SWEDISH RARITY REPORT February 13 - March 29, 1998
The spring is making a pause in Sweden. Today it was snowing even in Lund in southernmost Sweden. And up north the forecast is down to -30 C, and they have 1 meter snow or so...
But last week there was good migration of Eiders; 90 000 Eider, and 5 King Eiders among them at Kåseberga, SE Scania 25.3).

It's pretty calm concerning rarities during this period, we are waiting for Black-shouldered Kites and Short-toed Treecreepers.....
Sources: E-mail from the Swedish hotline Club 300 + local reports, mainly from Gotland and Västerbotten.
Most of the rarities listed below are not official Swedish records until accepted by national or local rarities committees.

Abbreviations : m=male, f=female, 2y=second calender year age, s=summer plumage

English name/alt. Eng. name , Scientific name (Swedish name)
Number, sex, place (Province) date
White-billed Diver/Yellow-billed Loon, G. adamsii (vitnäbbad islom)
1 Kronholmens fyr (Gotland) 15.3, 1 2y Sandby skjutfält (Öland) 22.3, 1 2y Gubbanäsan (Halland) 28.3, 1 subad Utö (Södermanland) 29.3.

Fulmar / Northern Fulmar, Fulmarius glacialis (stormfågel)
600 Kullen (Scania) 28.1, 200 Mellbystrand (Halland) 28.2.

Sooty Shearwater, Puffinus griseus (grålira)
3 Kullen (Scania) 28.2, 1 Hovs Hallar (Scania) 28.2, 1 Galtabäck (Halland) 13.3.

Storm-petrel /European Storm-petrel , Hydrobates pelagicus (stormsvala)
1 Svanshall (Scania) 1.3.

Leach's Storm-petrel, Oceanodroma leucorhoa (klykstjärtad stomsvala)
1 Mellbystrand (Halland) 28.2, 1 Kullen (Scania) 1.3.

Shag/European Shag, Phalacrocorax aristoteles (toppskarv)
4 Malön (Halland) 22.2, and 1 7.3, 1 15.3.

Great White Egret, Egretta alba (ägretthäger)
1 Sund, E. Huskvarna (Småland) 28-29.3.

Lesser White-fronted Goose, Anser erythropus (fjällgås)
1 Skatalövs area (Småland) - 8.3. 1 ad (not ringed) Lake Lidhemssjön (Småland) 14.3, 1 Flistad, Östen (Västergötland) 15-16.3, 1 ad (not ringed) Gårdsby säteri (Småland) 17.3, 3 with colour rings, Sjöstaviken, Nyköping (Södermanland) 28.3, 1 ad Lake Glan (Östergötland) 29.3.

Snow Goose, Anser caerulescens (snögås)
1 (white form) Åsumtornet, Lake Hammarsjön (Scania) 26.3.

Brent Goose, Branta bernicla flavirostris (bläsgås, grönländska rasen)
1 Västra Rakan, Kvissmaren (Närke) 28.3.

Red-breasted Goose, B. ruficollis (rödhalsad gås)
2 Lake Rynningen (Småland) - 19.2, 2 Svensksundsviken (Östergötland) 21.2, 2 Starby kyrka (Scania) 21.2-14.3, 2 W. Bjälbo (Östergötland) 21.3, 1 Skönadalsdammen, NW Ystad (Scania) 23-26.3, 2 Öby kulle, Kvissmaren (Närke) 24.3.

Red-crested Pochard, Netta rufina (rödhuvad dykand)
The bird from Lake Krankesjön and Malmö harbour seen at Lund sewage works 11-21.3.

American Wigeon, Anas americana (amerikansk bläsand)
1 m Busör (Halland) 28-29.3. But some characters from Wigeon, A. penelope, suggests hybrid americana x penelope.

King Eider, Somateria spectabilis (praktejder)
1 ad m Påarp (Halland) 13.2-3.3.
Then during the last 2 weeks of March a high number was counted; around 40 individuals;
Halland 14
Scania 11
Blekinge 5
Småland 2
Öland 3
Gotland 3

Steller's Eider, Polysticta stelleri (alförrädare)
1 m and 1 f Närsholmen (Gotland) 20.2, 1 ad m in River Klarälven at Färjestads race course (Värmland) 26.2, 1 Kronholmens fyr (Gotland) 15.3, 1 ad m W. Vrångö (Bohuslän) 20?.3, 1 f Furilden (Gotland) - 25.3.

Crane / Common Crane, Grus grus (trana)
Winter record; 1 ad Beijershamn (Öland) 9.2.

Iceland Gull, Larus glaucoides (vitvingad trut)
1 ad Glommen (Halland) 1.3.

Glaucous Gull, L. hyperboreus (vittrut)
1 2y + 1 3y Vänersborgsviken (Västergötland) 7.3, 1 3y Sandön (Scania) 7-8.3,1 Nyköping (Södermanland) 14.3, 1 ad Flisviken (Gotland) 15.3, 1 ad Kronholmens fyr (Gotland) 19.3, 1 2y Busör (Halland) 27.3.
1 2y + 1 3y Nyköping (Södermanland) now and then during the whole winter, last seen 20.3.

Ring-billed Gull, Larus delawarensis (ringnäbbad mås)
1 ringed :-)) ad Närsholmen (Gotland) 8.3.

Meditteranean Gull, Larus melanocephalus (svarthuvad mås)
1 in the Malmö harbour area and in a gull colony 26-29.3. Probably the same bird that last year made a breeding attempt together with Black-headed Gull, L. ridibundus.

Pomarine Skua/Pomarine Jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus (bredstjärtad labb)
1 Hovs Hallar (Scania) 28.2.

Great Skua, Stercorarius skua (storlabb)
2 Kullen (Scania) 28.2.

Puffin / Atlantic Puffin, Fratercula arctica (lunnefågel)
24 in Bohuslän, 2 in Halland and 1 in Scania during the period.

Brünnich's Guillemot / B. Murre, Uria lomvia (spetsbergsgrissla)
1 Hovs Hallar 28.2 (8:26 a.m.)

Little Auk, Alle alle (alkekung)
Scattered records along the west coast during the whole period.

Great Grey Owl, Strix nebulos (lappuggla)
1 Värmdö (Uppland) 15-21.2.

Snowy Owl, Nuctea scandiaca (fjälluggla)
1 f Broddetorp (Västergötland) Jan - 18.2, 1 m Alböke (Öland) 17.2-29.3, 1 Årsta, Uppsala (Uppland) 10.3.

Water Pipit, Anthus spinoletta (vattenpiplärka)
1 wintering at Kråkenabben (Blekinge). 1 trången, Tyludden (Halland) 27.3.

Stonechat / Common Stonechat, Saxicola torquata torquata (västlig svarthakad buskskvätta)
1 m wintering at Sibyllas, Ottenby (Öland). 29.3 he got company with a female !

Desert Wheatear, Oenanthe deserti (ökenstenskvätta)
1 2y m from January at Lerhamn (Scania), seen until 14.3.
1 2y m from January at Skrea strand, Falkenberg (Halland), seen until 10.3.
Lesser Whitethroat, Sylvia curruca halimonderi (ärtsångare, östlig ras)
1 Lerhamn (Scania) January 11-18. The rumour now goes that this bird belonged to the race halimonderi from southern Russia (Lower Volga to Syr Darya).

Whitethroat, Sylvia communis (törnsångare)
1 wintering at Kristianstad sewage works (Scania). Seen until 14.2.
Very unusual in winter.

Firecrest, Regulus ignicapillus (brandkronad kungsfågel)
1 Falsterbo fyr (Scania) 27.3, and 1 m + 1 f ringed there 28-29.3.

Great Grey Shrike (eastern race), Lanius excubitor homeyeri (varfågel, östlig ras)
1 Paviken (Gotland) 22.3, 1 SE Skogsby (Öland) 23-29.3.

Two-barred Crossbill, Loxia leucoptera (bändelkorsnäbb)
1 Vassnäs, Kalmar (Småland) 11.3, 1 Varberg (Halland) 19.3, 2 E. Kovik (Gotland) 28.3.

Serin / European Serin, Serinus serinus (gulhämpling)
2 Skanör garbage dump (Scania) - 14.2.

Corn Bunting, Miliaria calandra (kornsparv)
1 Bassås, Onsalalandet (Halland) 15.3.
At the breeding site at Hammar, SE Scania, 3 singing males in the end of March.
PRESUMABLY ESCAPED BIRDS;

Pink-backed Pelican, Pelecanus rufescens (rosaryggad pelikan)
This probable escape (but not ringed), a subad, at Timmernabben (Småland) from November 1997 - 2.2 1998. Then (probably the same bird) moved via Karlslund (Östergötland) 13-14.3 to Hinsebergsbron, Frövi (Västmanland) 15-29.3.

Canada Goose, Branta canadenis minima (dvärgkanadagås)
1-2 Fiskingemaden, Kvissmaren (Närke) 24.3.

Hooded Merganser, Mercus cucullatus (kamskrake)
1 ad m Oxelösund (Södermanland) 20-28.3.

Arctic Rosyfinch, Leucosticta (arctoa) brunneonucha (no official Swedish name. The Swedish rarities committee still lumps this species with L. arctoa, Asiatisk alpfink).
1 2y m Mölle (Scania) from January - beginning of March. See the picture creating much debate on URL; http://www.algonet.se/~kof/mystery.html
Erling Jirle
Swedish coordinator EuroBirdNet / Fuglenett

This report can also be found on the EBN-Sweden homepages (where you also get the national characters right...) see URL:
http://www.pheromone.ekol.lu.se/Reports/SwReports98.html

The old established names in English comes first, folIowed with new alternative name after 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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