Day 1

After a morning flight to Copenhagen we met our guide, Greg, and Jens Peter who was to be our driver for the trip and crossed the magnificent Oresund Bridge into Sweden.

The journey to Oland took the rest of the day during which the bird list reached 29, including a group of 15 Red Kites circling over the coach and culminating with a Woodcock flying over the trees as we approached our hotel.
Day 2 After an early breakfast the next day we headed the short distance to the reserve at Ottenby, to capitalise on the main movement of birds which occurs from c. 7.00am to c. 9.00am. It was quickly apparent why the area is so noted for migration,
"Then a dramatic event offshore, when we watched a huge White Tailed Eagle stalking an Eider..."
with thousands of birds flying along both sides of the tip of the island, as well as over us together with hundreds of wildfowl on the water waiting to migrate. By the end of the day, a further 53 species had been added to the list, including our first White Tailed Eagle, Crane, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (which proved to be quite a rarity for the island), and Yellow Browed Warbler. We also benefited from Greg's pager which alerted us to the sighting up the coast at Segerstadt Fyr of a very rare Booted Warbler. After a short journey to the area, the group managed to get fleeting sights of the bird- very brief but satisfying.
Day 3 The next day started with a trip to the other side of the island at Sjomark where we were treated to a splendid view of a beautiful dawn rising over the Baltic and on the way we were extremely lucky to see right by the road, an elk, an animal not uncommon in Sweden but not easily seen. Distant view of a White Billed Diver was spotted by Greg and a probable Great Northern Diver and huge numbers of Black Throated Divers passing offshore. But the weather deteriorated and the rain worsened to the point that the Group relaxed in the hotel in the afternoon but not before a further 21 species had been seen, including Velvet Scoter, Long Tailed Duck and the first of some 50 Rough Legged Buzzards.
Day 4 ...and what a day! The previous days bad weather resulted in a huge number of birds being grounded at Ottenby and among the most numerous (certainly over a thousand) were Goldcrests - they were everywhere, in the trees, on the ground, flying between our legs and even landing on a telescope, you had to be careful where you stood!
"The sheer number of birds passing through was mind-boggling - we saw c 4500 Blue Tits flying around and over us..."
Then in adjoining trees we spotted a lovely Red Breasted Flycatcher and a Red Backed Shrike. Then a dramatic event offshore, when we watched a huge White Tailed Eagle stalking an Eider - it hovered low over the water as the Eider dived, waiting for it to surface. Eventually, the Eagle dropped onto the Eider but it proved to be too awkward or heavy for it to be lifted completely out of the water and the Eagle flew off - whether the Eider survived the attack was uncertain. The movement of Honey Buzzards proved to be virtually completed but we did see one as it flew over us. As we drove along we spotted a large flock of 400 Cranes wheeling and landing in a field - tremendous. Other noteworthy birds that day were Goshawk Woodlark, Ring Ouzel, Lesser Whitethroat and a group of Parrot Crossbills flying over - a further 20 species for the day but a wonderful spectacle of bird migration for our last day on the island.
Day 5 Today was our journey to Falsterbo via Tosteberga Hamn where we saw a flock of Barnacle Geese fly in - but among them was a Lesser Canada Goose which, after a lot of checking, proved to be a Richardson's Canada Goose, a rarity for Sweden. At Torhamns Udde we saw a Short Eared Owl flying offshore and some members of the Group were lucky to have a brief view of a Nutcracker. We also saw the eastern race of Long Tailed Tit with its almost all-white head. On the coach journey through a forest, Greg and Tom spotted a bird quickly flying across the road and only grasping at the last moment that it was a Black Woodpecker - the rest of the Group was not amused! Another 7 species, taking the total to 130.
Day 6 Our first day at Falsterbo followed, producing 65 species. We were also able to arrange a bird ringing demonstration by a warden at the Observatory who explained the magic of bird migration, the history of the Observatory and showed us how they ringed the birds - an interesting hour passed.
"Official records at Falsterbo showed the migration of 1300 Eider, 220 Sparrowhawks, 300 Woodpigeons, 200 Woodlarks, 500 Swallows, 1100 Meadow Pipits, 7500 Blue Tits, 500 Siskins and incredibly 42500 Chaffinches/Bramblings."
We saw further White tailed Eagle, Hen Harrier, Rough Legged Buzzards, Woodlark, Mealy Redpoll and quite lengthy good views of a Hawfinch as it perched on top of a tree. At nearby Vombe Fure we saw Crested Tit and Parrot Crossbill. The sheer number of birds passing through was mind-boggling - we saw c 4500 Blue Tits flying around and over us, again like the Goldcrests at Ottenby, perching on a telescope, there was an estimated mile long flock of Cormorants which contained around 4500 birds. That day Falsterbo recorded the passage of 2700 Eider, 170 Sparrowhawks, 100 Stock Doves, 800 Chaffinches/Brambling, 100 Siskins.
Day 7 Our second day at Falsterbo was equally spectacular for the numbers of birds and we also saw Lesser Redpoll at nearby Borringesjon. Official records at Falsterbo showed the migration of 1300 Eider, 220 Sparrowhawks, 300 Woodpigeons, 200 Woodlarks, 500 Swallows, 1100 Meadow Pipits, 7500 Blue Tits, 500 Siskins and incredibly 42500 Chaffinches/Bramblings. We also visited a site at Nasby Holm, where before all of us had got off the coach, Greg spotted 3 Golden Eagles for us.
Day 8 Our last day was spent around the Falsterbo area, including a walk along the long spit where large numbers of waders were seen where new trip species included Common Tern, Avocet, Black Tailed Godwit and at Klaghamns Udde we had views of Bearded Tit.

We said our goodbyes to Greg at our last evening meal in Sweden and in the morning on our way to the airport, we had an excellent coach trip round Copenhagen, expertly guided by Jens Peter, the coach driver who had become an honorary member of the Group - seeing the Amalienborg Royal Palace and its changing of the guard, a walk along the beautiful Nyhavn area and having our packed lunch in the main square.

There were many highlights of this trip but the overall numbers of the birds would be the abiding memory. We certainly benefited by having Greg as our guide and he amazed us with his identification skills, not only by sight and by ear but his ability to tell us the seasonal plumages and annual plumages changes. Not only that but he was a great guy who took the time to show the birds to as many people as possible and his knowledge of the local sites was such that new species were seen at every new place he took us to. Finally after some 153 species had been noted, it was pleasing that everyone on the trip managed to see species they had not seen before.