EuroBirdNet - since 1990.

SWEDISH RARITY REPORT. 1 Nov 2002 - 28 Feb 2003

Below is a compilation of the more important observations in Sweden the last 4 months
(have been a bit lazy with the reporting, I know)
Tomorrow morning I leave for a 4 week trip to Cameroon, so I hope there won't be anything really heavy in Sweden during that time...:-)
Generally this winter there is i fair number of owl records all over Sweden.

For example in Uppland, the province north of Stockholm, middle of Sweden, there have been around 10 records of Great Grey Owl, Strix nebulosa in Jan-Feb this year.
Northern Hawk Owl, Surnia ulula, is recorded in several provinces in the middle and south Sweden. there is for example one just 10 km east of Lund, Scania, the southernmost province since several weeks. Still there now. The locality is Skryllegården, between Södra Sandby and Dalby. Very tame and confinding.

Last weekend I watched a Western Capercaillie, Tetrao urogallus, that ignored people (almost) walking around in the middle of the small town Örkelljunga eating spruce shoots. We did a 400 km tour in northern Scania trying to get one in the forest, but had to stick to this "crazy" cock instead. The species is common when you go north, but in Scania is not so easy. Even more difficult in Scania is Hazel Grouse, Bonasa bonasia, which was also observed last weekend in northernmost Scania.

RARITIES

November - December 2002:

Long-legged Buzzard, Buteo rufinus. 1 ad Falsterbo, Scania 2.11.

Snowy Owl, Nyctea scandiaca. 1 Ärentuna, Uppland 11.12.

Pallid Swift, Apus pallidus. 1 Harplinge, Halland 28.10.

Blyth's Pipit, Anthus godlewskii. 1 1y stayed in Obbola, Västerbotten until 7.11. This was the second Blyth's this year.
The third one was at Brudarebacken, E Gothenburg, Västergötland 11-19.11.
Record 4 was 1 at Falsterbo, Scania 17.11, same spot as record 1 for 2003.
These records were number 2,3,4,5 for Sweden.

Desert Warbler, Sylvia nana. 1 ringed at Ottenby, Öland 8.11.

Hume's Leaf Warbler, Phylloscopus humei. 1 Skurup, Scania 24-27.11.

Azure Tit, Parus cyanus. 1 at Masugnsbyn, Lapland from about 26 October (on the Birdline 10 November) until 26 December, when it was seen feeding a lot and chasing away other tits. Not seen since that.
One old record from Blekinge has recently been rejected by the rarities committee, so this was record 3 for Sweden.

Pine Grosbeak, Pinicola enucleator. Fairly many in the north and middle Sweden.

Two-barred Crossbill, Loxia leucoptera. Small flocks in the middle and south Sweden.


January - February 2003:

Cory's Shearwater, Calonectris diomedea. 1, probably the same, seen at Rödskär, Halland 15.1, Glommens sten and Mellbystrand 16.1.

Iceland Gull, Larus glaucoides. 1 2y Åhus, Scania 8.2.

Bonaparte's Gull, Larus philadelphia. 1 ad Utlängan, Blekinge 3.1.
Third Swedish record. Unfortunately only observed one afternoon, MANY people looked in vain the day after..

Brünnich's Murre, Uria lomvia. 1 ad Mellbystrand, Halland 16.1, 1 Bua udde, Halland 17.1.

Lesser Short-toed Lark, Calandrella rufescens.
1 Utlängan, Blekinge. 10-14.2. Third Swedish record. Found by the same birder who found the Bonaparte's Gull !

Pine Bunting, Emberiza leucocephalos. 1 2y fem. Kråkelund, Småland 1-13.1.

Little Bunting, Emberiza pusilla. 1 Kabusa, Scania 21.2 - still there today 7.3.
The English / scientific / Swedish bird names in the reports follows the Swedish Holarctic list adopted by SOF (Swed. Orn. Union) 1995.
For the whole list incl. explanations, start at; http://www.pheromone.ekol.lu.se/hollisteng.html

Erling Jirle,
Swedish coordinator, EuroBirdNet, Erling Jirle

BACK