A mixed week this week. On Monday we caught a Sparrowhawk that had already been ringed in Finland so we are waiting to hear where and when it was first caught! Kay also ringed a Fieldfare and six Long-tailed Tits of the Scandinavian race - see pics - and Chris went briefly to Ankerudden, where our vehicle is parked, to check the battery wasn't flat etc. 

After a brief excursion into the realms of 'ringing' and hence reaching 200, Chris returned to the role of 'scribe', just in time for Kay to ring a cracking Arctic Redpoll - again, see pics!! The low point of the week, though inevitable, was that the Fox which had been taking birds out of the nets was shot. Although it had to be, no-one was happy with it as he had become a feature of our days.

Tore, who has become a firm friend out here, kindly took the pair of us out on the Pilot boat one afternoon, picking up a pilot at Ankerudden and then dropping him off on a cargo boat out at sea. it was then a quick trip back to pick up two more pilots before taking them out to two more boats. A great couple of hours on the water, and a change from ringing.

Sunday proved to be our busiest day yet of the trip. At last light winds, overcast conditions and birds combined to give us a daily ringing total of 311, mainly Redpoll. That day a grand total of 445 birds were ringed on the island. At last Autumn migration has changed up a gear!!!