Today was the most productive day since our arrival! The first two rounds were the more productive, but there were a few birds n the net through the day. Around 4pm, it got foggy and more chilly, and the bird were not active anymore. A total of 93 birds for today ! It was mostly Willow warblers (Løvsanger) and Chiffchaff (Gransanger), but we also got a very interesting retrap of a Meadow pipit (Heipiplerke) which was ring as an adult in  spring 2024!
It was really enjoyable to hear Willows and chiffchaff  singing through the whole day and we heard a Reed Bunting (Sivspurv) in the bushes by the canopy net, and a blackcap was singing by the cabine.
The fog descended on the island at the end of the day, but it is suppose to be a clear night and more fog in the early morning. These conditions might bring us some good number of birds tomorrow. 

Dagens ringmerking: gjerdesmett 2, rødstrupe 4, rødstjert 2, gråtrost 2, måltrost 1, gransanger 32, løvsanger 44 og fuglekonge 6. Total: 93

​

 Today, birds were a bit more active in the morning. Some trushes were singing, the long-eaerd owl was seen flying, then after sunrise, there was movement of a good amount of willow warbler and chiffchaff , some tree pipits, and more trushes. The also was a common sandpiper in the harbour and 5 red breasted merganser parading.
Willow warblers and a few chiffchaff were singing along the nets through the first hours of daylight and we caught a good amount in the net!
 
It was also Enora’s birthday today, so instead of candles, she got a fair amount of birds in the nets, all in all an happy (-birth) day!

​Dagens ringmerking: gjerdesmett 2, rødstrupe 7, rødstjert 1, svarttrost 1, gransanger 19, løvsanger 29, fuglekonge 3 og brunsisik 2. Total: 64

Today, the wind had dropped in the morning and changed direction during the day, turning south in the afternoon. It was colder also but, however we managed to catch some birds. We caught 8 Willow warblers (Løvsanger) and 5 Lesser Redpolls (Brunsisik) during the day. The surprise of the day was a gorgeous young Common Redstart male, it was Enora’s first ! We also recaught a very gluttonous Eurasian Blackcap (Munk) who had made a feast of pollen!
The sea was very calm this afternoon, an oil sea as we say in French, and, as we were enjoying the view, we saw 2 harbour porpoises (Nise)  together not too far from the island. For this species, it was a super good observation with a few breathing, and  both of them  also stayed at the surface for a few second a couple of times. Usually, when I see this species in France, it is very brief observations, with one or two breathing and then disappearance.

Av interessante observasjoner kan nevnes: hornugle 1

Dagens ringmerking: rødstjert 1, gråtrost 3, måltrost 2, gransanger 1, løvsanger 8 og brunsisik 5. Total: 20

​Enora & Marie

​ 
Today was windy at 4 in the morning and some nets could not be opened. It didn’t seem to be a great loss though because it was really quiet. A woodcock called again during opening. Later on during the morning, the wind dropped and after 1 song trush had finished singing, the island went almost completely silent for some hours in the afternoon. It made it easy to detect a greater spotted woodpecker which called a couple of times during a few rounds. From time to time we got one chiffchaff in the nets bringing the number of chiffchaffs ringed to 7 during the day. Now, the wind has completely dropped again and even though it is much colder than the beginning of the week, the late afternoon weather was really enjoyable to stay out and enjoy the view.
Dagens ringmerking: rødstrupe 3, gransanger 7 og brunsisik 2.

We opened the nets at the same hours as the other days, as we opened the nets, we heard again the Long-eared owl (hornugle). It was the quietest day of the week. However, we managed to catch 6 new Lesser Redpolls (Brunsisik).
Geir saw 24 Meadow pipits (Heipiplerke) and a Colombin pigeon (Skogdue) flying over the island. Geir and John have left the island this afternoon. Thanks to them for their nice company.
Spring is here on the island, the white flowers are blooming everywhere !

Av interessante observasjoner kan nevnes: hornugle 1

Dagens ringmerking: gjerdesmett 1 og brunsisik 6. 

Nets were opened at 4:15 , with no wind and a bit of clouds. Two woodcoks (rugde) flew overhead and the long-eared owl (hornugle) was actually singing not so far from the nets. It started very slowly in the first hour but then Geir and John started to spot some migratory birds such as reed bunting (sivspurv), some tree pipits, a swallow (låvesvale) and a bit later a goshawk probably female because it was biggish.
 
The wind was picking up through the morning and we decided it was time to close nets. Around 2pm however, John heard a pied flycatcher by Plassen net and he decided to give it a go. Lucky he did because we got the bird, a male! One hour later we closed again and later on, it actually snowed on the island. We can say that we lived the fourth season on one day.

Av interessante observasjoner kan nevnes: hornugle 1

Dagens ringmerking: rødstrupe 1, svarttrost 1, gråtrost 1, måltrost 1, munk 1, gransanger 8, løvsanger 1 og svarthvit fluesnapper 1. 

Today there was a bit of activity when we opened the nets. A snipe took off at Enora’s feet and I heard my first blue tit on the island (!). Enora also saw a long eared owl (hornfugle)while waiting for sunrise. In the morning we caught a gorgeous Brambling (BjØrkefink) in summer plumage and 3 Lesser Redpoll (Brunnsisik). It also has been a very productive day for chiffchaff (gransanger) with 20 birds ringed. And we had our first male goldcrest (was it the guilty one?) , coming after the females as expected in their migration logic (but isn’t that just the usual way for all males?? 😁).
Today we got some company, the team came back to continued to rebuild the harbour and Geir and John join us on the island for the weekend.
 
Av interessante observasjoner kan nevnes: dverglo 1 og hornugle 1.
 
Dagens ringmerking: rødstrupe 7, svarttrost 1, måltrost 2, gransanger 20, løvsanger 3, fuglekonge 2, bjørkefink 1 og brunsisik 3. Total : 39.

We opened the nets at the same hour than yesterday; the island was even quieter than yesterday. Only two Woodcock (rugde) were calling above our heads. We start the day with some Willow warblers (Løvsanger) and some Goldcrests (Fuglekonge). We only had females goldcrests since the start of the week, do the males push their partner in the nets ?! This morning we also catch a Siskin (Grønnsisik), the first of the week !
The afternoon was also quiet but with some surprises ! We caught a flaggspett, who really like the net, because we had it an hour later back in it. Marie saw a Merlin (dverfalk) flying over the island. And we also caught 2 Lesser Redpolls (grønnsisik), one of them was a gorgeous male.

Enora & Marie

Dagens ringmerking: flaggspett 1, rødstrupe 2, gransanger 2, løvsanger 2, fuglekonge 2, grønnfink 1, grønnsisik 1 og brunsisik 2. Total : 13.

Nets were open a bit earlier than yesterday and the island was still very quiet. During the first round though, a wryneck (vendehals) was singing loudly, for our great pleasure. They also were a couple of trushes singing and a redwing (rødvingtrost) flew over the island, calling.
On our way back, a massive woodcock (rudge) was trapped as well. Enora`s first! We actually had heard it yesterday evening so it was not such a big surprise.
Yesterday, we also had seen our first willow warbler (løvsanger) on the island and today, these little guys did really reach us as we ring our first 5 for the year!
In midafternoon a short walk gave us another species for the day with a curious but clever female bullfinch (dompap).
 
 Marie & Enora
 
Av interessante observasjoner kan nevnes: vendehals 1
 
Dagens ringmerking: rugde 1, rødstrupe 7, gråtrost 1, måltrost 1, munk 2, gransanger 11, løvsanger 5, fuglekonge 2, grønnfink 2 og brunsisik 1. Total:33

Here we go again!
I`m back for two weeks on the island with a helper friend, Enora!
We arrived yesterday around 5pm in good weather and today when we opened the nets, the weather was already splendid!
There was a bit of activity when we open, especially on the trushes sides and we got a few, among them two fieldfares for our delight!
A few wrens were also around and we got 5 new ones in the nets. It slowed down early, and we already had only a couple of birds from 8 on but another surprise also got caught almost in front of us: a wryneck, the first for this year.
The afternoon was quiet and we enjoyed a relaxing view from the terrasse and a short walk while Bjørn and Magne fixed the shower ( it s been a while since I had had a proper shower on the island!!) and  continued to rebuild the harbour. They definitively did a great job on those two tasks!
Observations gave us a couple of more species : pipits, wheatear, wagtails… it does have a spring vibe. Enora was also lucky enough to have a sea eagle flying above her head on her very first day on the island!
​
Marie Chevalier and Enora Gonidec
 
Av interessante observasjoner kan nevnes: havørn 1 og vendehals 1.
 
Dagens ringmerking: vendehals 1, gjerdesmett 5, rødstrupe 2, svarttrost 4, gråtrost 3, måltrost 2, gransanger 2 og fuglekonge 1. Total: 20