Our friendly Fantastic Mr Fox, lying down just feet from us, about 5am

 

Icterine Warbler - ringing tick for Kay & Chris

 

 

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Another ringing tick for Chris. Note the Manx flag in the background, above the Catalan flag; courtesy of the two Spanish lads!



On the look-out for Barred Warbler and Wryneck (no joy!!)
On the west coast

 

Bullrush on the Baltic

 



 

Site of the oldest lighthouse in Sweden

 

Here be wild Raspberries and Blackberries!!!

 

Week-ending 25th August
Species	Kay	Chris
Blackbird	4	1
Blackcap	42	2
Blue Tit	8	1
Chaffinch	2	1
Common Rosefinch	2	2
Garden Warbler	18	1
Goldfinch	0	0
Great Spotted Woodpecker	10	1
Great Tit	15	2
Greenfinch	60	2
Icterine Warbler	2	1
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker	0	1
Lesser Whitethroat	74	6
Marsh Tit	2	0
Marsh Warbler	0	1
Pied Flycatcher	3	0
Red-backed Shrike	15	1
Redstart	8	0
Reed Warbler	2	0
Robin	5	0
Sedge Warbler	2	0
Siskin	7	0
Spotted Flycatcher	16	2
Treecreeper	1	0
Thrush Nightingale	1	1
Tree Pipit	5	0
Wheatear	1	0
Whinchat	2	0
White Wagtail	9	0
Whitethroat	11	3
Willow Warbler	103	7
Wood Warbler	3	1
Yellow Wagtail	1	0
Yellowhammer	5	0
Total	439	37

The days here remain warm and sunny. Up at 4.15am this morning to be greeted by the most handsome fox in our garden. He stayed for some left over meatballs and spagetti and then was off for the daily sleep. Catching birds today was a slow process but managed to bag a lesser spotted woodpecker, not so fiesty as the great spotted but still has attitude. Lots of wild raspberries and blackberries picked and eaten with the morning porridge, trying to decide whether to turn the sloes into sloe gin or not.

Pictures from the first few days



Á few Pictures from around the southern part of Landsort, plus a summary of the birds we have ringed up to the 18th. Species in yellow are 'ringing ticks' (speceis we have not ringed Before!!)

 

 

 

Hello from sunny Sweden. Well we arrived safe and sound after a 1,200mile trip up from the Isle of Man via Hull, Rotterdam and through Holland, Germany and Denmark. Easy driving up and decent weather helped. Got to Oja (Landsort bird observatory) on the afternoon of the 13th and straight into a briefing on how things work out here. Per and the rest of the crew were very welcoming and it feels like a great place to spend our autumn. The Island is quite low lying with good scrub cover and plenty of fruit trees and bushes - great for migrants to shelter and feed in prior to our catching them, and also for adding to our porridge for breakfast. On the 14th we were up at 0415 (and for yesterday + today also) and opened the mist nets. Now, the next bit might not mean too much to you non-ringers, but the first bird out of a net was a Thrush Nightingale - a ringing tick for me (that's a bird I've never ringed before!!). Ended the day with 56 birds, including another ringing tick for me (Icterine Warbler) and loads of birds for Kay - Yellow Wagtail, Pied Flycatcher, Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Wood Warbler, Spotted Flyatcher, Red-backed Shrike and plenty of Willow Warbler. Another good day on the 15th saw me add Common Rosefinch to my list and today, though quieter Kay added Yellowhammer, Thrush Nightingale and Icterine Warbler to hers - all in all good birding. Most of the regulars left today so it is just me, Kay, Busse (a Swede) and two Spanish lads. Lets hope for a great weekend birding. Off to have a ride up to the North of the Island now and maybe look around near the lighthouse in the South where Busse had 2 Wryneck this morning. To end the day a very welcome beer down at the harbour pub, bliss!

A quick update

Well, the time is fast approaching now. We leave the Island on the 10th, heading for Hull for an overnight ferry to Rotterdam. A couple of days driving up through Holland, Germany and Denmark before getting to Sweden.

Plan is to arrive at Landsort Bird Observatory on the 13th, before starting work on the 15th, ready for a busy autumn catching birds!!!

A few decent birds already by the look of the Observatory Website - http://www.landsort.com Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Thrush Nightingale, Curlew Sandpiper, Greenish Warbler - plenty to look forward to!

Will keep updated, so watch this space.

Chris & Kay