We went back to the Bird Observatory at Ottenby again in the morning, though there were not so many birds around due to the calm, clear weather.  The first bird we encountered was the roosting Nightjar, which this time we were able to photograph.  Small flocks of Barnacle and Brent Geese were flying over, and the obligatory Lesser Whitethroats were still flitting through the handful of trees on the point.  We met up with Anders Waldenstrom from the 300 Club and he drove around some of the local birding hotspots.  We visited a local small wetland where drake Garganey was a highlight while raptors over the nearby fields included both Marsh and Montagu’s Harriers.  A stop-off at a patch of flooded woodland provided Common Rosefinch and Icterine Warbler but unfortunately with the paths being knee-deep in water, those of us who were slightly shorter than Anders weren’t able to go beyond the first half-mile.  Thrush Nightingales throbbed from deep within the bushes and our first Swedish Tree Pipits were added to our growing list.  Then up on Anders’ pager came the exciting news of a Red-rumped Swallow, guess where? Back at the Ottenby peninsula, of course!  So we jumped back in the car and rushed to the site.  But where was everybody?  Not a car to be seen.  Undeterred, Anders turned round and headed down a side lane.  Cars were abandoned and strewn all along the verge: obviously we were now in the right spot!  Jumping out, we trotted along beside Anders to the edge of the wood, where large numbers of House Martins were feeding.  Somewhere in amongst this lot was the Red-rumped Swallow.  All we had to do was find it, simple!  Anders had a smart idea, and took us at a fast pace down another footpath to a viewing tower.  Here we had eyelevel views of the hirundines.  Unfortunately, time had run out for Anders and he had to be back at work at the Observatory.  However, with no such time constraints, we continued to scan the soaring flock.  Finally, we picked out one bird with a difference: a deeply forked tail, and a distinctive red rump.  We had our bird!  Alan shouted out directions at full voice but we’re not sure how many of the Swedish birders understood him!  However, we enjoyed great views of this beautiful rare visitor as it swooped and soared, chasing insects right over our heads. 
Back at Lars and Ingrid’s house in the afternoon, we sat out in the sun raptor-watching, and our efforts were rewarded when a Lesser Spotted Eagle drifted slowly north.  We also saw at least four Montagu’s Harriers, Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk – not bad for a garden list!
In the evening, we went to a nearby hall where we gave a presentation on The Biggest Twitch to the 300 Club.  It was great to have a bit more time than usual for our talk, so we were able to explain a lot more about our fantastic adventure to this appreciative audience.  It was obvious from the number of questions at the end that everyone was fascinated by The Biggest Twitch and wanted to know even more, we could have talked all night!  At the end of the evening, we were presented with a beautiful book on White-tailed Eagles, lavishly illustrated with stunning photographs.
We’d like to thank the 300 Club for inviting us to speak to them in Oland and to Anders for taking time out in his busy schedule to show us around his favourite birding sites.