lørdag 18. mars 2017

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


søndag 12. mars 2017

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