Falsterbo    is   an   outstanding   place   to   enjoy   massive   bird   migration   in   autumn. The   main   factor   behind   the   large   concentration   of   migrating   birds   to   the Falsterbo   headland   is   its   geographical   location,   being   the   south-westernmost part   of   the   Scandinavian   Peninsula.   About   500   million   birds    leave   the   Nordic countries   every   autumn.   The   majority   of   these   migrate   to   south-west,   the direction   from   which   their   ancestors   came.   How   many   of   these   that   pass Falsterbo   is   unknown.   The   standardised   counts   carried   out   every   autumn   at Nabben,   the   south-westernmost   tip   of   Falsterbo   headland,   give   total   numbers of   between   one   and   three   million   birds .   This,   however,   represents   but   a   fraction of   the   true   number   as   most   birds   pass   too   high   above   or   too   far   away   from Nabben to be seen by the observer(s), or during the night. How   shall   I   describe   this   to   my   friends   at   home,   so   they   understand   it?   Is that    possible?    Probably    not.    Very    likely,    you    just    have    to    experience    it yourself!   These   were   some   of   the   comments   tour   members   made   after   a memorable    morning    at    Nabben.    We    had    for    hours    been    surrounded    by thousands   and   thousands   of   birds   rushing   to   their   winter   quarters.   It   was   like standing   in   the   middle   of   a   fast-floating   river,   made   up   of   birds   instead   of water.   And   they   passed   so   close,   that   we   had   to   put   away   both   telescopes   and binoculars,   because   we   had   no   use   of   them.   More   than   half   a   million   birds passed that morning.
There   have   been   a   lot   of   memorable   days   during   the   earlier   tours;   of   large- scale   migration   as   well   as   of   rarities.   Migrating   daily   totals   of   471,400 Chaffinches/Bramblings,    83,000    Siskins,    70,000    Eiders,    68,100    Wood Pigeons,   9,300   Blue   Tits,   8,050   Song   Thrushes,   3,468   Sparrowhawks,   2,702 Buzzards,   2,360   Jays,   1,900   Linnets,   1,400   Cranes,   1,109   Stock   Doves,   335 Mistle   Thrushes,   331   Gold   Finches,   303   Red   Kites,   203   Parrot   Crossbills,   53 Marsh   Harriers,   41   Merlins   and   15   Two-barred   Crossbills   are   some   of   the numbers    we    have    enjoyed.    Lesser    White-fronted    Goose,    Red-breasted Goose,    King    Eider,    Great    Northern    Diver,    Sooty    Shearwater,    Greater Spotted   Eagle,   Lesser   Spotted   Eagle,   Steppe   Eagle,   Eastern   Imperial   Eagle, Eleonora’s   Falcon,   Great   Snipe,   Pectoral   Sandpiper,   Pomarine   Skua,   Ring- billed   Gull,   Whiskered   Tern,   White-winged   Tern,   Eagle   Owl,   Calandra   Lark, Horned    Lark,    Richard’s    Pipit,    Red-throated    Pipit,    Water    Pipit,    Siberian Stonechat,     Desert     Wheatear,     Yellow-browed     Warbler,     Hume’s     Leaf Warbler,    Radde’s    Warbler,    Dusky    Warbler,    Siberian    Chiffchaff,    Red- breasted   Flycatcher,   Rustic   Bunting   and   Little   Bunting   are   some   of   the   less common birds we have observed, many of them on several occasions.
The   most   exciting,   however,   is   to   leave   Stensoffa   in   the   morning   without knowing   what   to   find   during   the   day.   Which   is   the   most   promising   site(s)   to visit?   Will   it   be   a   good   migration   day   at   Falsterbo,   or   is   it   a   better   idea   to go looking for staging birds, and in such case where? The total number of bird taxa recorded during earlier tours amounts to 293.
Tour to Falsterbo/Skaane 5 – 13 October 2016 This   tour    is   timed   for   optimal   chances   of   experiencing   large-scale   migration,   as well   as   good   views   of   some   rare   birds .   However,   even   though   each   species   has its   own   well-known   migration   time   table,   there   are   neither   two   years   nor two   days   that   are   alike.   Every   autumn   brings   its   own   surprises.   Besides Golden   Eagle   and   White-tailed   Eagle,   both   species   breeding   in   the   area   to be   visited,   the   latter   also   on   Falsterbo   headland,   there   are   good   chances of   seeing   both   Greater   Spotted   Eagle   and   Lesser   Spotted   Eagle,   maybe also   Eastern   Imperial   Eagle   and   Steppe   Eagle.   Eagles,   in   common   with species   as   Crane,   Osprey   and   other   birds   of   prey,   will   be   looked   for   not only   at   Falsterbo   and   Foteviken,   but   also   in   Fyledalen   and   at   the   lakes   in the   south-western   part   of   Skaane,   where   they   stage   while   waiting   for   good migration conditions. During    the    tour    we    stay    at    Stensoffa ,    the    Ecological    Station    of    Lund University,   which   is   situated   in   an   excellent   area   for   birding.   Walks   down to   nearby   Lake   Kranke   and   along   the   shores   of   this   famous   bird   lake   can provide   a   long   list   of   interesting   species.   One   of   our   target   species   in   the local   breeding   fauna   is   the   Black   Woodpecker,   which   usually   can   be   seen and   heard   daily   at   Stensoffa.   Mammals   withing   walking   distance   from   the field station include Elk, Red Deer, Roe-deer, Fallow-deer and Wild Boar.
Day 1 Arrival day. Day 2–8 The   exact   programme   for   these   days   will   depend   on   the   actual weather   conditions;   we   will   go   to   the   sites   promising   the   most spectacular    views    of    staging    and    migrating    birds.    At    least three    days    we    will    start    at    dawn    at    Falsterbo,    working ourselves   inland   from   there.   Other   days   will   be   devoted   to   the lakes and Fyledalen.   Day 9 Departure day. The   price   (airport-to-airport)   of   900   EUR    for   a   nine-day   tour   includes   the costs   for   van,   fuel,   driver/guide,   accomodation   in   single   rooms,   breakfast, picnic   lunch,   evening   meal   (in   a   local   restaurant),   check-list   and   after-tour report,   but   not    the   travel   cost   to   and   from   Malmoe   Airport   (Sturup)   or Svaagertorp.   Svaagertorp   is   an   alternative   for   those   flying   to   Kastrup instead   of   Sturup.   At   Kastrup,   one   walks   from   the   arrival   hall   to   the railway   station,   whereafter   Svaagertorp   is   the   first   stop   on   the   Swedish side of Oeresund.