Saturday 1 st
of May 2021
and I had breakfast at the hotel, third time since I came here. Then I drove to Beijershamn and I park the car and I cannot believe my eyes. I open the door and one Long-tailed tit try to get in to my car. I did not get scared by the sudden appearance of the bird but it made my leg to twitch and the bird got scared and flew out again.
By then I had both hands on my camera but I missed the bird. Anyway, I started my eBird app at 08:34. No sign of the Collared Flysnapper at the nest box at the parking area.
I entered the small forest and I was soon having 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers making a ruckus next to me and I managed to get pictures of one of them.
Great Tit
Great Spotted Woodpecker / Större hackspett
Leaving the Great Spotted Woodpeckers behind and I run in to one Lesser Spotted Woodpecker bit I was not so happy with the pictures. The bird was only visible for a very few seconds before the bird was off.
No luck with the Collared Flycatcher and I turned around to go for a look at the waterfront. Back at the parking and I crossed the parking to get to the board walk where I spotted one Common Linnet.
Common Linnet.
Down at the waterfront
Down at the waterfront
There are not so many birds at the waterfront same as in the forest so I don’t know where they are, maybe moved further north. And the birds on the beach was too far away for any pictures. But I had seen the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and the tit trying to get in to my car this morning.
So I was pretty happy with the visit even if there was not many pictures from today's visit.
Today's track in Beijershamn
eBird Report
Beijershamn, Kalmar län [SE-08], SE
May 1, 2021 08:34 - 10:34
Protocol: Traveling
5.22 kilometer(s)
23 species
Greylag Goose 23
Barnacle Goose 50 One group
Mallard 2 Sleeping
Common Woodpigeon 2
Northern Lapwing 5
Common Ringed Plover 3
Eurasian Curlew 1
Common Redshank 2 Making baby
Black-headed Gull 4
Great Spotted Woodpecker 2
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 1
Eurasian Blue Tit 1
Great Tit 8
Barn Swallow 2
Long-tailed Tit 1 Getting in to my car when I was ready to get out to start birding
Eurasian Nuthatch 2
Eurasian Treecreeper 1
Eurasian Blackbird 3
European Robin 1
Common Linnet 1
House Sparrow 2
White Wagtail (alba) 10
Common Chaffinch 5
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S86775778
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
I left Beijershamn and I turned south to visit the eBird hotspot: “Ventlinge badplats” again. It is Saturday and as I suspected, there are plenty bird watchers. Weekends and holidays, the same all over the world, parks are full of people.
As I did yesterday, driving along the beach until I reached the gate and I turned around again. I managed to get pictures of a Ruff foraging in the water. Otherwise not much pictures and I left after an hour.
Male Ruff / Brushane
Male Ruff / Brushane
Two terns and two Shelducks
Today's track at Ventlinge badplats
eBird Report
Ventlinge badplats, Kalmar län [SE-08], SE
May 1, 2021 11:17 - 12:16
Protocol: Traveling
4.62 kilometer(s)
18 species
Greylag Goose 4
Mute Swan 3
Common Shelduck 12
Gadwall 4
Mallard 6
Eurasian Oystercatcher 1
Common Ringed Plover 6
Ruff 2
Common Sandpiper 2
Common Redshank 4
Black-headed Gull 9
Common Gull 2
Common Tern 4
Great Cormorant 8
Grey Heron 1
Hooded Crow 2
White Wagtail (alba) 9
Common Chaffinch 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S86777420
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
I drove to the east side of Öland and I found the Black-tailed Godwit. A gorgeous bird, but I have only been close enough for good pictures when the bird is in winter plumage in Asia.
They fly north to have babies and this is the time to see them in their beautiful red breeding plumage. I only seen the bird in breeding plumage in England, but then too far away.
Passing Hulterstad and there are some kind of wet land next to the road and I spot four Black-tailed Godwit in breeding plumage foraging in the water. I drive up and down the road making a U-turn every hundred meter trying to get pictures of the birds.
Black-tailed Godwit at Hulterstad
Black-tailed Godwit at Hulterstad
Black-tailed Godwit at Hulterstad
Black-tailed Godwit at Hulterstad
Black-tailed Godwit at Hulterstad
Black-tailed Godwit at Hulterstad
Black-tailed Godwit at Hulterstad
I drove to Mörbylånga and I bought picnic lunch for tomorrow and after that I went to the pizzeria where I had a pizza the other day. I went back to my hotel after the pizza and I packed my bags as I leave early tomorrow morning.
I will visit a few birding spots before leaving Öland tomorrow morning.
+++++++++++++++
Sunday 2 nd
of May 2021
and I left the hotel quarter past 6 in the morning and I started my eBird app at Färjestadens dämme at 06:29. It is a beautiful area and as there are plenty reeds there have been reports with the Bearded Reedling that have been seen here.
A bird I have wanted to see for years now. Leaving the car behind and it was a gorgeous morning. Walking in shorts, first morning. I used shorts only yesterday afternoon and this is the first morning for this year. The ponds and the sea was like mirrors as there was no wind.
A beautiful area
A beautiful area
A beautiful area
A beautiful area
I see Warblers but I am not able to ID any of them. I see Tufted Ducks and Coots in the pond. Reaching the other side of the pond and I see two Horned Grebes and I managed to get good pictures. I visited Linköping two times before coming to Öland to look for the Horned Grebe. Was not fully happy with the pictures from Linköping.
But I was very happy with today's pictures. The birds came very close and they were not scared. So I was actually leaving the birds before they left me as I had got enough pictures. I walk towards the reeds at “Kalmar Sund” (Kalmar Strait) to look for the Bearded Reedling.
Kalmar Strait
(Swedish: Kalmarsund) is a strait in the Baltic Sea, located between the Swedish island of Öland and the province of Småland of the Swedish mainland. The strait is about 130 kilometres long and between 5 kilometres and 25 kilometres in width.
There is a road bridge across the strait, the Öland Bridge, opened in September 1972.
Prehistory
The areas along the Kalmar Strait have a heritage of Neolithic and Bronze Age habitation; moreover, Mesolithic peoples crossed the strait on an ice bridge in the early Holocene period as glaciers began to recede from Öland.
A place where early Mesolithic settlement of the island of Öland occurred is Alby, whose people migrated across the Kalmar Strait approximately 6000 BC, and established one of the oldest known Mesolithic villages in Northern Europe
From Wikipedia
Eurasian Coot
Eurasian Coot
Horned Grebe / Svarthakedopping
Horned Grebe / Svarthakedopping
Horned Grebe / Svarthakedopping
Horned Grebe / Svarthakedopping
Horned Grebe / Svarthakedopping
Horned Grebe / Svarthakedopping
Horned Grebe / Svarthakedopping
Horned Grebe / Svarthakedopping
Horned Grebe / Svarthakedopping
Walking away leaving the Horned Grebes and I spot one more Horned Grebe. I have spotted twoGrey Herons but this is a scared bird so no pictures. I sneak towards Kalmar Strait and I use the reeds to try to get down to the water front without scaring any birds.
I did not spot one single Bearded Reedling and I managed to flush two Grey Herons that was in the water behind the reeds. One landed on a rock and I sneaked around the reeds and I managed to get one picture. Not so good as the bird was a wee bit too far away.
Walking back towards the car and I ran in to one of the Horned Grebes and I got pictures of the bird coming up with a fresh fish. And the bird swallowed the fish whole as we can see on the below picture. I was happy walking back to the car, a wee bit disappointed with the missing Bearded Reedling. But it had been a gorgeous morning and a beautiful area to walk around.
And the Horned Grebe was a real bonus bird to see.
Horned Grebe with a fish
Horned Grebe with a fish
Today's track at Färjestadens dämme
eBird Report
Färjestadens dämme, Kalmar län [SE-08], SE
May 2, 2021 06:29 - 07:21
Protocol: Traveling
1.566 kilometer(s)
Checklist Comments: eBird app stopped so had to put together 2 maps. Time and length also put to getter
18 species
Greylag Goose 4
Mute Swan 1
Common Shelduck 1
Mallard 5
Tuffted Duck 8
Slavonian Grebe 3
Common Woodpigeon 2
Northern Lapwing 1
Black-headed Gull 6
Eurasian Coot
Great Cormorant 1
Grey Heron 4
Eurasian Jackdaw 2
Hooded Crow 3
Common Starling 6
Eurasian Blackbird 1
House Sparrow 4
White Wagtail (alba) 4
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S86872736
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
I left and I will make a stop at Beijershamn before driving to the East side t have a quick look for the Ring Ouzel before driving back to the mainland and my hotel in Helsingborg.
Driving south towards Beijeshamn and I miss to leave the road. Passing the exit and after 100 meter I discover a Common Buzzard eating on a road kill next to the road.
I stopped and the Buzzard took off. I made a U-turn and I stopped at the bus stop but the bird never returned to the road kill. Sat in the tree with some crows looking at the road kill. I discovered a Pheasant next to me while waiting for the Buzzard.
Male Common Pheasant / Fasan
I gave up on the Buzzard and I left the road driving down to the coast and Beijershamn. I park the car and out of the car and I ran in to a birder from Skåne. He is here to look for the Collared Flycatcher. I told him that it have been spotted just after crossing the small wood bridge when walking in to the forest.
I asked if he had seen the Ring Ouzel and he told me that he had seen the bird yesterday, same area as it had been reported before. I took the position and I will visit the area later on.
He took off and I walked slowly towards the forest looking for the Long-tailed Tit and the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. He was at the bridge by the time I reached the bridge. He had spotted the Collared Flysnapper and he pointed out the bird for me.
The bird was way too far away for any pictures. But I spotted the bird so that is better than nothing. A also spotted the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker but I never reported the bird as I was not absolutely sure about the ID.
Today's track atSödra Beijershamn
eBird Report
Södra Beijershamn, Kalmar län [SE-08], SE
May 2, 2021 08:13 - 09:13
Protocol: Traveling
1.05 kilometer(s)
7 species
Common Woodpigeon 2
Eurasian Blue Tit 3
Common Chiffchaff 1 Heard only
Eurasian Blackbird 1
Collared Flycatcher 1
White Wagtail (alba) 1
Common Chaffinch 4
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S86874414
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
I left Beijershamn and I crossed Öland to get to the east side. I start at Hulterstad to see if I could get closer to the Black-tailed Godwit. I reached Hulterstad on Öland's east coast just to discover that there was no sign of any Black-tailed Godwit.
But there was a Northern Lapwing and while taking pictures I discovered something small moving about and it was a lapwing baby! A few seconds later, when the first baby was under the parent I discovered another small cotton ball and this baby was soon in cover under the parent.
So I could report one adult and 2 babies in the eBird app.
Adult Northern Lapwing
Baby come to seek cover under the adult
Baby come to seek cover under the adult
Baby come to seek cover under the adult
Baby come to seek cover under the adult
I continue towards the Ring Ouzel and I pass one Common Redstart sitting on a fence pool and the bird was carrying nest material. I stopped and put the car in reverse but the bird was gone by the time I was back. I continued south to go look for the Ring Ouzel and I reached the position.
I asked a farmer if he knew the Ring Ouzel and he pointed at a green house 200 meters up north. He told me that there had been people at the green house yesterday looking for the Ring Ouzel. I turned around to go have a look. I spent 45 minutes in the area without any luck.
I started to drive back north towards the bridge back to the main land. I pass Mellby and the area is covered with cars parked everywhere. Same yesterday and I learned this morning that it was people coming to look at the by now very famous stranded whale.
It was the first time yesterday that I saw all the cars and today I understood that it was because of the weekend and everyone took the opportunity to get to see the stranded humpback whales that have been covered in national and international news every day.
Of course for people in Sweden this might be the only chance you get to see a humpback whale.
I hve seen many of them, I have even been swimming with humpback whales.
The stranded whale is a baby and by looking at the video we can understand how big the adults are by comparing with the baby swimming with mommy. They grow quickly, the milk is thick like toth paste. Anyway, I had to slow down to pass the area and I spotted two Eurasian Collared Doves.
They ran down in to the field and I tried my best to get some pictures of the birds.
Eurasian Collared Dove / Turkduva
Black-tailed Godwit
Black-tailed Godwit
Black-tailed Godwit
Passing Hulterstad for the second time today, this time on the way north to leave Öland. I spotted one Black-tailed Godwit, yesterday 4 of them but today only one. So this Black-tailed Godwit will be my last sighting from Öland and I head north to the bridge across Kalmar Strait to main land.
Just click HERE
to find out if I make itto Helsingborg.