Revtangen BO April 9th

Calm, but cold in the morning; 2 degrees and clear skies, not the right conditions for arrivals of migrants at Revtangen. Almost no wind, light easterlies turning NW. Nets up from dusk til dawn, netmeter hours approx. 4400. 

Ringed: Collared Dove 1, Common Blackbird 1, Redwing 1, Chiffchaff 1, Goldcrest 1, Common Starling 1, House Sparrow 1, Chaffinch 2, Brambling 1, Common Linnet 2, Yellowhammer 1. Total = 13. Also 13 controls, including two Collared Doves ringed in 2015 and a Redwing not from Revtangen. 

Alf Tore Mjös. 6 visitors.

Revtangen BO April 7th

Nets open 06-16, netmeter hours 3100. Almost no wind in the morning, turning NW and increasing around 12. Mostly cloudy but some sun in the afternoon. 

Ringed: White Wagtail 2, Meadow Pipit 1 (first this season), European Robin 5, Common Blackbird 2, Goldcrest 7, Brambling 1, Common Linnet 1 (first this season),Yellowhammer 1. Total = 20. Also 7 controls. 

Two of the three new ponds were filled with water today, in these one we will experiment with some aquatic plants/reeds. 

Two new ponds close to the observatory buildings.

Observations: Gyrfalcon: A 2cy took a Herring Gull in the fields west of the station in the morning, then sat on the prey through the whole day. Lots of Black-headed Gulls feeding in the surf at Reve kai in the afternoon. We were able to read 10 colourringed birds among then, including JN92 that was ringed as a chick in Risavika a little further north in June 2014.

JN92, first adult plumage. 

Most Black-headed Gulls from the Stavanger-area spend the winter in the UK, most in Scotland. If anyone has sightet Black-headed Gulls with green or whote colour-rings with a code starting with the letter "J", then they are of Norwegian origin and please report them here: http://www.ringmerking.no/cr/

Haavard Husebö and Alf Tore Mjös. 1 visitor.

Revtangen BO April 4th

Nets open 06-12. Light northeasterlies. Netmeter hours = 1900. 

Ringed: Wood Pigeon 1 (first this season), White Wagtail 1 (first this season), Pied Wagtail 1 (possibly a hybrid pied x white), European Robin 2, Song Thrush 1, Blackbird 1, Fieldfare 1, Chiffchaff 3, Blue Tit 1. Total = 12. Also 7 controls. 

Alf Tore Mjös. 2 visitors.

Revtangen BO April 3rd

Nets open 06-15. Relatively light winds from SE, mostly cloudy. Netmeter hours = 2800. 

Ringed: Winter Wren 1 (first this season), European Robin 5, Redwing 1, Song Thrush 2, Chiffchaff 3 (first this season, ssp. abietinus), Goldcrest 3, Chaffinch 3, House Sparrow 2, Yellowhammer 2. Total = 22. Also 6 controls. 

The first Chiffchaffs of the season was ringed today, all arriving late in the day.

Alf Tore Mjös and Ingvald Ekeland. 7 visitors.

Revtangen BO April 1st

A cold morning, minus one around 6 but increasing to 6 degrees C around mid-day. Light southeasterlies in the morning, increasing and turning south, too much wind in many nets from around 9.30. Nets open 06.30-12.30. Netmeter hours = 1900. 

Ringed: Eurasian Woodcock 2, European Robin 1, Redwing 1, Song Thrush 2, Common Blackbird 4, House Sparrow 5, Tree Sparrow 1, Chaffinch 2, Yellowhammer 1. Total = 19. Also 5 controls. 

Alf Tore Mjös

Revtangen BO March 30th

Finally a break in the bad weather. The whole easter holidays disappeared in wind and rain, apart from a catch of 25 birds (mostly Common Blackbirds) one evening on the 24th. Today there was a faint breeze from the east in the morning, turning NW mid-day and increasing a little. Mostly sunny. Nets open 06-14, netmeter hours 2850.

A small catch of Common Blackbirds and European Robins around dawn made up the bulk of todays catch. The first Eurasian Woodcock of the year was also caught. 

Eurasian Woodcock, adult (3cy+). Rugde, 3K+.

Ringed: 
Eurasian Woodcock 1, European Robin 8, Common Blackbird 6, Goldcrest 2, House Sparrow 1, Tree Sparrow 1, Hooded Crow 1, Common Chaffinch 1, European Greenfinch 1, Yellowhammer 2. Total = 24. Also 2 controls.

The bird of the day was undoubtedly this adult male Pied Wagtail. It was wearing a BTO-ring, and after a long photo session the complete ring number was secured. 

Alf Tore Mjøs

Slow start to the trapping season

The 2016 trapping season has started, but so far only a couple of days with some notable arrivals of mainly Common Blackbirds. Before alle the nets were put in place we invested five days with garden work, including treetop cutting and opening the "pond-area" a bit more by removing a few trees and bushes. We also spent a full day with some "heavy" machinery, removing black-list species such as Rosa rugosa and Japanese Knotweed Reynoutria japonica. We also dug 3 new ponds, and we hope to fill these with water during April.

Another slightly smaller pond is created next the the one we made in 2015, with a narrow "channel" between them.

Removal of Japanese Knotweed (to be replaced with a pond mainly covered in aquatic plants).

Most nets were put up on March 11th, and by March 17th the bird observatory was fully operational. So far 101 birds have been ringed in 2016, around 40 of these have been migrants, incuding 39 Common Blackbirds and 2 European Robins. In addition, we have controlled 66 birds, including a very surprising adult male Common Blackbird with an Icelandic ring!

Common Blackbird with Icelandic ring, Revtangen BO March 13th 2016. 

Alf Tore Mjøs