Revtangen BO November 11th

Light southeasterlies and cloudy most of the day. Nets open 07:30-15:00, netmeter hours approx. 2700. Playback on Fieldfare, Redwing, Yellowhammer and Grey Wagtail.

Ringed: Winter Wren 1, Blackbird 6, Fieldfare 14, Song Thrush 1, Redwing 4, Blue Tit 5, Great Tit 1, Common Starling 2, House Sparrow 3, Tree Sparrow 2, Chaffinch 2, Brambling 2, Greenfinch 2, European Goldfinch 1, Yellowhammer 4. Total=50. Also 15 controls. 

During the day bird number 9000 of the season, a Fieldfare, was ringed.

Observations: Grey Wagtail 2, Goshawk 1, White-tailed Eagle 1. 

Haavard Husebö and Njaal Sölvberg

Revtangen BO November 10th

Light easterlies 4-6 m/s. Mostly sunny with a few clouds now and then. Temperatures from minus 2 to pluss 2. Nets open 08-17, netmeter hours approx. 3000. Playback on Fieldfare, Yellowhammer and Grey Wagtail. 

Ringed: Sparrowhawk 3, Common Snipe 3, European Robin 1, Common Blackbird 8, Fieldfare 43, Redwing 19, Blackcap 2, Chiffchaff 1, Goldcrest 1, Blue Tit 4, Common Starling 3, Tree Sparrow 1, Chaffinch 2, Greenfinch 1, Yellowhammer 2. Total = 94. Also 21 controls, including a Blue Tit not from Revtangen.

Including the bird from yesterday that was also controlled today, 4 Common Snipes were trapped in the garden today. Another(?) escaped the most southern nets mid-day. This occurence is puzzling to say the least, but it probably has something to do with the cold weather that has frozen up the ponds where they usually feed.

Observations: Goshawk 1 1cy made a narrow escape from a mist-net in the morning; Grey Wagtail 2, European Goldfinch 2, "Eastern" Bullfinch 2-3. 

Haavard Husebö and Alf Tore Mjös

Revtangen BO November 8-9th

The prevailing weather this week has been cold and light-moderate easterlies, with sub-zero temperatures at night down to minus 5-6. We managed two short afternoon catches 1-2 hours before dusk on the 8th and 9th, targeting mainly thrushes that feed on apples we've put out. Only the middle nets around the feeder were in use. Playback also on Fieldfare, this species can be attracted by playback all day unlike the other thrushes that mostly respond to playback around dawn.

Ringed 8th-9th, netmeter hours in total around 300:

Common Snipe 1, Winter Wren 1, Common Blackbird 5, Fieldfare 24, Redwing 6, Blackcap 5, Long-tailed Tit 7, Blue Tit 4, House Sparrow 1, Tree Sparrow 5, Brambling 2, Greenfinch 4. Total = 65. 

Alf Tore Mjös

Revtangen BO November 6th

The wind was a bit too strong in the early morning hours, but later decreased to almost nothing and a pleasant afternoon. In late afternoon the temperatures dropped enough for our ponds to freeeze over in a relatively short time, so it appears the autumns is coming to and end.... nets open 07.30-16.30, netmeter hours approx. 2800. Playback on Grey Wagtail, Bohemian Waxwing, Fieldfare and Redwing.

Ringed: Dunnock 1, European Robin 1, Common Blackbird 1, Redwing 12, Fieldfare 23, Blackcap 1, Goldcrest 1, Long-tailed Tit 7, Blue Tit 1, Common Starling 1, House Sparrow 2, Tree Sparrow 3, Chaffinch 1, Greenfinch 2, Yellowhammer 3. Total = 61. Also 17 controls. 

Observations: Quiet overhead, but still good numbers of ducks migrating aloing the coast, first of all Common Scooters at approx. 4-500/hour. 

Velvet- and Common Scoters (top) and Long-tailed Ducks migrating past Reve kai. 

Renate Berg, Espen Helgesen and Alf Tore Mjös

Revtangen BO November 5th

Another cloudy and a b it too windy day, but the wind was in the east so worth a try. Despite playback on Fieldfare, Grey Wagtail, Long-tailed Tit and Bohemian waxwing there was not a lot to catch, as movements of passeries trough the area was very limited. Nets open 07.30-15.30, netmeter hours approx. 2500. 

Ringed: Grey Wagtail 2, Fieldfare 5, Common Blackbird 2, Redwing 6, Blackcap 4, Goldcrest 1, Long-tailed Tit 7, Blue Tit 6, House Sparrow 1, Tree Sparrow 3, Greenfinch 1. Total = 38. Also 14 controls. 

Observations: Lots of seaducks and some auks and loons were on the move over the sea. A 1 hours sample count 10-11 produced 2 Red-throated Loons, 2 Great Northern Loons, 740 Common Scoters, 17 Velvet Scoters, 1 Northern Pintail, 3 Wigeaons, 3 Teal, 11 Greater Scaup, 3 Razorbill and 10 Little Auk moving SW. A male Hen Harrier and a White-tailed Eagle flew by the station, and the british-ringed Pied Wagtail was still at Reve kai.  

Juvenile Common Scoters migrating past Reve kai. Juvenile svartender.

Common- and Velvet Scoters. Svartand og sjøorre. 

 

This Northern Pintail migrated in a flock of Common Scoters, didn't realize it was there before I looked at the pictures.

The Pied Wagtail with a BTO-ring was still at Reve kai today, first seen at the end of February. We have now received news from BTO that it was ringed as a 2cy male at Kessingland, Lowestoft, Suffolk on February 4th 2015. Svartryggerle.

Renate Berg, Espen Helgesen, Haavard Husebö and Alf Tore Mjös

Revtangen BO November 4th

A bit too windy from the SE, and only the nets in the middle of the garden were used. Cloudy. A light drizzle in the early morning and the nets were opened after dawn. Nets open 08.30-15.30, netmeter hours approx. 700. 

Ringed: Bohemian Waxwing 1, Fieldfare 2, Siberian Chiffchaff (tristis) 1, Blackcap 2, Long-tailed Tit 24, Blue Tit 1, Tree Sparrow 4, Chaffinch 4, Greenfinch 3. Total = 42. Also 13 controls. 

Haavard Husebö and Alf Tore Mjös

Revtangen BO November 2nd

A couple of windy days gave way to a sunny and calm late autumn day with lots of birds still on the move. Nets open 07.30-17, netmeter hours approx. 3400. Playback on Common Blackbird, Redwing and Fieldfare around dawn, later on Grey Wagtail, Redpoll, Yellowhammer, European Goldfinch and Bohemian Waxwing. 

Ringed: Grey Wagtail 5, Bohemian Waxwing 5, Winter Wren 4, Common Blackbird 1, Redwing 4, Fieldfare 21, Goldcrest 7, Long-tailed Tit 61, Blue Tit 8, Great Tit 1, Treecreeper 1, Common Magpie 3, House Sparrow 1, Tree Sparrow 1, Brambling 1, Greenfinch 7, European Goldfinch 2, Mealy Redpoll 171, Coues's Arctic Redpoll 4, Lesser Redpoll 2, Eurasian Bullfinch 2 (first this season), yellowhammer 4. Total = 316. Also 14 controls. 

The 2016 total for Winter Wren increased to 212 during the day, narrowly beating the previous record of 210 from 2015. Gjerdesmett.

Today we had the first major arrival of redpolls at Revtangen BO. In between the 171 Mealies there were a few Coues's Arctic Redpolls. Adult male (top) and 1 cy. Polarsisik.

The first bullfinches of the autumn were trapped today. 2cy+ male. Dompap, adult hann.

Bullfinches can easily be aged as 1 cy when the outer greater coverts are shorter and with buffish tips, as in the top photo of todays female where the five outer greater coverts are juvenile. The male in the lower photo is an adult with all gc of adult type. More important is the clour on the outer webs of the carpal covert - the short single covert between the greater coverts and the alula (white arrow). Notice the brown outer webs in the 1cy in the top photo, and compare with the greyish outer webs in the adult-type carpal covert in the lower photo. Some 1 cy birds have moulted all greater coverts, but not the carpal covert.

Observations: Grey Wagtail 10, Mealy Redpoll 500. 

Haavard Husebö and Alf Tore Mjös