Revtangen BO October 18th

Today was (unfortunately) a "half-day" at Revtangen. The weather was perfect with very light northeasterlies, but the weather forecast said "fog" and that's why nobody was there in the morning. Also, we had a meeting at 12 at the museum - we hate meetings in the trapping season! Some of the nets went up at 09 and down at 11.30, then all the nets were open 14-18. Netmeter hours approx. 1700. Playback on Olive-backed Pipit and Yellowhammer. 

Ringed: Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 1, OLIVE-BACKED PIPIT 1, Winter Wren 5, European Robin 7, Song Thrush 1, Redwing 7 (including 1 coburni), Common Blackbird 1, Blackcap 3, Chiffchaff 1, Willow Warbler 1, Goldcrest 8, Great Tit 4, Blue Tit 29, Willow Tit 2, Tree Sparrow 1 House Sparrow 1, Chaffinch 1, Brambling 2, Greenfinch 11, European Goldfinch 1. Total = 89. Also 7 controls. 

Olive-backed Pipit. There has been so many sightings this autumn in Norway that it would have been downright embarrassing not to trap one. Sibirpiplerke.

Our 10th Lesser Spotted Woodpecker this season. Dvergspett.

A late 1cy Willow Warbler was also noteworthy. Løvsanger 1K.

Alf Tore Mjös

Revtangen BO October 16th

Cloudy and NW in the morning, turning W then NE and decreasing to almost no wind. 12 degrees. Nets open 07.30-15.30, netmeter hours approx. 2900. Playback on Redpoll 08-12, Grey Wagtail and European Goldfinch. 

Ringed: Grey Wagtail 1, Winter Wren 12, European Robin 2, Redwing 4 (including 1 coburni), Song Thrush 1, Common Blackbird 3, Fieldfare 1, Chiffchaff 4 (including 1 tristis), Goldcrest 1, Willow Tit 13, Great Tit 9, Blue Tit 71, Eurasian Nuthatch 1, House Sparrow 1, Brambling 15, Greenfinch 26, Lesser Redpoll 11, Mealy Redpoll 139, COUE'S ARCTIC REDPOLL 1, European Goldfinch 8, Yellowhammer 4. Total = 328. One greenfinch ringed elsewhere controlled. 

The first Siberian Chiffchaff of the autumn was ringed today. Sibirgransanger (P.c.tristis).

Ringmerket: Vintererle 1, gjerdesmett 12, rødstrupe 2, rødvingetrost 4 (inkl. 1 coburni), måltrost 1, svarttrost 3, gråtrost 1, gransanger 4 (inkl. 1 tristis), fuglekonge 1, granmeis 13, kjøttmeis 9, blåmeis 71, spettmeis 1, gråspurv 1, bjørkefink 15, grønnfink 26, brunsisik 11, gråsisik 139, POLARSISIK 1, stillits 8, gulspurv 4. Total = 328. Også en fremmedkontroll av grønnfink. 

Observations: Grey-headed Woodpecker 1, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 1. 

Haavard Husebö and Alf Tore Mjös 

Revtangen BO October 14th

The weather is not doing us any favours at the moment. Today the wind was in the WSW, 6-7 m/s, too windy for efficient trapping but we gave it a try with a few nets 11.45-15.45. Netmeter hours approx. 420. Playback on Yellowhammer. 

Ringed: GREY-HEADED WOODPECKER 1, Song Thrush 1, Common Blackbird 7, Blue Tit 66, Great Tit 7, Willow Tit 5, Eurasian Nuthatch 1, Greenfinch 5, Yellowhammer 2. Total = 95. Also 5 controls, including a Blue Tit not from Revtangen.  

Ringmerket: GRÅSPETT 1, måltrost 1, svarttrost 7, blåmeis 66, kjøttmeis 7, granmeis 5, spettmeis 1, grønnfink 5, gulspurv 2. Total = 95. Også 5 kontroller, inkl. en blåmeis merket annetsteds. 

Alf Tore Mjös

Revtangen BO October 9th

Light SE in the morning, sunny, a few clouds later. 4 degrees at 06.30. Nets open 07-16, netmeter hours approx. 3200. Playback on Common Blackbird and Redwing at dawn, later on Grey Wagtail, European Goldfinch and Redpoll. Another decent arrival of thrushes around dawn, follwed by the first notable movement of Redpolls this autumn. There was also a few flocks of Bramblings migrating. Playback on redpolls proved efficient as usual, resulting in the highest single day total so far i 2017. 

This 1 cy Coue's Arctic Redpoll (C.hornemanni exilipes) was caught among a large catch of Mealy Redpolls. Notice the white undertail coverts. Polarsisik 1K.

Ringed: Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 3, Great Spotted Woodpecker 1, Grey Wagtail 11, Winter Wren 8, European Robin 1, Song Thrush 8, Redwing 52, Common Blackbird 27, Chiffchaff 3, Goldcrest 3, Willow Tit 15, Blue Tit 19, Great Tit 14, Eurasian Nuthatch 2, Brambling 8, Greenfinch 5, European Goldfinch 2, Lesser Redpoll 24, Mealy Redpoll 337, COUE'S ARCTIC REDPOLL 1, Yellowhammer 1. Total = 543. Also 5 controls, including a Blue Tit not from Revtangen. 

Ringmerket: Dvergspett 3, flaggspett 1, vintererle 11, gjerdesmett 8, rødstrupe 1, måltrost 8, rødvingetrost 52, svarttrost 27, gransanger 3, fuglekonge 3, granmeis 15, blåmeis 19, kjøttmeis 14, spettmeis 2, bjørkefink 8 , grønnfink 5, stillits 2, brunsisik 24, gråsisik 337, polarsisik 1, gulspurv 1. Total = 543. Også 5 kontroller, inkl. en blåmeis med fremmed ring. 

Observations: Grey Woodpecker 1.

Ingvald Ekeland, Haavard Husebö and Alf Tore Mjös

Revtangen BO October 8th

Clears skies and the coldest morning so far this autumn, with only 4,5 degrees at 07. Nets open 07-16, netmeter hours approx. 2800. Playback on Redwing and Blackbird at dawn proved almost too efficient, and well over 100 thrushes were trapped on the first net round. Most nets were closed for  while until we could process that huge catch of thrushes, and no doubt we missed quite a few birds that would otherwise have been caught, including a good number of Grey Wagtails that were attracted to the ponds by playback when the nets were out of action. Playback during the day on Grey Wagtail, Parrot Crossbill and European Goldfinch. 

Two Grey-headed Woodpeckers were trapped today. In an average year only around 10 are ringed in Norway, but it seems there is irruptive movements going on at the moment. Gråspett.

Ringed: GREY WOODPECKER 2, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 1, Grey Wagtail 4, Winter Wren 13, European Robin 3, Common Blackbird 53, Fieldfare 2, Song Thrush 8, Redwing 105 (new single day record for this species), BARRED WARBLER 1, Blackcap 3, Chiffchaff 3, Goldcrest 6, Long-tailed Tit 9 (first this season), Willow Tit 9, Blue Tit 56, Great Tit 11, Eurasian Nuthatch 5, Chaffinch 1, Brambling 9, Greenfinch 11, European Goldfinch 2, Mealy Redpoll 1, Lesser Redpoll 1, Yellowhammer 2. Total = 321. Also 5 controls, including a Brambling not from Revtangen. 

The first Mealy Redpoll of the autumn was trapped today. Gråsisik.

Observations: Grey Wagtail 15+. There was alst a good number of Parrot Crossbills migrating overhead in the morning, and at least one Little Bunting in the area. 

Asbjörn Folvik, Haavard Husebö and Alf Tore Mjös

Revtangen BO October 7th

So far in October we've had gale force winds and rainfall already past the average for the whole month. Today the wind settled but there was still light rain before noon. NW turning NE than back N. Nets open 09-12 and 14-17, had to close several times because of blue tits arriving in numbers impossible to handle for a single person. Netmeter hours approx. 1800. Playback on Grey Wagtail. 

Ringed: Grey Wagtail 6, Meadow Pipit 1, Winter Wren 3, European Robin 1, Redwing 7, Fieldfare 5, Common Blackbird 4, Blackcap 3, Willow Warbler 1, Goldcrest 1, Great Tit 5, Blue Tit 290, Eurasian Nuthatch 1, House Sparrow 1, Tree Sparrow 4, Chaffinch 1, Brambling 4, Greenfinch 8. Total = 346. 

Observations: Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 1 male. 

Jostein Austevik and Alf Tore Mjös

Revtangen BO October 1st

Poor weather with rain and gale force winds at the moment, but there was a small weather window this morning. Light easterlies in the early morning, turning south and increasing from 10. Nets open 06.30-12, the nets in the south closed from 08.30. Netmeter hours approx. 2000. Playback on Garden Warbler and Radde's Warbler through the night, Redwing at dawn and Olive-backed Pipit, Brambling, Parrot Crossbill and Grey Wagtail during the day. 

Ringed: Winter Wren 2, Dunnock 1, European Robin 11, Common Redstart 2, Redwing 1, Song Thrush 19, Common Blackbird 1, Sedge Warbler 2, Garden Warbler 1, Blackcap 54, Willow Warbler 4, Chiffchaff 1, Spotted Flycatcher 2, Great Tit 1, Blue Tit 37, Willow Tit 1, Common Starling 1, Chaffinch 5, Greenfinch 2, PARROT CROSSBILL 1. Total = 149. 

Ringmerket: Gjerdesmett 2, jernspurv 1, rødstrupe 11, rødstjert 2, rødvingetrost 1, måltrost 19, svarttrost 1, sivsanger 2, hagesanger 1, munk 54, løvsanger 4, gransanger 1, gråfluesnapper 2, kjøttmeis 1, blåmeis 37, granmeis 1, stær 1, bokfink 5, grønnfink 2, FURUKORSNEBB 1.

Male Parrot Crossbill. A rare catch at Revtangen, but there is currently invasive movements of the species in Scandinavia.

Renate Berg and Espen Helgesen.