 2 Spotted Redshank and 17+ Snipe, 3 Great White Egrets, a Hobby, an adult White-tailed Eagle and a good count of 129 Cranes.

White-tailed Eagle

Buzzard

Savi's Warbler

Thrush Nightingale

SWEDEN - 23rd July

Our first ringing session at the new site of Ȁsön, north of Kvismaren – an island on the big lake, it was very windy and chilly but we managed 50+ new birds, over half of which were Sedge Warbler; other birds seen included my first Swedish Grey Wagtail, a flyover young White-tailed Eagle, 2 Hobbies sunning themselves in the pine trees, at least 6 Pied Flycatchers and c20 Willow Warblers.

SWEDEN - 22nd July

Another quiet morning ringing at Rysjön with the singing Savi’s Warbler again the highlight of birds seen through the session.   

A walk round the eastern section of the reserve which backs onto the woodland at Sörön where birds included great views of a dark Honey Buzzard overhead, a male Red-backed Shrike and a Wryneck feeding along a bank.

Honey Buzzard

Osprey

Common Tern

Brown Hawker

SWEDEN - 21st July

A very quiet mornings ringing at Fågelsjön with naturally Reed and Sedge Warblers dominating but the totals did include 2 Marsh Warblers (a new bird and a re-trap) as well as several individuals that had put down significant fat deposits (first fat bird was yesterday) indicating that the first birds are thinking of starting heading off.   

A look at Löten at lunchtime produced the 2 Great White Egrets, 8 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 6 Dunlin, a Common Sandpiper, the juvenile Little Ringed Plover, 13 Ruff, 46 Wood Sandpipers, 12 Spotted Redshank and 4 Greenshank.

SWEDEN - 20th July

The mornings ringing at Rysjön only lasted a couple of hours due to rain moving in so it was pretty unremarkable although there was a Garganey in front of the tower and the Savi’s Warbler was singing nearby.   

A walk around late morning produced the usual turnover of waders on Löten which today comprised 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, a smart red Knot, the juvenile Little Ringed Plover, 10 Ruff, 5 Dunlin, 9 Snipe, 2 Common Sandpipers, 9 Spotted Redshank, a Greenshank and 32 Wood Sandpipers which were once again all flushed by the same tatty, pale Peregrine which, once again failed to catch anything.   

There were then two adult White-tailed Eagles, 2 Great White Egrets and the first big flock of 30+ Siskin of the ‘autumn’ over at Hammarmaden.

SWEDEN - 19th July

An average morning’s ringing at Fågelsjön with plenty of Reed and Sedge Warbler and a Wheatear, strangely caught in the net over the water out in the reeds.   

A walk round in the afternoon produced good numbers of waders on Löten including now 2 Grey Plover, 65 Wood Sandpipers, 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 6 Dunlin, 4 Spotted Redshank, a Redshank, a Little Ringed Plover and 2 Curlews.

SWEDEN - 18th July

The early highlight came as we were driving to Rysjön for the ringing session as we heard some young Long-eared Owls begging in some trees at the side of the road, one of which showed briefly later in the day after the ringing.   

The ringing itself was quiet with some big flocks of Black-headed Gulls heading south at first light, a 2cy White-tailed Eagle and 2 Great White Egrets of note although a new juvenile Thrush Nightingale was trapped.   

In the afternoon I walked some woodland roads just to the north of Kvismaren where the highlight was great views of 2 Honey Buzzards overhead, one of which was calling repeatedly; it was quiet for other birds with just 2 Ospreys, 2 Tree Pipits and a flock of 7 Golden Plover over to the west of note but good for Butterflies, including four species of Fritillary – Dark Green, Silver-washed, Heath and Queen-of-Spain.

Honey Buzzard

Great-spotted Woodpecker

SWEDEN - 17th July

A lovely morning followed by a warm day; the ringing at Fågelsjön was busy with plenty of Reed and Sedge Warblers along with a female Red-backed Shrike, a re-trap Marsh Warbler from 2016 and 2 juvenile Thrush Nightingales still while a little trickle of Siskins (around 15) went over and 4 Golden Plover were overhead.   

A walk round at lunchtime produced the highlights of a spanking, summer plumaged Grey Plover on Löten -which was the quietest I’ve ever seen it, with just a handful of Wood Sandpipers and single Spotted Redshank and Dunlin, a Kingfisher on the canal (also a Swedish tick!), a distant adult White-tailed eagle again and an adult Wood Warbler in the copse by the Fågelsjön ringing site (a Kvismaren tick!). 

Red-backed Shrike

SWEDEN - 16th July

A misty, murky morning meant it was quiet in the nets at Rysjön, highlighted by 2 Icterine Warblers while elsewhere were 2 Crossbills over, a Common Sandpiper and 2 Green Sandpipers.   

The afternoon turned very warm and sunny and birds seen across the reserve included 3 Curlew Sandpipers, 4 Dunlin and 6 Spotted Redshank on a quieter Löten, a distant adult White-tailed Eagle, at least 5 Ospreys together over Fågelsjön, great views of a Bittern which flew up the canal and an increase to 13 Pochard.   

A slight change in the butterfly composition has occurred in the last few days with more Large Whites, Brimstones and Peacocks appearing and this afternoon was perfect for Adders, as after a cool morning there were large numbers out sunning themselves, especially along the path around Fågelsjön.

Bittern

Osprey

Adder