A quiet few days since our last blog as the weather has not been that great.

 

Despite this we have had several walks in the woods and found three Siberian Jay. Tomorrow we are going to see if they are still in the same area and if so will try and catch them with Åke, who fits them with colour-rings to monitor population levels etc. He did not know of birds in the area where we found them, so fingers crossed.

 

Yesterday, with rain when none was forecast, we ran the CES for Pelle and caught 16 new birds, including a pair of Icterine Warblers, a female Whinchat and a recently fledged Redwing - not something you see every day!! the site is next to a lake where a pair of Whooper Swan and a pair of Black-throated Diver were present.

 

Today, in heavy rain while Chris worked on a film project, Kay went for a walk and was rewarded with the rear view of an Elk - remarkably the first either of us has seen this trip. Perhaps now the duck has been broken we will see more?

 

This afternoon, having picked Monica up at 1330, we picked up Åke and headed off to the first of three Rough-legged Buzzard nests. The species is a bit hit and miss in this region, some years there are no nests, so we struck lucky this year. Åke is 73 and is a remarkable man, climbing trees like they were no effort. So up the first tree and down came two well grown chicks in a canvas bag, ready for Kay and I to gain another real quality ringing tick. Ringed, photographed and 'oood' over, up they went, back into the nest, down comes Åke and off to another nest, holding two more young, less well grown but large enough to ring.

 

The final nest produced four young, a good sized brood, which were duly ringed. At the base of the tree was a hole in the rocks which Åke felt was a rest up lair for Bear, not something you think of really!!

 

So, eight chicks, three nests, three trees climbed and back in the car on the way home, all within three hours - he really is a fantastic tree-climber!!! Thanks to Åke and Monica for making this such a special afternoon. It is just a shame that Pelle had to work as without his efforts we would be doing none of this stuff!!

 

 

 Four Rough-legged Buzzard chicks!!!

 

Åke, at 73 climbing trees. Three in three hours!!

 ELK - at long last Kay saw this while walking in the woods. Chris did not!!

 

 Kay with two well grown R-L Buzzard. Ringing tick for both of us

 

 Doesn't she look proud!!!

 

 Adult Rough-legged in flight above nest

 

Feathered legs - hence the name!!



A few developments since our last blog.

 

We had some very sad news yesterday. Merlin, our grand big lad of a cat was taken very ill on Saturday back home. Jo, Pete, Em and Dan took great care of him and got him to the vet as quickly as possible. Sadly, though he fought hard (as you'd expect!!) he passed away on Monday morning, the vet thinks as a result of some form of insecticide poisoning. a bad end to a really good lad who lived a good life. We miss him and can only thank the four folks and Jane the vet for their care and affection towards him. He is now back home, making sure 'rival' Leroy does not take over!!

 

In the last couple of days we have done a bit of ringing, some nice easy netting at a small Sand Martin colony in a farm yard produced 40 birds, with the promise of more when young start to fledge.

 

A walk in the woods yesterday, when we were feeling a bit low, was lifted by finding we were following the recent trail of a couple of Brown Bear, judging by the size of prints an adult and cub. The prints were very fresh, which added a certain spice to the rest of the walk through a quiet forest!!! Later, we checked the camera trap we had left looking over a fallen tree and stump, liberally laced with Raspberry jam. Success, a great clip of a Pine Martin, running along the tree before scent-marking and disappearing into the night. Even more surprising was a clip of two walkers who discovered the camera and spent a few minutes debating what it was and how it worked. Berit and Bernt, our hosts, translated and confirmed they came to the right conclusion eventually!!

 Fresh bear print with .5l bottle for size

 

 Up close - as close as we want to be anyway!

 

 Part of a busy Sand Martin colony

 

Siberian Jay - one of the really hard to find species

 

 

Pine Martin, scent marking a stump before heading off into the night 

  

Two walkers debating the 'hidden' camera!!!



 Three Common Sandpiper chicks.

 

 Common Crane with two chicks

 

Beaver dam - partially destroyed

 

 Common Sandpiper chicks playing hard to find!!

 

 Common Sandpiper adult

 

 Beaver engineering!

 

 One of the special ones! - A Golden Eagle chick

 

 Impressive talons!

 

 Kestrel chick - one of 32 ringed so far.

 

Wild lupins are growing everywhere



Some owl clips

 Fox Cub - who's watching who???

 

 Great Grey Owl - we are definitely being watched!!

 

 Great Grey Owl chick - if I stay still you can't see me

 

 Hawk Owl chick - do I look like a log yet??

 

 Pelle with adult Ural Owl - and the Great Greys are even bigger.

 

 A nice brace of Ural Owl chicks, complete with messy knee

 

 Chris filming closer than he ever thought

 

 Don't worry it's only a 40m drop and the camera is insured!

 

White-tailed eagle chick, about 1/2 grown





Time for a quick resume of the last two weeks, since we left the Isle of Man on the 30th May.

An uneventful trip to Heysham and an easy drive to Hull before boarding for an overnight to Rotterdam, only interrupted by some little Oyk at 1am shouting 'room service' down the corridor. Shame keel-hauling is no longer a permitted form of punishment!!

On the 31st we were off through Holland and Germany to catch the ferry to Denmark before camping at Maribo, where we were regaled by a Nightingale singing through the night from an oak tree directly above our tent - now you don't get that on the Isle of Man!!

Not too early a start on the 1st to get to a campsite at Nykoping in Sweden, another site we used last year. Very peaceful, next to the Baltic, with Caspian Tern on the shore, Barnacle Geese with goslings and nesting Fieldfare. Next day to Stockholm for an overnight at Pelles apartment, with time to take a stroll and beer in the old town, where Monica has her flat before heading north on the 2nd.

Monica came with us to make sure we made it to base for the next six weeks; Pelles Mum & Dads in

Flästa, near Arbrȯ. On the way stopped off to add Citrine Wagtail and Great Reed Warbler to the list of 'lifers' before reaching base in the early evening along with Pelle, whose folks have made us so welcome it is untrue. Breakfasts, lunches, dinner and hospitality in generous portions!!!

 

Straight out to a Ural Owl nest site, the only brood that had not already left their nest box; most having bred early thanks to an abundance of prey, including voles and lemming. Four chicks in the nest was another indicator of plentiful food, though one was too small to ring, so Kay ringed two and Chris one - ringing ticks and smiles all around. Adult female was very protective, making repeated dives on either Pelle or Chris, depending who was up the ladder, clouted by wing but no blood (see later!!!)

 

The next few days were spent with Monica and Pelle, who showed us many good sites for walks, filming and birding, including a morning running a standardised ringing site of Pelle's (one of a network of sites through Europe).

 

Among the many highlights, listening to both Red-throated and Black-throated divers calling from lakes within the forest, goldeneye females with chicks and adding to our list of species seen since getting to Heysham (126 as at 13th) are all fantastic. Some stand out even more though: Finding a Hawk Owl chick near the nest site for Pelle to ring was a treat. Going to another Ural Owl nest where we found the female incubating a sterile egg. Bird is so strong, but Kay played a blinder and fitted the ring!

 

Highlights though were being taken to a Great Grey Owl nest site where we watched the adult female sitting very peacefully watching over one of her young, that was sat motionless on a tree less than 10m from where we were. A very peaceful and calming scene. We have also been to a White-tailed Eagle nest where we were able to see one of the two chicks up close. Fantastic views also of a Peregrine eyrie, high up a cliff face with fantastic views over the forests and lakes below.

 

Last Sunday we went back to the first Ural Owl nest, hoping to ring the final chick, but no joy - the female was that protective that she caught Pelle on the head with both talons, scoring hits with all eight claws and drawing blood - we left her to it!!!!

Since Pelle and Monica have left us we have been walking, birding and filming in some lovely scenery, running Pelles ringing site this morning (17 birds caught), watching fox cubs and Roe Deer, seeing Cranes, Pied Flycatcher, and seeing  Cuckoo all over the place. Some photos follow to give a flavour.

 

Looks like internet might allow us to update more regularly than we thought for the first part of our trip, so we'll be in touch soon!

C & K

 

 

 

 Monica waiting for the next Gannets!!

 Pelle & Chris - Spot the Herring Gull

Monica's favourite

 



Hello all.

While we have internet we thought we ought to update our blog, starting with a brief mention of our time with Monica and Pelle on the Isle of Man before we set off on our trip.

M & P are our friends from Sweden, fellow ringers and two of committee who we will be working for later in the season. Thanks to Pelle we are staying with his folks in northern Sweden, but more of that later!!

Toward the end of May they came to stay with us in Laxey, enjoying good weather, ringing Chough (7) and Jackdaw (63) pullus, checking nest sites and seeing a good number of 'lifers' to add to their list of birds seen around the world.

A really memorable few days and it is very uplifting to see our Island through the eyes of new visitors - we do tend to take it for granted!! Thanks to Bob and Dave for taking us out on 'Gemini' in the hope of seeing Baskers (next year!!), watching the spectacle of the sugarloaf seabirds, seals, fishing and banter. At the Point of Ayre Gannets made a lasting impression as they do not occur in the Baltic, nor do Puffin, seen at Maughold. A great few days and a 'taster' for future visits - a few pics from Kay to give a flavour!

OK - we would show some pictures if Manx.net was any use!!!! We will try later when they havc dragged themselves somewhere close to the 21st century!!!