Revtangen BO October 30th

A few windy days recently, but this morning was calm and cloudy with a light drizzle just after dawn. Nets open 07.30-16.30, netmeter hours approx. 3200. Playback on Common Blackbird, Fieldfare and Redwing around dawn, later Yellowhammer, Grey Wagtail and Bohemian Waxwing. 

Ringed: Sparrowhawk 1, Grey Wagtail 1, Winter Wren 5, Bohemian Waxwing 34, Dunnock 3, European Robin 2, Redwing 9, Common Blackbird 26, Fieldfare 10, Blackcap 1, Goldcrest 7, Long-tailed Tit 97, Great Tit 1, Blue Tit 12, House Sparrow 6, Tree Sparrow 5, Greenfinch 11, Mealy Redpoll 2, Yellowhammer 10. Total = 243. Also 29 controls, including Blue Tit and Common Blackbird with Stavanger-rings not from Revtangen, and two Long-tailed Tits with Swedish rings. 

Bohemian Waxwing 2cy+ female. The best catch of Bohemian Waxings for many years today, with 34 trapped and ringed. Sidensvans 2K+ hunn.

Observations: Bohemian Waxwing 300 migrating north. 

Renate Berg, Espen Helgesen and Alf Tore Mjös. 3 visitors.

Revtangen BO October 25th

Significantly colder this morning, with only 1 degree C and a mostly clear sky. No wind, later very light easterlies turning SW around mid-day. Nets open 07-16. Playback on Blackcap, Rewing and Common Blackbird at dawn, later Grey Wagtail, Yellowhammer and Twite. 

Ringed: Grey Wagtail 4, Winter Wren 5, Bohemian Waxwing 1, European Robin 3, Song Thrush 2, Redwing 3, Common Blackbird 8, Fieldfare 1, Blackcap 5, Chiffchaff 3 (2 tristis), Goldcrest 3, Blue Tit 10, Great Tit 2, Coal Tit 1, Treecreeper 1, Tree Sparrow 3, Chaffinch 1, Greenfinch 2, Mealy Redpoll 2, Lesser Redpoll 1, Twite 1, Yellowhammer 7, PINE BUNTING 1. Total = 70. 

Ringmerket: Vintererle 4, gjerdesmett 5, sidensvans 1, rødstrupe 3, måltrost 2, rødvingetrost 3, svarttrost 8, gråtrost 1, munk 5, gransanger 3, fuglekonge 3, blåmeis 10, kjøttmeis 2, svartmeis 1, trekryper 1, pilfink 3, bokfink 1, grønnfink 2, gråsisik 2, brunsisik 1, bergirisk 1, gulspurv 7, HVITHODESPURV 1. Total = 70.

Pine Bunting 1 cy female, the first ever at Revtangen BO. Hvithodespurv 1K F, ny art for Revtangen OS. 

A few minutes before we trapped the Pine Bunting another major rarity was trapped and ringed by John Alsvik at Maleneset by Lake Orrevatnet, a little more than a kilometer away from Revtangen BO - a SIBERIAN ACCENTOR! Both birds were shown to visiting birders shortly after at Orre Friluftshus. This might be a difficult photo to repeat... thanks to Björn Mo for the nice photo.

Siberian Accentor 1 cy. Sibirjernspurv 1K. Photo: Björn Mo.

Haavard Husebö and Alf Tore Mjös. 2 visitors.

Revtangen BO October 24th

Light easterlies and much nicer weather than yesterday, sunny at times. Nets open 07-17, netmeter hours approx. 3600. Playback on Blackbird, Redwing and Blackcap around dawn, later Grey Wagtail, Yellowhammer, European Goldfinch and Twite. 

Ringed: Grey Wagtail 2, Winter Wren 5, European Robin 2, Song Thrush 1, Redwing 3, Common Blackbird 3, Blackcap 9, Chiffchaff 3, Goldcrest 1, Long-tailed Tit 11, Blue Tit 66, Eurasian Nuthatch 1, Treecreeper 1, Magpie 1, Tree Sparrow 1, Chaffinch 1, Greenfinch 1, European Goldfinch 1, Twite 7, Yellowhammer 9, Reed Bunting 1. Total = 130. Also 12 controls. 

This Grey Wagtail was bird number 8000 ringed at Revtangen BO in 2016, and also the 80th Grey Wagtail. Those of our readers with a keen interest in statistics will now realise that we ring exactly 1% Grey Wagtails!

Haavard Husebö and Alf Tore Mjös. 3 visitors.

Revtangen BO October 23rd

A bit more windy from the NE this morning and a very light drizzle, gradually less wind and eventually cloudy with no rain later in the day. Nets open 07-17, netmeter hours approx. 3600. Playback on Blackcap through the night, and Yellowhammer and Long-tailed Tit during the day. 

Ringed: Winter Wren 2, Dunnock 1, Song Thrush 3, Redwing 7, Common Blackbird 4, Fieldfare 4, Blackcap 2, Chiffchaff 2, Willow Warbler 1, Long-tailed Tit 50, Blue Tit 1, Tree Sparrow 1, Greenfinch 7, European Goldfinch 3, Yellowhammer 21, Reed Bunting 1. Total = 110. Also 17 controls, including a Long-tailed Tit from Latvia. Several other Long-tailed Tits from Latvia have also been controlled at other Norwegian bird observatories recently, these are the first controls of Baltic-ringed Long-tailed Tits ever in Norway. 

A very late 1cy Willow Warbler was trapped today. It made a strange call while handled, probably because of some abnormal bill details. This might also explain the strange call from a skulking bird we've heard from a corner of the trapping area for 3 days now, we thought it had to be a mega rarity from the far east.... Løvsanger.

Renate Berg, Espen Helgesen, Alf Tore Mjös and Morten Stokke. 3 visitors.

Revtangen BO October 22nd

Another calm day with light easterlies, cloudy most of the day. Nets open 07-17, netmeter hours approx. 3600. Playback as yesterday, in addition we played Long-tailed Tit most of the day to draw in any flocks that might miss the mist-nets initially. 

Ringed: Grey Wagtail 2, Winter Wren 4, Dunnock 1, European Robin 2, Song Thrush 1, Redwing 4, Common Blackbird 2, Fieldfare 2, Blackcap 2, Chiffchaff 1, Goldcrest 3, Long-tailed Tit 40, Blue Tit 19, Treecreeper 1, House Sparrow 1, Chaffinch 3, Brambling 1, Greenfinch 12, Mealy Redpoll 1, Twite 2, Yellowhammer 32. Total = 136. Also 27 controls. '

Ringmerket: Vintererle 2, gjerdesmett 4, jernspurv 1, rødstrupe 2, måltrost 1, rødvingetrost 4, svarttrost 2, gråtrost 2, munk 2, gransanger 1, fuglekonge 3, stjertmeis 40, blåmeis 19, trekryper 1, gråspurv 1, bokfink 3, bjørkefink 1, grønnfink 12, gråsisik 1, bergirisk 2, gulspurv 32. Total = 134. Også 27 kontroller.

Twite, 1 cy male. Even though we see and hear them more or less every day, twites are rarely caught. The two trapped today were therefore easily "birds of the day". Bergirisk 1K hann.

Observations: Spotted Redshank 1 flew over, European Goldfinch 7, Crossbills species around 70 migrating north, "Eastern" Bullfinch 1. 

Renate Berg, Espen Helgesen, Alf Tore Mjös and Morten Stokke

Revtangen BO October 21st

Still this unusually calm weather with light easterlies in the morning, turning NE, at times almost no wind at all. Cloudy but also sunny periods. Nets open 07-17, netmeter hours approx. 3600. Playback on Blackcap through the night, and Grey Wagtail, Yellowhammer and Bohemian Waxwing through the day. 

Ringed: Grey Wagtail 2, Meadow Pipit 1, Winter Wren 4, Bohemian Waxwing 3, European Robin 5, Common Blackbiurd 7, Redwing 6, Blackcap 7, Goldcrest 3, Long-tailed Tit 25, Great Tit 5, Coal Tit 1, Blue Tit 12, House Sparrow 1, Chaffinch 7, Brambling 1, Greenfinch 3, Mealy Redpoll 1, Yellowhammer 29. Total = 124. 

Blue Tit number 1000 at Revtangen BO in 2016 was ringed today. Blåmeis nr. 1000 i 2016.

Observations: Bohemian Waxwing ca. 150 migrating north during the afternoon, Common Crossbill ca. 50 migrating north, "Eastern" Bullfinch 1. 

Bohemian Waxwing, 2cy+ female. Sidensvans 2K+ F.

 

Haavard Husebö, Alf Tore Mjös and Njaal Sölvberg.  

Revtangen BO October 20th

Light easterlies in the morning, later light shifting breeze. Cloudy. Playback on Blackcap in the night, and Grey Wagtail, Redpoll and Yellowhammer during the day. Nets open 07-15, netmeter hours approx. 2900. 

Ringed: Grey Wagtail 3, Winter Wren 3, Bohemian Waxwing 1 (first this season), European Robin 19, Song Thrush 1, Redwing 2, Common Blackbird 6, Blackcap 8, Chiffchaff 3 (1 tristis), Goldcrest 23, Great Tit 5, Coal Tit 1, Blue Tit 16, Long-tailed Tit 44, Treecreeper 3, House Sparrow 2, Tree Sparrow 1, Mealy Redpoll 6, Yellowhammer 27. Total = 174.

Ringmerket: Vintererle 3, gjerdesmett 3, sidensvans 1 (første i år), rødstrupe 19, måltrost 1, rødvingetrost 2, svarttrost 6, munk 8, gransanger 3 (1 tristis), fuglekonge 23, kjøttmeis 5, svartmeis 1, blåmeis 16, stjertmeis 44, trekryper 3, gråspurv 2, pilfink 1 gråsisik 6, gulspurv 27. Total = 174. 

Observations: Bohemian Waxwing 50 migrating north. 

Asbjörn Folvik, Alf Tore Mjös and Njaal Sölvberg