Winday Sunday

A mix in weather fortunes today. It was a lovely bright Autumn type of morning but then the sun shone brightly and the wind got up and the birds could see the nets very easily. Net rounds produced very few birds from about 08.30 onwards and by 10.30 we decided to pack up and go home. While no new species turned up today we continued to enjoy the company of Redstarts and Bluethroats and we are becoming much more confident ageing difficult species like Meadow Pipits and Reed Buntings. Despite our early finish the morning still resulted in a very respectable total of just over 200 new birds.

The first two years' ringing has resulted in several interesting passerine recoveries:- a Sedge Warbler in Italy, a Reed Bunting and  two Meadow Pipits ringed on the same day being caught again together in Slovenia. I wonder if any of this years, birds will turn up again.

Back at base we opened the nets in the garden and continued to catch a steady trickle of Redpolls for a couple of hours before becoming tourists again and making a return visit to Vadsoya. While we were away, Dave caught an Arctic Redpoll, which Colin H duly added to the database for DNA analysis.

No new bird pictures from the ringing sessions. However I had a couple of hours out this afternoon with the camera and took these three pictures. The bird above is a Little Stint. This is one of the waders we have been ringing in the last 10 days.

A juvenile Kittiwake in it's first winter plumage.

I posted a picture of a Reindeer earlier. This guy looks a little menacing. He has been antler rubbing which takes round about a day signalling its readiness to breed. The antlers will harden off ready for the rutting season in October.

Tomorrow we have another visit from some school children and there is the possibility the "press" may be coming as well.

Further information at http://varangerringing.blogspot.co.uk