EuroBirdNet - since 1990.

Except the Pine Grosbeak invasion in the middle of Sweden, the activity is low.
Mild weather for the time being, +6 C.
New updates on the web-site Eurobirdnet.Sweden;
Holarctic List;
1997 years accepted records from the Rarities Committee (incl. 2 new species for Sweden) added to the Holarctic list.
Also added notes on;
Errors in the printed list
How to write bird names in English, Swedish etc.
Category A-E in Sweden.
(start on page http://www.pheromone.ekol.lu.se/hollisteng.html)
E-mail to Swedish birders. 20 new additions, in total now XXX entries
(http://www.pheromone.ekol.lu.se/memberlist.html)
Travel reports.
(see http://www.pheromone.ekol.lu.se/travelreports.html)
Some links updated (bird names translator, birders e-mail in The Netherlands etc.).
January 16th the 6th "Scanian Winter Bird Safari" took place (purpose; as many species as possible seen in the province of Scania between 00.00 and 18.00. This year torches was forbidden...).
The weather on this events usually is crap, so this year; very strong southerly winds and rain. Despite this the 3 top teams managed to see 91, 90 and 85 species (10 less than the last year). In total 123 species was seen by the 15 teams (137 last year).
Top results;
1. Twisted Twitchers (Thomas Lindblad, Bo Pettersson and Sven Marling) 91 species.
2. Slit i Fält AB (Ola Elleström, Lars Nilsson, David Erterius) 90 species. (620 kms driven)
3. Falkögas Vänner (C-G Dahl, Paul Eric Jönsson, Nils Kjellen, Erling Jirle) 85 species (320 kms driven).

SWEDISH RARITY REPORT 19 December 1998 - 25 January 1999.

Sources: Mainly Swedish hotline Club 300.
Most of the rarities listed below are not official Swedish records until accepted by the national or local rarities committees.

Shortenings: m=male, f=female, 2y=second calender year age, w = winter plumage

English name, scientific name (Swedish name)
Number, sex, place (Province) date
Great Northern Diver/Loon, Gavia immer (svartnäbbad islom)
1 (w) Hindens udde (Västergötland) 22.12, 1 Hönö (Bohuslän) 31.12, 1 Ripagården (Scania) 1.1, 1 (w) Busör (Halland) 17.1.

Yellow-billed Loon/White-billed Diver, G. adamsii (vitnäbbad islom)
1 ad. w. Hoburgen (Gotland) 2.1, 1 ad. w. Grundåren (Gotland) 10.1.

Northern Fulmar, Fulmarus glacialis (stormfågel)
49 Hönö (Bohuslän) 27.12.

Leach Storm-petrel, Oceanodroma leucorhoa (klykstjärtad stormsvala)
2 Glommen (Halland) 27.12.

Northern Gannet, Sula bassana (havssula)
15 Hönö (Bohuslän) 27.12.

European Shag, Phalacrocorax aristotelis (toppskarv)
1 Mönster (Halland) 17.1.

Gyr Falcon, Falco rusticolus (jaktfalk)
1 juv Hullsjön (Västergötland) 26.12.

King Eider, Somateria spectabilis (praktejder) 1 ad m Kullen (Scania) 10.1, 1 Kronholmen (Gotland) 11.1.

Polysticta stelleri (alförädare)
1 ad m Påskallavik (Småland) 5-6.1, 1 ad m S. Sunne (Lake Fryken, Värmland) 6.1, 1 m Väddö (Uppland) 10.1, 1 Kuggören, Hornslandet (Hälsingland) 10-13.1, 2 f Abbekås (Scania) 22-24.1.

Northern Lapwing, Vanellus vanellus (tofsvipa)
Very few wintering. 1 Hönö (Bohuslän) 27.12.

Great Skua, Stercorarius skua (storlabb)
1 2y Falsterbo (Scania) 2.1.

Meditteranean Gull, Larus melanocephalus (svarthuvad mås)
No records after 12.12.

Glacious Gull, Larus hyperboreus (vittrut)
1 1y Träslövsläge (Halland) 19-21.12 (before at Varberg harbour), 2 (1y and 2y) Glommen (Halland) 24.12-23.1, 1 1y Kalmar (Småland) -24.12, 1 1y Isbladssviken (Uppland) 24.12, 1 1y Örnahusen (Scania) 24.12, 2 1y Ronneby hamn (Blekinge) 25.12, 1 1y Mellbystrand (Halland) 30.12, 1 2y Jönköping (Småland) 1.1, 1 2y Härnösand (Ångermanland) 1-17.1, 1 2y Osudden, S. Värnamo (Småland) 2-10.1, 1 2y Oset (Närke) 5-7.1, 1 2y Ystad (Scania) 10.1, 1 2y Träslövsläge (Halland) 3-5.1, 1 2y Varberg (Halland) 11.1, 1 2y Grankullavik (Öland) 4-17.1, 1 2y Hasslö (Blekinge) 15.1, 1 Byxelkrok (Öland) -17.1, 1 2y Tyludden (Halland) 17.1, 1 2y Oskarshamn (Småland) 19-24.1.
In total more than 20 birds along much of the Swedish coasts.

Iceland Gull, L. glaucoides (vitvingad trut)
1 ad Lynga (Halland) 5.1, same bird seen Smedsgård 6.1 and Glommen 10.1.

Little Gull, L. minutus (dvärgmås)
30 (20 ad + 10 juv) Gälle Udde (Dalsland) 20.12.

Black-legged Kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla (tretåig mås)
300 Hönö (Bohuslän) 27.12.

Little Auk, Alle alle (alkekung)
Scattered records along the west coast, no invasion like last winter. On the east coast; 1 Utlängan (Blekinge) 20.12, 1 Nynäshamn (Södermanland) 1.1, 1 Forsmark (Uppland) 3-6.1, 1 Hölick (Hälsingland) 6.1, 1 Skåre (Scania) 7.1.

Snowy Owl, Nyctea scandiaca (fjälluggla)
1 juv Bjuröklubb (Västerbotten) 9.1, 1 ad f Stordammen, SW Nyköping (Södermanland) 19-22.1.

Three-toed Woodpecker, Picoides tridactylos (tretåig hackspett)
2 f Bredfjället (Bohuslän) 1.1 South of normal range.

White-backed Woodpecker, Dendrocopus leucotos (vitryggig hackspett)
1 f Sillvik, Hisingen (Bohuslän). Outside normal range, very rare breeding bird in Sweden

Water Pipit, Anthus spinoletta (vattenpiplärka)
Several wintering birds as usual; 1 W. Hörte (Scania) 20.12 (moving between here and Bingsmarken), 1 Kråkenabben (Blekinge) and 2 W. Ystad (Scania). Also; 1 Höganäs (Scania) 6-8.1, 1 Hönö (Bohuslän) 13-17.1, 1 Hasslö (Blekinge) 13.1.

White Wagtail, Motacilla alba (sädesärla)
Few wintering. 1 Jönköping (Småland) 26.12.

Firecrest, Regulus ignicapillus (brandkronad kungsfågel)
1 m Kungsmarken, E. Lund (Scania) 13.12-7.1.

Siberian Tit, Parus cinctus (lappmes)
1 record from middle Sweden, south of normal range;
1 Bjurtjärn (Värmland) 22.12.

Serin, Serinus serinus (gulhämpling)
1 m (singing!) Simrishamn (Scania) 2-17.1.

PINE GROSBEAK, Pinicola enucleator (tallbit)

The invasion this winter is a large one, maybe as big as the last major one, in 1976-77. But the number has decreased since Nov-beginning of December.
In December still a number of records;
40 at Kungshamn (Bohuslän) 19.12, 11 Växjö (Småland) 18-20.12,
150 Backaröd, Västerås (Västmanland) 27.12, 3-6 Karlskrona (Blekinge) -26.12, 6 S. Varberg (Halland) 23.12, 12 Kungshamn (Bohuslän) 24.12, 28 Hovmantorp (Småland) 26.12, 5 Vista kulle (Småland) 26.12.
January records;
Over 1000 in the Stockholm area beginning of January, 25 Oskarshamn (Småland) 3.1, 7 Gislaved (Småland) 3.1, 5 Arontorp (Öland) 5.1, 35 Kalmar (Småland) 1-10.1, 34 Mariestad (Västergötland) 14.1, 50 Fåraberget, Falköping (Västergötland) -14.1, 4 Hovmantorp (Småland) -17.1.

I was in Kalmar city center myself 20.12 and saw one nice flock of 18, incl. 10 males only 10 meters away, very nice whistles when they moved between whitebeam trees (Sorbus intermedia) eating the berries.
The southernmost record I have heard about was 1 at Falsterbo ringing station 28.12 (Scania), the southwest tip of Sweden. Only 1 record more in Scania during this invasion (Hässleholm 11.12). In middle Sweden it seems that trees have been emptied now (since 2-3 weeks) by lots of thrushes, Bohemian Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus) and Pine Grosbeaks, so the main part of these birds have moved further south or left the country. In the Stockholm area in middle Sweden there was still around 1000 2 weeks ago, all are gone now. In Kalmar (Småland) they have dissappeared since 1 week (only 1 was seen last weekend).

Arctic Redpoll, Carduelis hornemanni (snösiska)
2 Örebro (Närke) 10.1. Only record this winter ?
Erling Jirle
Swedish coordinator EuroBirdNet / Fugle-nett

The English names mainly follows the Swedish Holarctic list.
The Scientific and Swedish name also follows the Holarctic Bird list adopted by SOF, see URL;
http://www.pheromone.ekol.lu.se/hollisteng.html

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