Stor Tornskade after the storm

We couldn't do standard ringing again. After a start to the day when we thought there may not be any sheltered nets, we were extremely excited to find that we had caught a Great Grey Shrike (Stor Tornskade). Not bad when we only got 13 birds.

 Adult Great Grey Shrike (2k+ Stor Tornskade)

 We had not been able to open any nets until 10:00am, and even then we had to close twice due to squally showers. Earlier, it was really looking as though there was no chance of any birds, and certainly not a new species! Neither of us had ringed Great Grey Shrike (Stor Tornskade) but this bird was processed by me, Denise.

When I recorded this video I would never have imaged the day could bring such a fantastic bird!

Good birding!
Denise


Totals: 13 (1)

Rødhals / Robin - 2
Fuglekonge / Goldcrest - 1 (1)
Stor Tornskade / Great Grey Shrike- 1
Gråsisken / Redpoll -1
Nordlig  Gråsisken / Common Redpoll - 2
Lille Gråsisken / Lesser Redpoll - 6

A blast of Winter

Another day of strong wind. The direction had shifted slightly so that even the two sheltered nets where we'd been using audiolures were being affected, particularly by the strong gusts that definitely exceeded the forecast.

 The observatory garden looking much less leafy due to strong winds.

We did make a attempt to encourage some finches in first thing in the morning but soon gave up and closed for the day.

Good birding.
Denise

Totals:  7

Fuglekonge / Goldcrest - 1
Lille Gråsisken / Lesser Redpoll - 6

A slow, slow day with wind and sun..............and some control details

Yet more very windy weather, but this time with some sunshine. Birds seemed to be more willing to make the crossing and, as we've seen before little alighted in the garden. Hence the very low total for the day.
It really does feel as though migration is almost done. We noticed that the snow poles have been put out alongside the road - it's soon be time for us to be making our way back to the UK too.

Totals:   ( 9 ) 1

Spurvehøg / Sparrowhawk - 1

Fuglekonge / Goldcrest - 0 (1)
Bogfinke / Chaffinch - 1

Grønsisken / Siskin -2

Nordig Gråsisken / Common Redpoll - 1

Lille Gråsisken / Lesser Redpoll - 4

We have had news of some birds that we controlled earlier in the season -

 13/10/2015 - Rødhals / Robin (first year, 1k) CX49203

Ringnr. Stockholm CX...49203
Farvering
Dato 27-09-2015 09:00
Art Rødhals (Erithacus rubecula)
Mærkningsdata
Sted Bredmar / Byn, Landsort
Område SV57: Stockholm, Sweden
Koordinater
Alder 1k
Køn Ukendt
Ringmærker(e) Swedish Bird Ringing Centre
Afstand 589 km
Tid 0 år 0 måneder 16 dage (=16 dage)
Retning 220° SW


On the 29th October we captured Grønsisken / Sisken, first year female 1k hun  CX96622 and Fuglekonge/ Goldcrest, first year male 1k han, TL0973.

Ringnr. Stockholm CX...96622
Farvering
Dato 24-09-2015 11:00
Art Grønsisken (Carduelis spinus)
Mærkningsdata
Sted Fyren, Falsterbo
Område SV63: Skåne, Sweden
Koordinater
Alder 1k
Køn Hun
Ringmærker(e) Swedish Bird Ringing Centre
Afstand 106 km
Tid 0 år 1 måneder 5 dage (=35 dage)
Retning 211° SSW

Ringnr. Stockholm TL....0973
Farvering
Dato 11-10-2015 09:00
Art Fuglekonge (Regulus regulus)
Mærkningsdata
Sted Ottenby, Ottenby
Område SV71: Öland, Sweden
Koordinater
Alder 1k
Køn Han
Ringmærker(e) Swedish Bird Ringing Centre
Afstand 334 km
Tid 0 år 0 måneder 18 dage (=18 dage)
Retning 239° WSW

A Fuglekonge / Goldcrest, first year female 1k hun, TL0266 was caught on the 30th October.

Ringnr. Stockholm TL....0266
Farvering
Dato 09-10-2015 08:00
Art Fuglekonge (Regulus regulus)
Mærkningsdata
Sted Ottenby, Ottenby
Område SV71: Öland, Sweden
Koordinater
Alder 1k
Køn Hun
Ringmærker(e) Swedish Bird Ringing Centre
Afstand 334 km
Tid 0 år 0 måneder 21 dage (=21 dage)
Retning 239° WSW

We have been very impressed by the speed of returns achieved by the Danish and Swedish organisers of the ringing schemes.

Good birding!
Denise

Gråsisken with a difference

For the second day running we have been unable to complete a standard session due to the weather, however today we did drop a couple of sheltered nets and play for Redpoll as flocks were heading down to the tip, then working their way North again having decided not to cross the Baltic.

We recaptured three Goldcrest (Fuglekonge) and encouraged some Redpoll (Gråsisken) and Sisken (Grønsisken) down to the nets. The catch included a partially leucistic Lesser Redpoll (Lille Gråsisken) with  patchy white colouration on the head, no black leg colouration and pale flanks.

 

Partially leucistic Redpoll

 The lack of black colouration in the legs was quite stricking 

although claws were the usual dark colour.

Good birding!

Denise

Totals: 62 (3)

Fuglekonge / Goldcrest - 0 (3)

Blåmejse / Blue Tit - 1

Grønsisken / Siskin - 5

Gråsisken/ Redpoll species (believed intermediate) - 3

Nordig Gråsisken / Common Redpoll - 12

Lille Gråsisken / Lesser Redpoll- 41

Westerly winds - new birds not likely

Adverse weather again - strong winds after much rain during the night. We managed to open enough nettage for a standard session, choosing the most sheltered nets next to vegetation where most of the leaves were already on the ground, but the large numbers of thrushes and finches reluctant to migrate in the conditions stayed high and most avoided the nets.

The first two birds of the day were a couple of 2nd winter Sparrowhawk (Spurvehøg). These were interesting to compare as they were moulting their feathers in slightly different sequences.

 First 2nd winter Sparrowhawk male (2k Spurvehøg han)

 New secondaries, retained primaries.

 One outer tail feather, on each side, retained.

 Second 2nd winter Sparrowhawk male (2k Spurvehøg han) with

head and breast looking more adultlike than first bird.

 Tail moult less advanced - total of six retained retrices

After standand we tried some sound and attracted some Redpoll before the point in the afternoon where the garden was seemingly lifeless, three rounds had produced nothing and nets were closed with no prospect of opening after dark due to the strengthening wind.

However, one of the Lesser Redpoll (Lille Gråsisken) had a golden rather than red poll. This is quite unusual and may be due to a dietry deficiency although the precise cause is unknown.

 Juvenile Lesser Redpoll (1k Lille Gråsisken)

Good birding!
Denise


Totals: 35 (3)

Spurvehøg / Sparrowhawk -3
Rødhals / Robin - 0 (1)
Fuglekonge / Goldcrest - 6 (2)
Bogfinke / Chaffinch - 2

Grønsisken / Siskin -6
Nordlig Gråsisken / Common Redpoll - 5
Lille Gråsisken / Lesser Redpoll - 11
Stor Dompap / Northern Bullfinch - 2

Spurvehøg day

The rain and wind overnight were terrible so there could be no ringing until the wind calmed. We had a lazy start on this Sunday morning and, after breakfast, Chris went to the tip where he enjoyed watching the passage of Common Buzzard and Sparrowhawk.

I hadn't fail to notice the numbers of Buzzard and Sparrowhawk drifting above, or hurtling around the house on a couple of ocassions, so decided that by 10am it should be possible to drop the large mesh nets on the lawn. I arrived to find one net down due to a peg having pulled out - that really had been some bad weather last night! So, only one net was dropped while I returned to the house for some cord to get the second net properly secured and back in working order. The first  Sparrowhawk    (Spurvehøg), a big female that weighed in at 291g with wing length of 249mm (that's only the measurement from the carpel joint to feather tip) was already in the net when I got back.

When she had been processed I went back to do my net maintenance and had only just completed that when the first net check found another captured female Sparrowhawk, this time an adult

I had just finished collecting all her data when Chris got back so we were able to photograph her before release.

 

 Adult Sparrowhawk female ( 2k+ Sparrowhawk hun)

With the wind a little less strong now, Chris opened a few very sheltered nets and used an audiolure for Goldcrest (Fuglekonge), we only got a couple (and there were technical difficulties as the MP3 player kept turning off) so we tried a different player and played Redpoll (Gråsisken) later in the afternoon. There was a bit more success from that - the Redpolls even brought a few other finches with them.

There were a couple more Sparrowhawks, this time much smaller males, but the birds that had been hunting in the strong winds of the early morning had disappeared by mid afternoon. Many probably migrated as Chris had seen about 20 birds leave from the tip in the short time he was there.

 Juvenile male Sparrowhawk (1k han Spurvehøg)

Good birding.

Denise

Totals:21 (5)

Spurvehøg / Sparrowhawk - 4
Rødhals / Robin - 0 (2)
Solsort / Blackbird - 0 (1)
Fuglekonge / Goldcrest - 2 (2)
Musvit / Great Tit - 0 (1)

Grønirisk / Greenfinch - 2
Tornirisk / Linnet - 1
Nordlig Gråsisken / Common Redpoll - 1
Lille Gråsisken / Lesser Redpoll - 11