Blurry yellowlegs

26:th of October 2008
In a small coastal lagoon on the Swedish mainland opposite from Öland, a Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes), have been sighted for a while, and since it is only a short detour for us, we take the chance to twitch it.
As we put up our tripods and telescopes the first bird to appear in view is the one. (Check my flow!)
It feeds in a tight and very busy flock of Dunlins, Grey Plovers and the more similar Greenshanks and Spotted Redshanks (the Yellowlegs stand sleeping between them on the picture, you can barely sense the yellow legs) on the shoreline. For once even I got a tick!
The bird was quite diagnostic with really tall, pale yellow legs and a body most reminiscnt of a Wood sandpiper. The bill was short and fine and the expression a bit open-faced, cute with pale lores and a short supercilium.
Excuse me the extremely poor picture quality, the light was terrible and I just digiscope with a small camera.

Barnacle bonanza

26:th of October
The last day on this little Öland visit is not as pleasant as yesterday, it´s grey, drizzly and windy. The Gyr falcon is still hanging around "udden" (the southern point of the island) and some White-tailed Eagles are flapping in the hard southerlies.
A couple of Caspian Gulls (Larus cachinnans) are identified on the westreef, but that´s about it. On our way back north, we can´t help stopping as we pass the favourite field of the Barnacle Geese. Impressive amounts and great looking, contrasting birds. No sign of the Snow Goose from yesterday.

Öland – blessed and beautiful

25:th of October 2008
It is always great to revisit this fabulous part of Sweden. Last night´s storm is over and a clear blue sky and practically no wind at all surprises us in the early morning, as we head south for Ottenby nature reserve. For a birdwatcher, Ottenby, Öland is The place! Da shit! Where it´s all at!
On the way down south, some 500 or so Cranes and perhaps a few thousand Barnacle Geese and the odd Rough-legged Buzzard appears along the road as the sun rise above the fog. It shure feels like a good day is coming.

Little Bunting

25:th of October
A small crowd of ten people or so, makes us stop along the road by Sibylla´s hunting lodge, to find a Snow Goose in a huge flock of Barnacles (10.000+ later in the afternoon) and a Little Bunting. Far from the typical, skulking little beasts they usually are, this gorgeous, little sweetheart flies up to a tree top and perches in the morning sun for quite some time. Even I could fire some shots through the telescope.

Pectoral sand

A lunch break in todays meeting activities coinsides with the appearance of a Pectoral sandpiper just north of Ottenby. The Black-winged Pratincole, stood right beside it for a while, but went south just before we got there.

Pratincole dip

25:th of October
In the afternoon, the Black-winged Pratincole who have spent about a month here, reappears by Hahns cottages along the lighthouse road, just a km north of the lighthouse at Ottenby. Unfortunately we dip it by a minute or so.

Plumed and prominent

21:st of October 2008
It is truly amazing that there is still so much nocturnal activity going on in nature this late in autumn this far north. We are 8 people performing what might just be this year´s last moth-night. It´s chilly but not cold and the main target species is Plumed Prominent, a hairy little creature with strikingly long, furry antennae. We encounter one (!) Other species we attract to our mercury-litten canvas this evening are November Moth, Autumnal Moth, Winter Moth, Northern Winter Moth, Juniper Carpet, The satellite, etc. Quite amazing!