Results from 2016 - recoveries and controls

Winter has made a small comeback with a cold-front over Southern Norway at the moment, the stiff NW and low temperatures means trapping is out of the question. So in stead we'll report some of the controls/recoveries we've received the past months. starting with the tits. 

Blue tits were on the move last autumn, and we ringed 1156 and controlled quite a few that were already ringed. Typically, blue tits are short-distance migrants with distances above 200 km rarely recorded. Movements typically follow the coast from the east towards the west and northwest. 

The results last autumn follow this pattern:

BLUE TIT

14 Blue tits ringed at Lista Bird observatory was controlled at Revtangen BO. The distance between the two bird observatories is 95 km, and the direction of these movements is NW. 3 of the birds covered this distance in 3 days. One bird was ringed at Lista BO on 26th September, controlled at Revtangen BO on 4th October before it continued on a northeasterly direction and was killed against a window in Suldal, Rogaland on 9th December. Only one bird ringed at Revtangen BO was kontrolled at Lista, but this one was ringed as a 3cy+ female on April 4th 2016 and controlled at Slevdalsvann on October 20th. One bird ringed at Eitlandsneset, Lyngdal (114 km to the SE) was controlled at Revtangen 5 days later. A bird ringed a sa young in the nest at Stölen, Farsund (96 km to the SE) on June 6th was controlled at Revtangen BO on October 1st.

Two birds from Eigeröy Fyr (41 km to the SE) were controlled at Revtangen BO 2 and 5 days after ringing. Two birds ringed at Holmane, Haa (36 km to the south) were controlled at Revtangen, one of these the day after it was ringed. One bird from Revtangen flew the oppsite way and was controlled at Holmane. One bird ringed as a young in the nest at Bergsfjellet, Gjesdal (25 km to the east) on May 26th was controlled at Revtangen on October 1st.

8 birds ringed at Revtangen BO was controlled at Bömyra 28 km to the north. Only one bird ringed at Bömyra was controlled at Revtangen BO. One bird was controlled at Syre, Karmöy (47 km to the north) and 3 birds were controlled at Utsira, 71 km NW. Two of the birds covered the distance to Utsira in 4 days. 

Two birds travelling in the "wrong" direction were singles ringed at Blikshavn, Karmöy on October 1st and controlled at Revtangen on October 19th (51 km direction south) and a bird ringed Revtangen on October 1st and controlled Jölle, Farsund on October 24th. 

Finally, a couple of early winter records og single birds from Revtangen in early October controlled at Ims, Sandnes on December 3rd and Nessa, Tysvaer on February 19th 2017. 

LONG-TAILED TIT

1cy+ Eggegrund, Sweden October 5th controlled Revtengen BO October 30th (709 km WSW).

1 cy+ Lista BO October 19th controlled Revtangen October 23rd.

Alf Tore Mjös

2017 - the start of the trapping season

Spring is arriving, but so far it is still a little early for most passerine migrants. We have done a few trapping sessions at the feeder in January and February, but the catch has been very limited. This afternoon (March 12th) the nets were open between 14.30-18.30, and there were already a few migrants around: Dunnock 1, Fieldfare 1, European Robin 2, Goldcrest 3. 

In total we have ringed 49 birds so far in 2017: Collared Dove 1, Dunnock 1, Common Blackbird 7, Fieldfare 1, Goldcrest 3, House Sparrow 11, Tree Sparrow 6, Chaffinch 2, Greenfinch 3, Mealy Redpoll 1, Yellowhammer 11. Total = 49. Also 99 controls.

Alf Tore Mjös. 5 visitors.

Summary of 2016

The spring season 2017 is approaching and it's long overdue to give a summary of the 2016 season.
Last year was the best since 2010 at Revtangen BO, much because of the untypically pleasant and calm September and October, allowing us a lot of trapping time during favourable conditions. The wader trapping season was a disaster though, it may seem as our trapping site at Revtangen has already fallen vicim to climate change, since repeated episodes of high water and strong winds have removed lots of sand from the area. As a result, rotting seaweed is not piling up as usual, but removed by the sea before they get productive.

The table below has two columns: The left one is the result for Revtangen bird observatory, the right is our ringing results from other sites, mainly in connection to our urban gulls project "URBPOP".
Four species were ringed for the first time at Revtangen: Stock dove, feral pigeon, oriental turtle dove and pine bunting. The alder flyctcher was a first for Norway, trapped on the island Kvitsöy by Björn Mo to collect biometrics and a DNA-feather sample for identification.

Species	Revtangen BO	Other sites	Total
Greylag Goose		1	1
European Shag		1	1
European Storm Petrel		7	7
Mute Swan		4	4
Mallard		77	77
Eurasian Wigeon		1	1
Mandarin Duck		1	1
Tufted Duck		10	10
Coot		19	19
Moorhen		10	10
Water Rail	2	1	3
Herring gull		194	194
Lesser Black-backed Gull		306	306
Great Black-backed Gull		103	103
Common Gull		191	191
Black-headed Gull		147	147
Iceland Gull		1	1
Sparrowhawk	14	2	16
Common Kestrel	1		1
Merlin	1		1
Peregrine	1		1
Lapwing		2	2
Bar-tailed Godwit	7		7
Dunlin	140		140
Little Stint	5		5
Red Knot	13		13
Sanderling	12		12
Turnstone	1		1
Green Sandpiper	24		24
Common Ringed Plover	3		3
Oystercatcher		1	1
Woodcock	5		5
Great Snipe		9	9
Common Snipe	5	1	6
Wood Pigeon	6		6
Feral Pigeon	1		1
Stock Dove	1		1
Collared Dove	46		46
Oriental Turtle Dove	1		1
Tengmalm's Owl	1		1
Tawny Owl		2	2
Eurasian Eagle Owl		1	1
Black Woodpecker	1		1
Great Spotted woodpecker	4	1	5
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker	1		1
Wryneck	3		3
Alder flycatcher		1	1
Skylark	1		1
Sand Martin	45		45
Barn Swallow	53		53
Rock Pipit		1	1
Tree Pipit	149		149
Olive-backed Pipit	2		2
Meadow Pipit	805	3	808
White Wagtail	28		28
Pied Wagtail	1		1
Grey Wagtail	92		92
Wren	215	3	218
Bohemian Waxwing	45	100	145
Dunnock	26	3	29
Robin	380	7	387
Redstart	44		44
Black Redstart	1		1
Thrush Nightingale	1		1
Bluethroat	2	2	4
Whinchat	4		4
Northern Wheatear	29		29
Greenland Wheatear	11		11
Song Thrush	113		113
Redwing	219	5	224
Fieldfare	195	11	206
Blackbird	248	34	282
Ring Ouzel	1		1
Icterine Warbler	1		1
Blackcap	561	3	564
Common Whitethroat	61		61
Lesser Whitethroat	19		19
Garden Warbler	137		137
Barred Warbler	2		2
Grasshopper Warbler	12		12
Reed Warbler	36		36
Blyth's Reed Warbler	2		2
Sedge Warbler	46		46
Wood Warbler	2		2
Willow Warbler	363	2	365
Chiffchaff	221	1	222
Siberian Chiffchaff	12		12
Yellow-browed Warbler	9		9
Goldcrest	455	1	456
Firecrest	1		1
Spotted Flycatcher	22		22
Pied Flycatcher	13		13
Long-taild Tit	408		408
Great Tit	149	256	405
Coal Tit	28	2	30
Blue Tit	1156	132	1288
Eurasian Nuthatch	3	7	10
Tree Creeper	15		15
Starling	106	1	107
House Sparrow	355	17	372
Tree Sparrow	203	20	223
Spotted Nutcracker	1		1
Eurasian Jay		1	1
Magpie	5	3	8
Hooded Crow	2		2
Jackdaw	1		1
Chaffinch	162	17	179
Brambling	295	27	322
Greenfinch	379	69	448
Siskin	11	11	22
Linnet	161		161
Twite	10		10
Lesser Redpoll	96		96
Mealy Redpoll	270		270
Arctic Redpoll	5		5
Common Rosefinch	4		4
Common Crossbill	3		3
Bullfinch	2		2
Hawfinch	1		1
Goldfinch	29	3	32
Reed Bunting	24	3	27
Yellowhammer	260	1	261
Pine Bunting	1		1
Total	9129	1840	10969