SWEDEN - 25th September

 A good, long day at Ason with light southerlies at the start which swung round into the NE halfway through the morning; the nets were busy (but not as busy as two days ago) with the highlights being 14 Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler and a Sedge Warbler along with a few Nuthatches, Treecreepers, Goldcrests, Reed Buntings etc.   

The day’s highlight though was some good raptor passage, mainly heading SW across the lake cutting across the island of Ason halfway up (or further north – hence most things were distant) concentrated around lunchtime but bits going through all day; totals included 2 Honey Buzzards, 2 Rough-legged Buzzards (one distantly over the north shore, one SW over the lake), a good 46+ Buzzards – with big kettles of spiralling birds of 29 and 7 distantly over the north shore and a trickle of birds heading SW across the lake, 5 Hen Harriers SW across the lake (including an adult male), 8 Sparrowhawks, 2 Marsh Harriers and a Kestrel plus at least 6 White-tailed Eagles floating around and a monster female Goshawk which zoomed up the road as I was closing the nets.   

Other birds seen included a Shoveler (an Ason tick!), a Goosander, 2 adult Great Black-backed Gulls, a Bittern seen landing in the reeds on the east side, the usual Black Woodpecker calling and 33 Jays heading south along with 8 Ravens, 9 Coal Tits, 110+ Blue Tits, 40+ Great Tits, 36 Skylarks, 16 Bearded Tits (including an ace flock of 8 really high up heading south), 40+ Chaffinches, 20+ Brambling, 20+ Redpolls, 150+ Siskins and 7 Yellowhammers.  

Redpoll sp. – if I caught this bird on North Ronaldsay I would call it a Mealy but I’m not too sure, I think I’d call it a Mealy now as well, with a wing of 75 but they lump them all here in Sweden so who cares!

Goldeneye

The Mute Swan brood that we’ve watched grow up on every visit to Ason with its three normal cygnets and two ‘polish’ ones (a distinctive white colour morph)

Great Black-backed Gull

Cormorant