Bird watching trip report


Introduction

The company will send me for a firefighting course. I chose to take the course end of May Yet another Smiley on www.aladdin.st hoping to get some nice spring/ summer weather.

When I finish my course in Gothenburg I will drive to Öland for a few days of bird watching before driving to Skåne for more bird watching. End of May and I will drive back to Gothenburg and the firefighting course on Öckerö in the archipelago and I hope to be able to see some exciting bird life there.


My Guide

No Guide required in Skåne


Land transportation

• Rented car
I have rented a Volvo from HERZ

Accommodations

Hotel Ängavallen, close to Skanör/ Falsterbo: 19 May to 22 May 2019

I had sent e-mail to all the hotels in Skanör/ Falsterbo, 3 or 4 of them and I asked if they had a proper desk on their rooms. No answer and desk is a must for me so I booked at Hotel Ängavallen as I could see that there was a desk on their room pictures. The desk was, well, like a bed side table, but it worked.

Hotel Ängavallen


Weather / climate

Sweden in April and May, could be summer and it can be winter, or anything in between. In the South I hope to have sunshine and the summer in good progress. And I might be lucky Skåne and Öland and I can walk around in shorts and shirt. But it can as well be winter and I need to pack a lot of clothes this time.

And coming to Skåne and Öland I might be lucky and I can walk around in shorts and shirt. But it can as well be winter and I need to pack a lot of clothes this time.

Weather in the spring

Visiting in the spring time and you really need to pack a huge bag. In the morning it is below zero so I have packed full winter equipment, parka jacket, warm hat and gloves. And of course warm socks. In the late morning you will have to change the winter clothing to “spring” clothing, a wind breaker.

If it is sunshine the temperature is easily reaching 20°C at lunch time and that can easily be almost 30°C. If you have a car it is no problem, just keep everything in the car and change as the day proceeds and you ae ready for any weather changes you will run in to.


South of Sweden - Climate & Temperature
Pictures from www.climatemps.com

South of Sweden - Climate & Temperature - Click picture for full size picture
Pictures from www.climatemps.com


Equipment

Canon 5D Mk. III and Canon 5D Mk. IV
Canon EF 28-300/3,5-5,6 L IS USM
Canon EF 70-200/2,8L IS II USM
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens
Canon Speedlite 600EXII-RT flash
Canon PowerShot G7X Mark II
Panasonic HC-W585 video camera

Sound recorder
ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder


References/Resources

www.natursidan.se Excellent page, but in Swedish only

Visit the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and choose between Swedish and English

Naturum - visitor centres in nature - A naturum is a visitor centre with activities and exhibitions, located at several of NaturumSweden’s national parks and nature reserves. Here, you will be welcomed by friendly, knowledgeable staff who will answer your questions and guide you through the area’s sights of interest.

List of Swedish National Parks (With information about every park in English) from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, click HERE.

http://www.nationalparksofsweden.se - Stenshuvud National Park information IN ENGLISH about Stenshuvud National Park

http://www.nationalparksofsweden.se - Söderåsens National Park information IN ENGLISH about Söderåsens National Park

Visit Skåne - Kullaberg

Visit Skåne - Bird watching

Visit Kullaberg Nature Reserve

Vattenriket

Read about bird spots in Österlen HERE, from the Magazin Vår Fågelvärld 2/2010 - SWEDISH ONLY!

Fåglar på Österlen - Information about birds on Österlen - SWEDISH ONLY!

Fågelriket / The Avian Kingdom in Skåne - The Avian Kingdom is one of Sweden's premier bird sites. IN ENGLISH!! Excellent page. A must visit web page:
• Map with hotspots
• Maps
• Tour descriptions
• Eat & Sleep in The Avian Kingdom
• Guided tours in the Avian Kingdom

Kullabygdens Ornitologiska Förening A very good page with hot spots and information - Their hot spot map can be found HERE - IN SWEDSIH ONLY!

ebird - Find birding hotspots with bird checklists from all over the world

Avibase - is an extensive database information system about all birds of the world, containing over 25 million records about 10,000 species and 22,000 subspecies of birds, including distribution information for 12,000 regions, taxonomy, synonyms in several languages

Cloudbirders - Read birding trip reports from all over the world

Fatbirder - Linking birders worldwide... Wildlife Travellers see their sister site: WAND


Fatbirder is a fantastic web page with information from, I think every country in the world. My first stop when I plan for my bird watching trips. There is information about locations and guides, well, pretty much everything you need to know. Sometimes this is the only place I need to visit to plan my trip.

BirdingPal - find a birding Guide around the world

BirdingPal


And the web page you cannot live without. I have been around the world looking for birds. I usually have a Guide, but sometimes it is not possible to find a Guide. So, well, I have lost count onhow many times I have had help to ID birds at BirdForum. Joining this forum have been very very good for my bird watching experience.

www.birdforum.net

ClimaTemps.com is the place to learn about the worlds climates with more than 4000 locations documented. Each aspect of the climate is represented using colour enhanced tables and professional graphs so that data can easily be compared by switching between locations in different tabs in your browser.

Collins Bird Guide

The Collins Bird Guide is a field guide to the birds of the Western Palearctic.

Its authors are Lars Svensson, Killian Mullarney, Dan Zetterström and Peter J. Grant, and it is illustrated by Killian Mullarney and Dan Zetterström (with two plates of North American passerines contributed by Larry McQueen). It has been described as "undoubtedly the finest field guide that has ever been produced", and "the last great bird book of the 20th century".

It was originally published in Swedish and Danish in 1999, and in English in hardback in the same year, and later in paperback. A large-format English edition has also been produced, as has a German and Dutch edition. The first edition was translated to 14 European languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch and German.

A second edition, revised and enlarged, was published in January 2010. A series of updates and corrections were made in 2015, with no change to the edition number.

The cover of the first edition, in all formats, depicts a barn owl. On the second edition, this was replaced by an arctic tern.

Collins Bird Guide
Cover of the first edition
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15538546


Eleven pages of introductory material are followed by the book's main content: 366 pages of text and colour paintings. The text for each species gives brief status notes, followed by a section detailing identification, and concludes with a section on voice. Accompanying most species accounts is a small colour map showing breeding, wintering and migrant range.

The guide is also available as a paid-for app, for iPhone and Android devices. The app includes all of the text and images from the print edition, as well as audio recordings. Additional data can be bought separately; the first such package being a set of distribution maps for 271 species, from the British Trust for Ornithology's Bird Atlas 2007–11.

All versions cover Europe, North Atlantic islands, much of North Africa and the Middle East.

Most of the species covered in the main part of the guide are regular breeding, wintering or migrant species in its area of coverage, although some vagrants are also included. There are additional sections giving brief accounts of (a) vagrants and (b) introduced breeding species and species recorded only as escapes.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Many bird watchers around the world know this book simply as “The Svensson”




Naturum - visitor centres in nature

Naturum

Naturum
Map over Sweden with all the naturum marked. Illustrator: Hans Sjögren.
Click HERE for bigger map

A naturum is a visitor centre with activities and exhibitions, located at several of Sweden’s national parks and nature reserves. Here, you will be welcomed by friendly, knowledgeable staff who will answer your questions and guide you through the area’s sights of interest.

All naturum visitor centres offer guided walks and demonstrations, slide-shows and theme nights. You will also find literature and multimedia here to immerse yourself in. In addition, there are brochures and information boards offering tips on beautiful nature trails and footpaths.

The nature experience starts at naturum
At naturum, you can learn almost everything there is to know about the region’s plants, birds, insects and animals. You can also learn about the cultural history and geology of the area as well as people’s relationship with nature and their impact on it. Information about the area’s national parks and nature reserves and why we need to protect and take care of our nature can also be found here. Join us on an activity in nature!

Opening hours and programmes
All naturum are open during the summer and many are open most of the year. Special demonstrations for school classes and other groups can be booked throughout the year.

Discover Sweden’s national parks


Naturum
The map shows the locations of Sweden´s 30 national parks
Click HERE for bigger map

There are 29 national parks in Sweden. Find more information about each national park in the alphabetical list on Swedish Environmental Protection Agency´s web page, click HERE.


Places to visit

Skåne



Skanör / Falsterbo

Skåne is part of the most important European route for migrating birds. Explore on an eagle safari, or watch the gracious dance of the cranes.

Falsterbo – one of northern Europe’s primary bird migration centres

The Falsterbo peninsula south west of Malmö is one of the most important bird migration routes in northern Europe. Around 500 million birds pass this spot on their way to spend winter in Africa. Every autumn, the area around Falsterbo Lighthouse attracts thousands of birdwatchers, with 359 species passing through.

Climb the birdwatching tower on the roof of Falsterbo Strandbad and admire the birds around the beach, sea and heathlands. While you’re there, drop in to the Naturum visitor centre for birdwatchers.
- visitskane.com - Your official guide to Skåne


Skanör / Falsterbo

I visited 6 “hotspots” from eBird during my stay at Skanör / Falsterbo:

Falsterbonäset - Falsterbo Lighthouse
Falsterbonäset - Nabben
• Falsterbonäset - Falsterbo stadspark
Falsterbonäset - Falsterbokanalen
Falsterbonäset - South Flommen
Falsterbonäset - Landgrens holme


Falsterbo Lighthouse and Nabben is pretty much the same place, just annoying to switch hotspot in eBird when you estimated that you were in the middle on the walk path between the lighthouse and Nabben.

Anyway, you need to drive across an golf court to reach the lighthouse. Falsterbo Bird Station is located at the lighthouse.

Falsterbo Fågelstation - Ornithological station in Falsterbo

The ornithological station Falsterbo Fågelstation exists since the 1960s and is situated in the buildings around Falsterbo Fyr, the old lighthouse on the edge of the town Falsterbo at the tip of the peninsula Falsterbonäset.

The remote location of the lighthouse at the nature reserve Flommen exert a great attraction on the migratory birds. Before crossing the Baltic Sea towards Denmark, many of the smaller birds are resting here.

Every fall and spring more than 500 million migratory birds cross Southern Sweden. A majority of them in a southwestern direction over the peninsula Falsterbonäset. Some days, hundreds of thousands of birds are passing the area. Since 1980, about 25,000 birds, which settle to rest in the garden at the lighthouse, getting captured every year.

At the beginning, the capture and ringing served the purpose of solving the mysteries of the migration of the birds – today it has a growing importance in environmental monitoring. During the bird migration (April/May & August – October) group tours are offered. Every year about 5,000 visitors make use of the opportunity to learn about the biology of the birds, the bird migration and the work of the ornithological station during the one-hour tour.

Diehard hobby ornithologists and birdwatchers can also book some sleeping places in the main buildings of the ornothological station in the Sjögatan.

Park the car and you are free to walk around and there are a walk path to Nabben and you have bushes on your left hand side where you will see warblers, buntings and of course wagtails. On the right hand side you have reed and in the water you have seabirds.

Nabben and there are some rare birds, binoculars only and as there was nothing to see I walked back to the car. It is locked to the lighthouse garden, where they have their nets to catch the birds. I heard and saw a lot of birds in the garden, but impossible to come inside.

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo
Park at the light house

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo
Walking next to the golf court towards Nabben

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo
Walking next to the golf court towards Nabben

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo
Reaching Nabben

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo
We see the lighthouse from Nabben


My eBird checklist from Falsterbo Lighthouse, click HERE

My eBird checklist from Nabben, click HERE



Falsterbo stadspark is a public park just east of Falsterbo Lighthouse. There are parking space at the church and you walk across the road to get on the walk trail. Forest is too much to say, but it is a grove, well, it is something between a grove and a forest.

You reach the beach and walk along the beach huts and then back in to the “forest”. Takes about 30 minutes to cover the forest depending on how many stops you do.

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo
Park at the church

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo
Walk trail

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo
Reaching the beach and the “Beach Huts”

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo
Walking between the beach and “forest”


My eBird checklist from Falsterbo Stadspark, click HERE



Falsterbokanalen is the canal splitting Skanör / Falsterbo from the mainland. I expect to see seabirds here. There are one road on each side of the Canal. And there are the marina at the north end of the canal where you can see a lot of birds on the beaches.

Eastern side of the canal have a few parking areas and at the south end there is a small breakwater that you can walk on.

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo
Falsterbokanalen

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo
Falsterbokanalen


My eBird checklist from Falsterbokanalen, click HERE



South Flommen is and area south of Flommen Golf Club and north of Falsterbo Golf Club. You walk out to the beach between the golf clubs and there are an area where you can spot birds. But it is hard to walk in the sand, I really hate it. Shoes full of sand and this was not a very pleasant area for bird watching.

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo
Walkway between the golf courses

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo
Flommen golf course

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo
We can see the lighthouse in the south

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo
Beach huts along the beach

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo
Beach huts along the beach

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo
Beach huts along the beach


My eBird checklist from South Flommen, click HERE



Landgrens holme is located between the harbour and Skanör city centre. There is a road and it goes on top of some kind of embankment crossing the wetland between the harbour and the city centre. Just before the harbour there is a parking on you right hand side.

DRIVE SLOWLY!!! Birds with babies walking over the road between the water ponds!!!

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo

I was surprised when I entered the road to cross over the wetlands to the harbour. There were plenty birds and they were pretty close to the road. The area is not accessible because it is a bird protection area. Many waders and seabirds in the wetland.

This is the best place on Skanör / Falsterbo, at least this is my favourite bird watchign area on Skanör / Falsterbo

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo
The parking area

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo
The road across the wetlands

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo
The walk way to the pond and bird watching platform

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo
The walk way to the pond and bird watching platform

Bird watching in Skanör / Falsterbo
Bird watching platform

Landgrens holme and even though you only have access to the road side and walk way. And nowhere to sit down to watch the birds and their babies in the wetlands.

My eBird checklist from Landgrens holme, click HERE



Bird checklist

I never use any bird lists, but since I try to make it in to Cloudbirders. A very helpful site when planning your birding trips. But they ask for a bird checklist, and if I use their service, of course I want to contribute as well. My two first bird watching trip reports was rejected by Cloudbirders.

So I started to take ideas from the reports I found on Cloudbirders. So I have started to use bird lists, eBird generate one for me and I can post it on Cloudbirders. I will post my birds on eBird and on my different “BIRDS THAT I HAVE OBSERVED” pages.

Check lists can come in handy to find out the local name of the bird etc. And Avibase have a list with pictures and sounds, excellent!

So I will post bird checklists here and if my Guides provide me with checklists I will also post them here.

Cloudbirders


Avibase - Bird Checklists of the World

Skåne bird checklist from Avibase, click HERE

Avibase is providing you with bird checklists from all over the world. And I´m impressed by their web page. Select country and area and you get the bird checklist. Like the PDF files I got from Avibase on the links above. You also get the checklist with pictures and sounds.

The best part is that you get the local names of the birds and the online checklist gives the names in English plus the language you have selected. But it seems like the PDF cannot handle some alphabet.

For example the Japanese language so it is blank in the PDF checklist. But it worked excellent with Swedish. But you get them in the local language on the online version.


Bird list

I only listed birds I have got on picture before I started with eBird in November 2019. Now I record all the birds that I can identify. Before that see the DAY TO DAY reports and my lists of observed birds in different countries.

And you can visit my list of “Birds I have seen in Sweden

My eBird checklists can be found HERE


Trip Report



Sunday 19th of May 2019 and I left Krankesjön in Fågelriket / The Avian Kingdom around 3 o´clock in the afternoon and it took me about one and a half hour to get to Ängavallen Hotel with a little bit of trying to find the place. Just to find the reception was a hard time.

I was lucky to discover one of the staff on the way home finished for the day, last man leaving the hotel and I was alone and I was thinking about the old movie Norman Bates. Anyway, I was lucky to find someone so I could get my key.


Ängavallen Hotel
My room at Ängavallen Hotel

Ängavallen Hotel
My room at Ängavallen Hotel

Ängavallen Hotel
My room at Ängavallen Hotel

I brought my luggage to the room and I took the time to set up my IT centre on the desk, well, it is more like a bed side table but there was room for my lap top. No fridge and no kettle so I was looking forward to an early morning without any tea.

The bathroom was OK and the bed looked OK, but I could not find any extra pillows in the room.

Ängavallen Hotel is a farm and I wanted to go out to see if there was any birds around. So I left my room when I had set up everything and I had had a piece of chocolate.

Ängavallen Hotel

Bird watching around Ängavallen Hotel in Skåne, Sweden
Today´s track Ängavallen Hotel

I start my eBird app at 17:16 and I walked around the farm. I just stepped outside the hotel door and there was a Rook and Eurasian Magpie on the lawn and I got a few pictures. I continued on the gravel road to go explore the area behind the hotel building. I saw pigs and cows on the farm, and of course, more than enough pigeons and some other birds in the area.

Rook, Corvus frugilegus, Råka

Eurasian Magpie, Common Magpie, Pica pica, Skata

Eurasian Magpie, Common Magpie, Pica pica, Skata
Eurasian Magpie or Common Magpie / Skata

I walk by a mobile silo and they had forgotten to close the hatch at the bottom properly. So there was a small gap and the Eurasian Tree Sparrows and House Sparrows was there eating grain. Of course, they took off when I approached and I made a mental not to come back tomorrow with the car.

I can use the car as a hide and I might be able to get some good pictures of the birds eating.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Passer montanus, นกกระจอกบ้าน, Pilfink
Eurasian Tree Sparrows in the tree

Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Passer montanus, นกกระจอกบ้าน, Pilfink

Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Passer montanus, นกกระจอกบ้าน, Pilfink
Eurasian Tree Sparrows / Pilfink

Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Passer montanus, นกกระจอกบ้าน, Pilfink
Eurasian Tree Sparrows / Pilfink

I was back in my room after 30 minutes and I was looking forward to drive to Skanör / Falsterbo tomorrow morning and I went to bed with my alarm set to go off at 3 thirty.

My eBird checklist from Ängavallen Hotel, click HERE


+++++++++++++++
Monday 20th of May 2019
and my alarm went of at 3 thirty and I started the day without tea. I got in my car to drive to Skanör / Falsterbo for some bird watching. And I will start at Falsterbo Lighthouse, but before I left Ängavallen Hotel I took the car behind the hotel building. I parked at the mobile grain silo and the bird took off, but I hope they will come back after a few minutes and I was in the car with my camera.


House Sparrow, Passer domesticus, Gråsparv, นกกระจอกใหญ่
House Sparrow / Gråsparv


The House and Tree Sparrows came back after a few minutes and I enjoyed the birds while they were feeding. And I liked that there was both House and Tree Sparrows and it is quite easy to see the difference between the birds.

I left Ängavallen Hotel, I have no time waiting for the breakfast and I left for Skanör / Falsterbo. Takes 20 minutes or so to reach the bridge and I discovered a bakery when I had crossed the bridge. I stopped to see if they had breakfast.

Anna´s Bageri
Annas Bageri

Anna´s Bageri
Annas Bageri

I had tea and some sandwiches before I continued to Falsterbo Lighthouse. And I was happy to have found the bakery and I had have my tea and I´m ready for some bird watching. There are several eBird hotspotS at Skanör / Falsterbo.

I have decided to start at Falsterbo Lighthouse and it took me 10 minutes to drive there. And I had to cross a golf course to reach the parking at the lighthouse. And the lighthouse is a birding station today.


Falsterbonäset - Falsterbo Lighthouse / Nabben


Bird watching / Birding at Falsterbo Lighthouse / Nabben in Skåne
Today´s track at Falsterbo Lighthouse

Bird watching / Birding at Falsterbo Lighthouse / Nabben in Skåne
Today´s track at Nabben

Walking south from the lighthouse and suddenly the lighthouse eBird hotspot change to Nabben HOT SPOT.

I park the car and I´m parked between the reeds on the water front and the lighthouse otherwise it is golf course around me all the way down to the walk trail following the reeds south to Nabben, the most southern point of Falsterbo. The lighthouse are is like a small oasis on the golf course.

Oasis, around 50m x 50m surrounded by a fence. I could see some birds in the garden and I spotted a girl ringing birds and of course, not allowed to get inside. I walk around the lighthouse garden and then I start to walk south towards Nabben

Bird watching / Birding at Falsterbo Lighthouse / Nabben in Skåne
Falsterbo lighthouse/ birding station

Bird watching / Birding at Falsterbo Lighthouse / Nabben in Skåne
Falsterbo lighthouse

Meadow Pipit, Anthus pratensis, Ängspiplärka

Meadow Pipit, Anthus pratensis, Ängspiplärka
Meadow Pipit / Ängspiplärka

Meadow Pipit, Anthus pratensis, Ängspiplärka
Meadow Pipit / Ängspiplärka

Meadow Pipit, Anthus pratensis, Ängspiplärka
Meadow Pipit / Ängspiplärka

Meadow Pipit, Anthus pratensis, Ängspiplärka
Meadow Pipit / Ängspiplärka

Walking south on the walkway and I have reeds on my right hand side and bushes on my left hand side. There are a lot of warblers in the bushes and in the reeds. I see seabirds in the water on the other side of the reeds. But no pictures, I only manage to get pictures of a Meadow Pipit.

Walking south and I had to stop to stop my eBird track for the Lighthouse HOT SPOT and I had to switch to the Nabben HOT SPOT. I swapped HOT SPOTS and I continued south and I could soon record a warbler, thirst one that I could identify as the other warblers was very scared and took off as soon as they could sense me.

Eurasian Reed Warbler or Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus scirpaceus, Rörsångare

Bird watching / Birding at Falsterbo Lighthouse / Nabben in Skåne - Common Whitethroat, Sylvia communis, Törnsångare

Walking back to the car and my next stop will be the park not far away from the lighthouse. The morning had not been any good regarding bird pictures, but I don´t give up.



ebird

eBird Report

Falsterbonäset--Falsterbo fyr, Skåne May 20, 2019 07:54 - 08:32
Protocol: Traveling
1.18 kilometer(s)
9 species

Mute Swan 2
Common Shelduck 2
Eurasian Oystercatcher 2
Barn Swallow X
Great Tit 1
Meadow Pipit 1
Eurasian Blackbird X
Common Starling X
Pied Wagtail/White Wagtail X

Falsterbonäset--Nabben, Skåne May 20, 2019 08:33 - 09:42
Protocol: Traveling
1.17 kilometer(s)
11 species

Mute Swan 2
Eurasian Coot 3
Black-headed Gull 1
Hooded Crow X
Eurasian Skylark 1
Eurasian Reed Warbler 1
Common Whitethroat X
Common Starling 1
Pied Wagtail/White Wagtail 1
Meadow Pipit 1
Common Reed Bunting 2



Falsterbonäset - Falsterbo stadspark


Bird watching / Birding at Falsterbo stadspark
Today´s track at Falsterbo stadspark


Falsterbo stadspark is a beautiful forest at the beach. But I only spotted one single bird, a Common Magpie. And I didn´t see that bird until I was almost back at the car. Well, I got a Yet another Smiley on www.aladdin.st constitutional in a beautiful area out of it.

I have to go to cast my vote for the EU Parliament before going to the next HOT SPOT. So I had to find the library where I can cast my vote. And I don´t want to miss an opportunity to support AFS.

Alternativ för Sverige
I found the place

Alternativ för Sverige
Really only one alternative to vote for

My next stop is another eBird hotspot, the Falsterbo Canal. Close to where I had my breakfast this morning. Driving back towards the bridge and I turn right just before the bridge.


Falsterbonäset - Falsterbokanalen


Bird watching / Birding at Falsterbokanalen
Today´s track around Falsterbo Canal


Bird watching / Birding at Falsterbokanalen
South of the bridge on the west side of the Canal

Bird watching / Birding at Falsterbokanalen
Gulls in the Canal

Bird watching / Birding at Falsterbokanalen
Gulls in the Canal

Bird watching / Birding at Falsterbokanalen
Sailboat leaving the Canal towards south


I drive back and forth on the west side and I see gulls and a few wagtails. I cross the bridge and while driving along the east side I spot a gull having trouble with a fresh caught eel.

I continued to the south end and I spotted a huge Black-backed Gull with a huge fish on the break water. The sun was against me so the pictures turned out to be nothing but garbage. And I just had a few seconds before the bird swallowed the fish that looked to be twice the size of the bird.

I got out of the car and BOOM! The Great Black-backed Gull swallowed the fish and took of leaving me behind with a couple of poor pictures. I got a few seconds with the bird between me and the sun. DARN! I missed a real opportunity, if I had been a few minutes earlier and known about the bird. Then I could have sneaked up on the bird and I could have got some nice pictures. Well, I might get the chance again. Yet another Smiley on www.aladdin.st Hopefully!

Bird watching / Birding at Falsterbokanalen
Great Black-backed Gull with a fish

Bird watching / Birding at Falsterbokanalen
Look at the neck when it swallow the fish

I spotted a Great Cormorant at the end of the breakwater. Still against the sun, but I gave it a try and I started to walk towards the Cormorant. Walking against the sun so I knew the picture would not be any great.

I was amazed on how close I managed to get to the bird before it took off. Just 4 meters away or so from the bird and I moved very slowly stopping for a picture and then moving a little bit closer and a new picture.

Great Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo, जलेवा, Great Black Cormorant, Storskarv

Great Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo, जलेवा, Great Black Cormorant, Storskarv
Great Cormorant /Storskarv

Great Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo, जलेवा, Great Black Cormorant, Storskarv
Great Cormorant /Storskarv


ebird

eBird Report

Falsterbonäset--Falsterbokanalen, Skåne May 20, 2019 11:21 - 12:54
Protocol: Traveling
7.61 kilometer(s)
13 species

Mute Swan 2
Common Shelduck 4
Mallard X
Common Eider 1
Eurasian Coot 1
Black-headed Gull 2
Common Gull 3 See video of Common Gull fighting with an eel and swallow the eel alive: https://youtu.be/24niyHm158o
Herring Gull 3
Great Black-backed Gull 1
Great Cormorant 1
Hooded Crow 3
Barn Swallow X
Pied Wagtail/White Wagtail 5

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S56523907


I was very happy for the Common Gull video when I left the Canal driving across Falsterbo towards the sea front golf course they call Flommen and “South Flommen” is another eBird hotspot that I want to check out, especially since I read that there are Pied Avocets in this area.

I saw the Pied Avocets on öland but I never came close to the bird so I have no pictures. Same at Äspet Nature Reserve, and there was had the fog so it was hard to see the bird. Better luck today?


Falsterbo--South Flommen


Bird watching / Birding at Falsterbo--South Flommen
Today´s track around South Flommen


I parked the car and I walked on the walk path between the wetland and the golf course. There were some mallards at one of the ponds at the golf course. I saw a bird that looked like a white mallard. I sent the picture to the www.birdforum.net and I hope to get some pointers in the direction on what bird it was.

There was many other normal Mallards and many of them had babies. At the beach and there were some Common Reed Buntings and Common Whitethroats. Walking in the sand, not a favourite. My shoes were full of sand and it would have been never mind if there would have been plenty exciting birds.

Bird watching / Birding at Falsterbo--South Flommen
Mallard with babies

Bird watching / Birding at Falsterbo--South Flommen
Mallard with babies

Bird watching / Birding at Falsterbo--South Flommen
Common Whitethroat


ebird

eBird Report

Falsterbo--South Flommen, Skåne May 20, 2019 13:19 - 14:23
Protocol: Traveling
1.8 kilometer(s)
5 species

Mallard X
Eurasian Coot 1
Hooded Crow X
Common Whitethroat 4
Common Reed Bunting 5

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S56525833


I didn´t see any Avocets at Flommen and I was a little disappointed when I left. If it wasn´t for the white mallard it would have been a complete waste of time and I made a mental note to never come back to Flommen. Walking around in the sand and I got nothing out of it.

And it was a little bit fun walking around the people shooting out their golf balls from the start point. They asked what I did and I told them that I was looking for birds. And I could not help giving a few pointers when I saw them shooting the golf balls in to the water around the green. Or whatever the hole area is called.

Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos, Gräsand

Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos, Gräsand
Mallard / Gräsand

Thanks to PYRTLE at Birdforum. PYRTLE thought that is was likely to be a bird that has developed from hybridization with a white domesticated farmyard duck. Not generally accepted as a truly wild Mallard.

Forum thread HERE


Birdforum



Back in the car and it was almost 2 thirty, still plenty day light remaining and I drove north on Falsterbonäset. I had planned to have a look at Landgrens holme at Skanörs Marina. So I had to drive through the town of Skanör. And I really don´t know where Skanör begins and Falsterbo ends.

Maybe the names are thousands of years old when there only was two houses in the villages.


Falsterbonäset - Landgrens holme


Bird watching / Birding at Falsterbonäset - Landgrens holme
Today´s track around Landgrens holme


And the eBird hotspot Falsterbonäset - Landgrens holme was instantly turning in a favourite. Entering the embankment to the marina, going through the wetland and I spotted several Pied Avocets from the car. This looks promising and I drove through the wetland slowly and I parked the car at the parking lot on the other side of the embankment.

I crossed the road and I walked to a birding platform next to the walk path. Walking along the walk path and I discovered a lot of Pied Avocet babies in the wetland

Listen to the Pied Avocet

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder. High Pass Filter applied in Audacity

I guess it is some kind of call or warning call. The Avocets were fighting with the crows and the crows came out with the short stick every time. Many of the Avocets had babies as well


www.xeno-canto.org


Pied Avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta, Skärfläcka

Pied Avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta, Skärfläcka
Pied Avocet / Skärfläcka

Pied Avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta, Skärfläcka
Pied Avocet / Skärfläcka

Pied Avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta, Skärfläcka
Pied Avocet with babies


ebird

eBird Report

Falsterbonäset--Landgrens holme, Skåne May 20, 2019 15:00 - 15:59
Protocol: Traveling
1.12 kilometer(s)
13 species

Mute Swan 1
Mallard X Many babies
Eurasian Coot 3
Pied Avocet X Some with babies
Eurasian Oystercatcher 1
Common Redshank 2
Black-headed Gull 5
Common Gull 1
Little Tern 2
Common Tern 1
Eurasian Jackdaw 3
Hooded Crow X
Common Starling 2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S56528874



It was 4 in the afternoon when I left Landgrens holme and I drove to the north point of Falsterbonäset. There is another eBird hotspot but there was some NOT ALOWED TO DRIVE sign at the camping and I turned around and drove back to my hotel where I will spend my last night before going to Helsingborg.

It had been a good day, the Pied Avocets, a beautiful bird and a new bird for me. I saw it on Öland, but I really not count them before I have a picture. And the Gull eating the eel video, the best from today´s birding.

+++++++++++++++
Tuesday 21st of May 2019
and looking out the window was not a pleasant surprise. Gloom and grey for long as I could see and it looked to start rain any second. So I decided to stay at the hotel until breakfast. And I went out to walk around the hotel area in order not to waste any time.


Ängavallen Hotel


Bird watching / Birding at Ängavallen Hotel
Today´s track around Ängavallen Hotel

A gloomy and grey morning was turning in to a glorious morning. Well, slight haze but the sun tried to break through, still looking like it could be rain. But I will enjoy the day for long as I can. Wood pigeon, the first bird I spotted for today. I beautiful sight with the bird sitting on the lattice door in the fence.

There was another Wood Pigeon sitting on top of the roof when I walked down towards their park

Bird watching / Birding at Ängavallen Hotel - Wood Pigeon
Wood pigeon

Bird watching / Birding at Ängavallen Hotel
A grey morning turned in to a glorious morning

Bird watching / Birding at Ängavallen Hotel - Common Wood Pigeon, Columba palumbus, Ringduva

Bird watching / Birding at Ängavallen Hotel - Common Wood Pigeon, Columba palumbus, Ringduva
Common Wood Pigeon / Ringduva

House Sparrow, Passer domesticus, Gråsparv, นกกระจอกใหญ่

House Sparrow, Passer domesticus, Gråsparv, นกกระจอกใหญ่
House Sparrow / Gråsparv

Frogs in the early morning

There is a pond in the park and there was noise coming from the pond and I went to have a look. I discovered a lot of beautiful green frogs. And they really looked like you imagine frogs to look like.

I made a sound recording and a video of the frogs and I tried to catch them with the camera doing their bubbles making the sound. What a good morning this had turned out to be!


Bird watching / Birding at Ängavallen Hotel - Frogs
Early morning Frog adventure

Bird watching / Birding at Ängavallen Hotel - Frogs
Early morning Frog adventure

Bird watching / Birding at Ängavallen Hotel - Frogs
Early morning Frog adventure

Bird watching / Birding at Ängavallen Hotel - Frogs
Early morning Frog adventure

Bird watching / Birding at Ängavallen Hotel - Frogs
Early morning Frog adventure

Bird watching / Birding at Ängavallen Hotel - Frogs
Early morning Frog adventure

I left the frogs and I spotted one Common Redstart in the bushes when I left the frog pond. Back on the road and I walked towards the parking area and I could hear a Thrush Nightingale when I turned off the road to explore the parking area.

I made a recording and then I used the recording to try to get the bird out of the bushes so I could get a picture.

Bird watching / Birding at Ängavallen Hotel - Common Redstart, Phoenicurus phoenicurus, Rödstjärt

Thrush Nightingale, Luscinia luscinia, Näktergal, Sprosser

The Thrush Nightingale was really not easy to catch on picture. I had my recording and I replayed it to try to get the Nightingale to come out from the bushes so I could get a picture. I was not very lucky with the pictures and I gave up.

The recording turned out OK, but the pictures was nothing to be impressed about. Well, I will get a new chance.

Listen to the Thrush Nightingale / Näktergal

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy recorder. High Pass Filter applied Audacity

I recorded the bird sitting in the bushes and I used my recording to try to get the bird out for a picture. But this bird really did not liked to be photographed. The bird was flying back and forth and I only got two pictures and none of them good enough to post here.


www.xeno-canto.org

Breakfast and I was really not impressed. I had expected more, maybe a home fried potato or two. Well, I had some bread and I left. I had only packed my bags in the car so I took right off leaving Ängavallen Hotel behind never to come back again. I will drive to Helsingborg, but I will spend the morning in Skanör / Falsterbo and first stop will be at Landgrens holme.

ebird

eBird Report

Ängavallen Hotel, Skåne May 21, 2019 06:24 - 07:27
Protocol: Traveling
1.21 kilometer(s)
8 species

Common Woodpigeon X
Eurasian Jackdaw X
Rook 25
Great Tit 2
Thrush Nightingale 1
Common Redstart 1
Common Starling X
House Sparrow X

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S56567544



I left Ängavallen Hotel and the sky was really turning dark while I was driving towards Skanör / Falsterbo. No rain but it looked to start any second. My plan was to spend the morning here and check-in at Marina Plaza in Helsingborg in the afternoon.

But right now it looks like I will be early in Helsingborg. But I will Yet another Smiley on www.aladdin.st hopefully be able to get some Pied Avocet pictures at Landgrens holme before I leave.


Falsterbonäset--Landgrens holme


Bird watching / Birding at Falsterbonäset--Landgrens holme
Today´s track around Falsterbonäset--Landgrens holme


I park the car and I start my eBird app at quarter to 9 in the morning. I cross the road to go have a look at the Pied Avocets and the babies. I had been out of the car for a few minutes when I could feel the first rain drops.

And it started to rain and I had to get back to my car without any bird pictures. I had seen the Pied Avocet but no pictures.

Bird watching / Birding at Ängavallen Hotel
Thousands of Barnacle Gooses fly over Falsterbonäset

Bird watching / Birding at Ängavallen Hotel
Little Tern


ebird

eBird Report

Falsterbonäset--Landgrens holme, Skåne May 21, 2019 08:45 - 08:59
Protocol: Traveling
0.63 kilometer(s)
Comments: Started to rain
8 species

Barnacle Goose 1000
Mallard X
Pied Avocet 2
Black-headed Gull X
Little Tern 1
Eurasian Jackdaw X
Hooded Crow X
Barn Swallow 1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S56568296



This was a very short birding session. I turned of the eBird app after 14 minutes. Now, what to do? Wait for the rain to stop? No, I decided to leave and I left Falsterbonäset starting to drive north towards Helsingborg.

The weather improved and I decided to leave the highway and drive down to Barsebäck to see if there was any birds.

driving around and I spotted a few Red Kites and there were plenty Yellow Wagtails along the road. By now it was kind of nice weather again and I hope it will stay nice for the next few days of bird watching.

Western Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla flava, Gulärla
Western Yellow Wagtail / Gulärla - Vikhögsvägen south of highway E6, Skåne - 21 May 2019

Western Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla flava, Gulärla
Western Yellow Wagtail / Gulärla - Vikhögsvägen south of highway E6, Skåne - 21 May 2019

Western Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla flava, Gulärla
Western Yellow Wagtail / Gulärla - Vikhögsvägen south of highway E6, Skåne - 21 May 2019

Bird watching / Birding in Skåne
Stop to look for birds

Checking in to Marina Plaza and I discovered that I had made a mistake with my booking. The hotel was full and I was not booked until tomorrow. So I had to find a new hotel and Scantic Hotel is just outside the city so it will be good when I leave for bird watching tomorrow morning.

You can read my Bird Watching Trip Report, NW Skåne HERE when it is ready

Bird watching trip report



       
                  


                                       

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