|
The day started with almost no wind from South East this morning.
Although the activity was low in the bushes, it was clear that we would have a better day than yesterday. We were waiting for some important guets today as a local politician Lars Egeland was coming with Hans Erik to talk about the running of the station and the windfarm. It was therefore good for everybody that we had some birds in the nets until 9-10am. And a fair diversity as well. After showing Lars how the ringing works and some more presentations about bird migration , we had a lunch alltogether in the bright sun and the day went on with an amazing weather again. All in all, 63 birds were ringed today: 43 løvsanger (willow warblers), 1 gulsanger (icterine warbler), 2 munk (blackcap), 4 hagesanger (garden warbler), 1 tornsanger (whitethroat), 4 møller ( lesser whitethroat), 1 rødstruppe (robin), 2 svart hvit fluesnapper (pied flycatcher), 2 rødstjert (redstar), 1 svarttrost (blackbird) and 2 brunsisik (redpolls). We also retrapped a couple of nightingales with old rings. Some of them seemed to be more than 2 years old but we'll know more by going through the data. Now, everyone left except me and Fredrik arrived in late afternoon to take over. So, dear readers, as I am also leaving tomorrow, this is the last blog for me today. I did of course enjoyed very much to stay on this incredible island again and I'm bringing lovely memories home. Thanks everyone! Marie and Fredrik
0 Comments
Late evening, the new team arrived as Egil had left yesterday.
Per Espen and Jan Peter were very keen to share good stories and to open the nets in the early morning. So they did! While opening these two already got one robin and one woodcock. It was a good beginning! Unfortunately, the second round told us it will be a slow day. In fact, we were threathened by rain the whole morning and it finally started around 9 on empty nets. We struggled a bit longer to try to keep nets open but at 10, rain got heavier and it was time to close the nets. The rest of the day was quite relaxing, with good conversations and our master chief, Per Espen , gave us some directions to prepare an amazing meal. In the meantime, we opened the 2 nets close to the house for the rest of the day but weren't very succesfull. Today, we ringed 14 new birds: 1 rugde (woodcock), 7 løvsanger (willow warblers), 1 munk (blackcap), 1 hagesanger (garden warbler), 2 møller ( lesser whitethroat), 1 rødstruppe (robin), 1 gråfluesnapper (spotted flycatcher). Marie The light rain delayed the opening of the nets this morning. But after such a good day as yesterday, we were not expecting to do as good.
There were indeed fewer birds around. The ringing started alright with about 12 birds in the first round but it slowed down very quickly. The sun came up and the island was quiet. A bit of fog showed up around noon but it was definitely too late to bring us birds and I closed the nets in early afternoon. Still, some garden warblers seem to arrive lately as their number keep on increasing slowly. New nightingales also arrived as well as a icterine warbler. All in all 39 birds ringed today: 26 løvsanger (willow warblers), 1 gulsanger (icterine warbler), 1 munk (blackcap), 5 hagesanger (garden warblers), 2 nattergal (trush nightingale), 2 svarthvit fluesnapper ( pied flycatchers) and 2 brunsisik (redpoll). Tomorrow the weatherforecast predicts wind from the south with a sligh rain. Weather should improve on Sunday. Marie The wind was not too strong this morning and blowing from the South. I opened the nets as usual and try to figure out if there were many birds around. It seemed like there was a bit more activity and I heard a cuckoo in the Northern part of the island. It moved very close to the house when I was going back and moved around all day long but never got trapped in the end. The first round was not very busy nor too calm, a few willow warblers, some garden warblers and a couple of lesser whitethroat showed that new birds had arrived during the night. In between 1st and 2nd round, I had time for a coffee and saw a bird trapped in the net through the window. I was happy to see that it was a red backed shrike. He (because it was a gorgeous male) was apparently not so happy to see me and bit me hard several times during the ringing but especially during the photo session afterwards. This is how dedicated I am to my readers :)  A red backed shrike, thursty for human blood apparently. After I released it, it was time for the second round and it was a busy one! A good amount of willow warblers had arrived on the island! I started ringing and it was confortable to be two, meaning we could continue to take measurements on every bird without being too stressed out by the time.
Egil started the 3rd round by himself and I finished to ring on time to help him only a litte. There were still good number of willow warblers in the nets and a few redstars. But after that, it dropped from round to round and we thought about closing around 4pm after rounds almost empty and full of retraps of the day. One of the last round brought us a spotted flycatcher and we finally called it a day. But it has been a great day! It was the best ringing day for the spring season so far with 174 birds ringed: 142 løvsanger (willow warblers), 3 gransanger (chiffchaff), 1 munk (blackcap), 5 hagesanger (garden warblers), 2 tornsanger (whitethroat), 4 møller (lesser whitethroat), 1 rødstruppe (robin), 1 grafluesnapper (spotted flycatcher), 1 svarthvit fluesnapper ( pied flycatchers), 8 rødstjert (redstar) , 4 grønnfink (greenfinches), 1 brunsisik (redpoll) and 1 tornskate (red-backed shrike). Marie and Egil We tried nightjars again until 2am. And didn't get lucky again.
I started opening nets even ealier today as days are getting longer and longer. It was really nice to enjoy the sun so late these last days and the light was extraordinary this early morning. But, as soon as I opened, I figured that it would be a slow day again. I couldn't be more right! No wind, bright sun, only a few birds singing, it seemed a bit like if time had stopped. The first round brought only a couple of new birds. The next weren't any better and then the wind picked up a bit, the clouds appeared and nothing was moving much in the bushes. At midday, we closed all nets but one, to try to see if something would happened later. The only thing that happened were young greenfinches, either from here or from islands nearby, they discover the net and a few were ringed, which more or less saves the day. All in all, 16 birds were ringed today: 5 løvsanger (willow warblers), 1 munk (blackcap), , 1 møller (lesser whitethroat),an 9 grønnfink (greenfinches). On the observation side, Egil was lucky to spot a honey buzzard and a hobby. Raptors also are on their way. What's more, today Morgane has left the island to fly home. It was a pleasure to share these 10 days together! Egil and I are then the gardians of the island for the next 2 days and we do hope to get more birds tomorrow. Marie and Egil After an unsuccessfull try of catching nightjars, nets were open in early morning as usual. It was again windy in earley morning, with East wind. It changed slowly through the day and reached no wind again in the afternoon. With almost the same weather as yesterday, and this eastern wind, there were not much birds around in the morning. However, there were surprinsigly more lesser whitethroats than willow warblers until 9am. There were also a few empty rounds, but a new nightingale, a redstar, a song trush motivated us to continue ringing and we got rewarded by a beautifull male bluethroat in late morning.  Beautifull young male bluethroath In the end, 29 birds were ringed today : 14 løvsanger (willow warblers), 1 gransanger (chiffchaff), 8 møller (lesser whitethroat), 2 rødstjert (redstar) , 1 nattergal (trush nightingale), 1 bokfinke (chaffinch), 1 måltrost (song trush) and 1 blåstrupe (bluethroath).
Marie, Morgane and Egil Today Morgane and I got up even earlier than usual to try to catch nightjars. Unfortunately for us, we did not get them. We will definitely try again. In the morning, the wind picked up and there were not that many birds in the nets. In the afternoon, the wind dropped to nearly no wind at all but the island was quite silent. The surprise of the day was a female whinchat.  All in all, 76 birds were ringed today: 65 løvsanger (willow warblers), 1 gransanger (chiffchaff), 2 gulsanger (icterine warblers) , 2 munk (blackcap), , 1 møller (lesser whitethroat),1 rødstruppe (robin), 1 svarthvit fluesnapper ( pied flycatchers), 1 rødstjert (redstar) , 1 bukskvett (whinchat) and 1 grønnfink (greenfinches).
With this incredible weather in the afternoon it was impossible for one of us to resist to a swim :) and we enjoyed staying outside until late afternoon. Marie, Morgane and Egil Another really bright, sunny day on the island! The wind seem to have decide to let us alone. We therefore open on usual time and birds arrived in good numbers in the nets in the first rounds. Most of them are still of course willow warblers! But there has also been a few icterine warbler, a whitethroat and yet another ringed ouzel. It has been a fair day, with 133 new birds ringed: 110 løvsanger (willow warblers), 1 gransanger (chiffchaff), 5 gulsanger (icterine warblers) , 1 munk (blackcap), 2 hagesanger (garden warblers), 1 tornsanger (whitethroat), 1 nattergal (nightingale), 3 svarthvit fluesnapper ( pied flycatchers), 1 rødstjert (redstar) , 1 ringtrost (ringed ouzel) and 1 svarttrost (blackbird), 1 sivspurv (reed bunting), 3 grønnfink (greenfinches), 1 brunsisik (redpoll) and 1 tornirisk (linnet).  One of the few whitethroat that were on the island today With the icterine warblers and the nightingales around, spring is in full swing and some swift, a good amount of sylvias and a few swallows confirm this. With this beautifull sun over our head through late afternoon, a calm sea, a drink, and 2 boxes of strawberries left, life on the island cannot improve much.
Marie, Morgane and Egil At last, the wind dropped for good today and the day was bright and sunny with clear blue sky. Morgane even managed to swim in the sea in the afternoon!
There were a fair number of birds in the nets in the first two rounds. Mainly willow warblers but we also got 2 redpolls and a reed bunting. Then, we had the visit of Terje and his son, Hans Erik and Morten and enjoyed their company on the terrasse with the sun. Some migrating birds like a swift seemed to also appreciate the weather. Unfortunately, it was also time for goodbye as Vidar left the island, it was nice to have him around for the week. But Morgane and I were not alone for long and soon joined by Egil who is going to stay with us for the week. In the end, we ringed 121 birds today, which is not bad: 1 gransanger (chiff chaff); 91 løvsanger (willow warbler); 2 møller (lesser whithroat); 2 brunnsisik (redpoll); 14 SH fluesnapper (pied flycatcher); 1 rødstruppe (robin); 2 munk (blackcap); 1 hagesanger (garden warbler) ; 5 grønnfink (greenfinch); 1 sivspur (reed bunting); 1gulsanger (icterine warbler). Marie, Morgane, Egil Another windy day on the island! Fortunately, it was not as bad as yesterday in the morning and we could open all the nets at sunrise.
There were still not that many birds around in the morning. But we kept on catching a few willow warblers through the whole day. Apart for these numerous little buddies, we had the nice surprise to get a new ring ouzel, and a icterine warbler. All in all, 64 birds were ringed today: 4 gransanger (chiffchaff), 2 Rødstjert (common redstart) ; 1 Ringtrost (ringed ouzel) ; 49 løvsanger (willow warbler) ; 1 møller (lesser whitethroat) ; 2 svart hvit fluesnapper (pied flycatcher) ; 4 munk (blackcap) ; 1 gulsanger (icterine warbler) . The wind start to increase again in the afternoon, and at 6pm we decided to call it a day. Tomorrow will be a social day with a few visitors expected. Let's hope that we will have some birds in the nets! All the best Marie |
RSS Feed
Kontakt oss |
På kartet |
|
Store Færder Ornitologiske Stasjon - SFOS
Postboks 349, 3101 Tønsberg Telefon til stasjonen: 90 93 90 03 Epostadresse: post@storeferder.no Hjemmeside: gammel https://sites.google.com/site/sfosnett1/ Hjemmeside: ny storeferder.no |