"Common" Redpoll

We were up this morning at 3.00am and nets were up by 4.00am. These are the normal times every day on these trips to Norway. It was overcast and damp and the forecast said it would rain around 6.00am. As it turned out we were able to ring until about 0830am. We closed the nets but came back to the site at about 1.30pm for another session before getting rained off again so we decided to call it a day. Considering the conditions we did catch 332 birds over 16 species which included a House Sparrow and Pied Flycatcher from the garden of the house we are staying in.. See below for breakdown.

The number of Brambling improved from yesterday. It was nice to see males with a really black head.  This bird although not showing signs of a main moult is probably due to start at anytime and the new head feathers will be tipped greyish and by next years breeding season these tips will have worn off exposing the black part of the feather underneath.

On a couple of occasions we have had a couple of birds together. This gives you the opportunity to compare their different sexes and some of the finer points of ageing. In particular the top bird is aged as a second year because you can see the brown unmoulted alula feathers.

Yesterday Bluethroat were top of the species list but today it was Redpoll with 127 birds being caught and processed. This adult male was a stonker in its full breeding colours.

Lapland Buntings (also known as a Lapland Longspur) in the past have been relatively small in numbers and this bird today was the first to be caught this trip. They breed in upland scrub areas, tundra and areas of bare mountains. Breeding male has a black head and throat.

Ten new Redwing today, this bird above is a bird born this year

Finally another bird born this year a Fieldfare. The juvenile has white to pale grey edges to its coverts.

Finally a breakdown of species and numbers caught today are below.

Species	Number Caught
Reed Bunting	28
Bluethroat	21
Meadow Pipit	26
Willow Warbler	64
Redpoll	128
Brambling	22
Sedge Warbler	4
Fieldfare	11
Great tit	5
Redwing	10
Greenfinch	4
Restart	4
Arctic Redpoll	2
Lapland Bunting	1
House Sarrow	1
Pied Flycatcher	1
Total	332

Tomorrow we hope to erect some nets on the beach to catch waders. There are large numbers about at the moment and would like to be ready for the incoming tide which concentrates the bird numbers to smaller feeding areas which should improve our chances to catch them. Today we have seen Dunlin, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Ruff, Redshank and Ringed Plover.