Hel Hath No Birdies

A four-day weekend is always a good thing, but when it coincides with one of the better weekends for migration it's even better. The weather was perfect and I spent it catching up on the typical April migrants. Friday was spent mostly working in the garden and enjoying the migrants going over and the birds setting up territories. It's a hard life 3 male Grey Headed Woodpecker were singing their delightful whistle in our bay, with one frequenting the garden regularly. Green Sandpipers were noted going over, as were large numbers of Cranes. Redwing were also singing in the bay, and I managed to finally pick up a singing Hazel Grouse during the week. It was never likely we would get one in the garden itself, however there are resident birds just a stones throw away. Amazed it took me this long to hear one. The first Osprey of the year drifted through the bay, as did the first Arctic tern. I also encountered the first basking Grass Snake of the year on our beach, and m...

Spring is obviously in full swing, but so far it's been a slightly strange one in terms of what species are on the move. Passerine movement has been most obvious to me the past couple of weeks, especially around the garden, where species such as Goldfinch and Siskin appeared on the feeders for the first time this year. A pair of Robin have taken up residence, and a pair of Dunnock have appeared, as did Song Thrush, Pied Wagtail and a flock of over 100 Redwing. Out further in the countryside, Mistle Thrush too, were obviously moving. A quick stop at Jorvas on Sunday produced a reasonably late Great Grey Shrike, and a day flying Woodcock went over. Great Grey Shrike - will likely be 6 months before I see another. Great Spotted Woodpecker - Morsfjarden Raptors have been few and far between for me. In all my time here I've never gone so late without seeing an Osprey or Marsh Harrier. Cranes were still in obvious staging grou...

Spring. Yes.  Before we left for Spain, we had had the first taste of it.  Spring is always observed in stages of bird migration here.  First come the Skylarks, Woodpigeons and Stock Doves, and Lapwings. These are soon followed by the first geese and swans, as flocks of Whoopers, European White-fronted, Tundra Bean, Feral Canada, Greylag and a handful of Barnacles arrive, very soon followed by the first Cranes. We arrived back just in time for the first geese and Cranes to pop up and made the effort for them nearby in Saltfjarden, followed by a trip out to Degerby in the hopes of connecting with some Bewicks Swans. A stretched out Tundra Bean Goose can be a scary looking thing. I still find it amazing that flocks of these things fly over my garden. For an Irish birder a single Bean Goose of any type is a big rarity. Mixed flocks of both types going over? The stuff of dreams. I find Euro White Fronted Geese to be...