Dagbok SFOS

We tried nightjars again until 2am. And didn’t get lucky again.

I started opening nets even ealier today as days are getting longer and longer. It was really nice to enjoy the sun so late these last days and the light was extraordinary this early morning. But, as soon as I opened, I figured that it would be a slow day again. I couldn’t be more right!

No wind, bright sun, only a few birds singing, it seemed a bit like if time had stopped. The first round brought only a couple of new birds. The next weren’t any better and then the wind picked up a bit, the clouds appeared and nothing was moving much in the bushes.

At midday, we closed all nets but one, to try to see if something would happened later. The only thing that happened were young greenfinches, either from here or from islands nearby, they discover the net and a few were ringed, which more or less saves the day.

All in all, 16 birds were ringed today: 5 løvsanger (willow warblers), 1 munk (blackcap), , 1 møller (lesser whitethroat),an 9 grønnfink (greenfinches).

On the observation side, Egil was lucky to spot a honey buzzard and a hobby. Raptors also are on their way.

What’s more, today Morgane has left the island to fly home. It was a pleasure to share these 10 days together!

Egil and I are then the gardians of the island for the next 2 days and we do hope to get more birds tomorrow.

Marie and Egil

After an unsuccessfull try of catching nightjars, nets were open in early morning as usual. It was again windy in earley morning, with East wind. It changed slowly through the day and reached no wind again in the afternoon.

With almost the same weather as yesterday, and this eastern wind, there were not much birds around in the morning. However, there were surprinsigly more lesser whitethroats than willow warblers until 9am. There were also a few empty rounds, but a new nightingale, a redstar, a song trush motivated us to continue ringing and we got rewarded by a beautifull male bluethroat in late morning.

In the end, 29 birds were ringed today : 14 løvsanger (willow warblers), 1 gransanger (chiffchaff), 8 møller (lesser whitethroat), 2 rødstjert (redstar) , 1 nattergal (trush nightingale), 1 bokfinke (chaffinch), 1 måltrost (song trush) and 1 blåstrupe (bluethroath).

Marie, Morgane and Egil

Today Morgane and I got up even earlier than usual to try to catch nightjars. Unfortunately for us, we did not get them. We will definitely try again.

In the morning, the wind picked up and there were not that many birds in the nets. In the afternoon, the wind dropped to nearly no wind at all but the island was quite silent. The surprise of the day was a female whinchat.

All in all, 76 birds were ringed today: 65 løvsanger (willow warblers), 1 gransanger (chiffchaff), 2 gulsanger (icterine warblers) , 2 munk (blackcap), , 1 møller (lesser whitethroat),1 rødstruppe (robin), 1 svarthvit fluesnapper ( pied flycatchers), 1 rødstjert (redstar) , 1 bukskvett (whinchat) and 1 grønnfink (greenfinches).

With this incredible weather in the afternoon it was impossible for one of us to resist to a swim 🙂 and we enjoyed staying outside until late afternoon.

Marie, Morgane and Egil

Another really bright, sunny day on the island! The wind seem to have decide to let us alone. We therefore open on usual time and birds arrived in good numbers in the nets in the first rounds. Most of them are still of course willow warblers! But there has also been a few icterine warbler, a whitethroat and yet another ringed ouzel.

It has been a fair day, with 133 new birds ringed: 110 løvsanger (willow warblers), 1 gransanger (chiffchaff), 5 gulsanger (icterine warblers) , 1 munk (blackcap), 2 hagesanger (garden warblers), 1 tornsanger (whitethroat), 1 nattergal (nightingale), 3 svarthvit fluesnapper ( pied flycatchers), 1 rødstjert (redstar) , 1 ringtrost (ringed ouzel) and 1 svarttrost (blackbird), 1 sivspurv (reed bunting), 3 grønnfink (greenfinches), 1 brunsisik (redpoll) and 1 tornirisk (linnet).

With the icterine warblers and the nightingales around, spring is in full swing and some swift, a good amount of sylvias and a few swallows confirm this. With this beautifull sun over our head through late afternoon, a calm sea, a drink, and 2 boxes of strawberries left, life on the island cannot improve much.

Marie, Morgane and Egil

At last, the wind dropped for good today and the day was bright and sunny with clear blue sky. Morgane even managed to swim in the sea in the afternoon!

There were a fair number of birds in the nets in the first two rounds. Mainly willow warblers but we also got 2 redpolls and a reed bunting.

Then, we had the visit of Terje and his son, Hans Erik and Morten and enjoyed their company on the terrasse with the sun. Some migrating birds like a swift seemed to also appreciate the weather. Unfortunately, it was also time for goodbye as Vidar left the island, it was nice to have him around for the week.

But Morgane and I were not alone for long and soon joined by Egil who is going to stay with us for the week.

In the end, we ringed 121 birds today, which is not bad: 1 gransanger (chiff chaff); 91 løvsanger (willow warbler); 2 møller (lesser whithroat); 2 brunnsisik (redpoll); 14 SH fluesnapper (pied flycatcher); 1 rødstruppe (robin); 2 munk (blackcap); 1 hagesanger (garden warbler) ; 5 grønnfink (greenfinch); 1 sivspur (reed bunting); 1gulsanger (icterine warbler).

Marie, Morgane, Egil

Another windy day on the island! Fortunately, it was not as bad as yesterday in the morning and we could open all the nets at sunrise.

There were still not that many birds around in the morning. But we kept on catching a few willow warblers through the whole day. Apart for these numerous little buddies, we had the nice surprise to get a new ring ouzel, and a icterine warbler.

All in all, 64 birds were ringed today: 4 gransanger (chiffchaff), 2 Rødstjert (common redstart) ; 1 Ringtrost (ringed ouzel) ; 49 løvsanger (willow warbler) ; 1 møller (lesser whitethroat) ; 2 svart hvit fluesnapper (pied flycatcher) ; 4 munk (blackcap) ; 1 gulsanger (icterine warbler) .

The wind start to increase again in the afternoon, and at 6pm we decided to call it a day.

Tomorrow will be a social day with a few visitors expected. Let’s hope that we will have some birds in the nets!

We couldn’t open the nets in early morning today because it was too windy. At 8am, we finally decided to open the most protected nets.

The first round directly rewarded us with a couple of pied flycatchers, one chaffinch and last but not least, a woodcock! It was the first time Vidar had one in the hand, so a picture was needed.

Later in the early afternoon, Vidar found the first icterine warbler of the season in the nets.

The rest of the day was quiet, the wind decreased slowly then started increasing again in mid afternoon.

In early evening, we heard our first trush nightingale for the season. So all in all, new species for the seasons are arring these last days! But the weather is not helping to catch birds and the number of birds ringed is still low : 21 new birds with 1 rødstrupe (robin), 1 munk (blackcap), 1 bokfink ( chaffinch), 1 gulsanger (icterine warbler), 1 gransanger (chiff chaff), 12 løvsanger (willow warbler), 3 SH fluesnapper (pied flycatcher) and 1 rugde (woodcock).

The wind was strong this early morning when we open the nets. It was suppose to decrease so we have open the usual standard nets.

Despite the wind and some rain in early afternoon, we have had a fair day, with the first garden warblers of the season, as well as our first spring whitethroat and of course, a nice surprise with the ringed ouzel.

60 birds were ringed today : 1 Rødstjert (common redstart) ; 1 Ringtrost (ringed ouzel) ; 1 Heipiplerke (meadow pipit); 3 gransanger (chiff chaff) ; 40 løvsanger (willow warbler) ; 3 møller (lesser whitethroat) ; 1 svart hvit fluesnapper (pied flycatcher) ; 2 rødstrupe (robin); 4 munk (blackcap) ; 3 hagesanger (garden warbler) ; 1 tornsanger ( whitethroat).

Now, the wind is increasing again. Tomorrow, it might be tricky to open all nets, since the weather forecast is not optimistic about the wind increase.

Marie, Vidar and Morgane.