Revtangen BO April 30th

Clear skies in the morning, and therefore a bit colder han yesterday - only 3 degrees and a frosty ground. The wind was light from SE the first few hours, but turned south and increased quite a lot. Trapping conditions were very poor after 9.30 with wind and sun in all the nets. 

Nets open 06-16, netmeter hours approx. 3000. 

Ringed: Eurasian Wryneck 2, White Wagtail 1, Meadow Pipit 2, European Robin 4, Common Redstart 2, Black Redstart 1, Song Thrush 2, Sedge Warbler 1, Common Whitethroat 1, Lesser Whitethroat 1, Willow Warbler 19, Chiffchaff 8, Siberian Chiffchaff 1, Pied Flycatcher 1, Greenfinch 1, Lesser Redpoll 1. Total = 48. Also 8 controls, including a Chiffchaff with a ring from Radolfzell/Germany. 

Lots of species made their first appearance in 2017 today. In order of apperance:

  

Sedge warbler. Sivsanger. 

 

 

Common Whitethroat, 2cy. Tornsanger 2K. 

 

 Lesser Whitethroat. Møller. 

Black Redstart 2cy male. Svartrødstjert, 2K hann. 

Eurasian Wryneck, 2cy. Vendehals 2K. 

 

Common Redstart, 3cy+ male. Rødstjert 3K+ hann. 

Ringmerket: Vendehals 2, linerle 1, heipiplerke 2, rødstrupe 4, rødstjert 2, svartrødstjert 1, måltrost 2, sivsanger 1, tornsanger 1, møller 1, løvsanger 19, gransanger 9 (inkl. 1 tristis), svarthvit fluesnapper 1, grønnfink 1, brunsisik 1. Total = 48. Også 8 kontroller, inkl. en gransanger med ring fra Radolfzell/Tyskland. 

Alf Tore Mjøs. 1 visitor.

Revtangen BO April 29th

Light SE and cloudy in the morning. Later more sunny the wind turned south around 15 and trapping conditions became poor after that. Nets open 06-15, netmeter hours approx. 3000. 

Ringed: Meadow Pipit 3, White Wagtail 2, Pied Wagtail 1, Dunnock 6, European Robin 31, Song Thrush 4, Common Blackbird 1, Willow Warbler 46, Chiffchaff 6, Pied Flycatcher 4, Common Starling 4, House Sparrow 3, European Greenfinch 3, Common Linnet 4. Total = 118. Also 6 controls, including a Willow Warbler from Belgium. 

Despite no more than 5 degrees in the morning, the first decent fall of tropical migrants started just after dawn. All the 46 Willow Warblers ringed today were males, and quite a few were greyish birds with dark legs like this one. Løvsanger.

Ringmerket: Heipiplerke 3, linerle 2, svartryggerle 1, jernspurv 6, rødstrupe 31, måltrost 4, svarttrost 1, løvsanger 46, gransanger 6, svarthvit fluesnapper 4, stær 4, gråspurv 3, grønnfink 3, tornirisk 4. Total = 118. Også 6 kontroller, inkl. en løvsanger med belgisk ring.

Pied Wagtail, 2cy male. Svartryggerle. 

Pied Flycatcher 3cy+ male. 4 were caught, indicating a decent arrival of this species into Norway today. Svarthvit fluesnapper, 3K+ hann. 

Alf Tore Mjös and Morten Stokke. 1 visitor.

Revtangen BO April 27-28th

Finally, it seems like the weather is improving. The wind dropped on Thursday and changed to NE on Friday, although still rather cold (3 degrees in the morning on Friday, increasing to 10 during the day - heavy clouds in the morning but mostly sunny later). 

Thursday was workday - we rented a small excavator and moved some bushes around, dug a small new pond and dug foundations for a wind-breaking wall against the road by the pond area. About half the nets were open 08-15, and 10 birds were ringed: Meadow Pipit 1, Fieldfare 4, Chiffchaff 1, Great Tit 1 and Common Linnet 3. 

Friday all the nets were open 06-17, netmeter hours approx. 3000. NE turning east in the afternoon. Ringed: Green Sandpiper 1, Wood Pigeon 1, European Robin 1, Common Blackbird 1, Fieldfare 1, Willow Warbler 1, Common Starling 5, House Sparrow 1, Greenfinch 2. Total = 14. 

The first spring catch of Green Sandpiper at Revtangen BO. The bird aimed for the large pool without any playback used. Green Sandpipers are ringed with a yellow flag with a 3-letter inscription at the right tibia, and ea red marker on the left tibia. About a week ago we got our first resighting of a Green Sandpiper in the field, in Suffolk, England.

Haavard Husebö, Alf Tore Mjös and Njaal Sölvberg.

Spring 2017 so far

So far the spring of 2017 has been a very poor one at Revtangen BO. Windy, and completely dominated by winds from the western and northwestern sector. In these conditions trapping with mist-nets at Revtangen BO is not really an option. We've only trapped on four occations so far the last month:

April 18th, nets open 05.30-12:
Ringed: European Robin 5, Common Blackbird 3, Fieldfare 1, Song Thrush 3, Redwing 1, Common Starling 13, House Sparrow 1, Common Linnet 2 and Yellowhammer 1. Total = 30. 

April 14th, 08-12: 
Ringed: Wood Pigeon 2, Winter Wren 1, Dunnock 1, European  Robin 1, Fieldfare 1, Common Starling 1, House Sparrow 1, Chaffinch 2, Greenfinch 5, Common Linnet 1 and Yellowhammer 2. Total = 18. 
9 visitors.

Adult White-tailed Eagle soaring low over Revtangen BO on April 14th.  

April 8th (afternoon):

Ringed: European Robin 4, Common Blackbird 4, Redwing 2, Goldcrest 3, Common Starling 1, House Sparrow 5, Tree Sparrow 3, Chaffinch 1, Brambling 1, Greenfinch 6. Total = 30. 

March 28th:

Common Blackbird 8, Mistle Thrush 1, Goldcrest 4, House Sparrow 2, Tree Sparrow 1, Chaffinch 1, Yellowhammer 3. Total = 20. 

Mistle Thrush is a rare catch at Revtangen BO, this one was the 8th ever ringed at the BO.

Haavard Husebö and Alf Tore Mjös