Diary for Landsort 30th April 2016

This is a new innovation for our blog. Due to changes to the way in which records and diaries for Landsort are now submitted to the central Natural History database it is proving impossible for the members and supporters of the Observatory to read the daily diary that summaries the events for the day. Until this is resolved we are getting around the problem by creating a link from the Landsort website http://www.landsort-birds.se/ to our blog so that everyone can be up to date with what is happening.

Many thanks to Anders for sorting this out so quickly.

We hope you enjoy our daily updates. Please let us know!!!

All 30 nets opened at 0430 and closed at 1300. 56 new birds for the day of 17 species. Gives an April total of just over 1,000 birds. Caught another control Chiffchaff, this time one ringed in Lithuania. This is our 4th control for April the others being: Goldcrest (UK), Robin (Poland) and Chiffchaff (Norway).

 

Last night there were 7 at the Obs: Kay, Chris, Janne, Bosse, Fredrik, Niclas and Mika. Janne left today to give 6 over-night tonight.

 

Wind strength:	Calm, <1 m/s Light wind, 1-3 m/s Moderate wind, 4-7 m/s Strong wind, 8-13 m/s Very strong wind, 14-19 m/s Gale, 20-24 m/s Storm, 25-32 m/s Hurricane, >=33 m/s
Wind:	North Northeast East Southeast South Southwest West Northwest
Temperature:	40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -10 -11 -12 -13 -14 -15 -16 -17 -18 -19 -20 -21 -22 -23 -24 -25 -26 -27 -28 -29 -30 -31 -32 -33 -34 -35 -36 -37 -38 -39 -40 -41 -42 -43 -44 -45 -46 -47 -48 -49 -50 -51 -52 -53 -54 -55 -56 -57 -58 -59 -60
Visibility:	Very good, >20 km Good, 10-20 km Moderate, 4-10 km Haze, 1-4 km Fog, <1 km
Cloud cover:	Clear skies, 0/8 Almost clear skies, 1-2/8 Partly clouded, 3-5/8 Cloudy, 6-7/8 Overcast, 8/8 Scattered clouds, 0-8/8
Precipitation:	Dry weather Light rain Moderate rain Heavy rain Showers Light snowfall Moderate snowfall Heavy snowfall Snow flurries Hail showers

A rather splendid male Yellowhammer 

Equally splendid male Brambling 

Rear View 

 Yet another splendid specimen - male Redstart

 Portrait

A bit of weather coming our way 

View looking North 

View looking South

That will teach us to start talking about the summer weather and outside lunches: - it has just started to snow!!!!

Today marks the end of our third week on Landsort, with 20 days consecutive ringing having taken place. Overall we have done 745 birds of 33 species.

 

Highlight this week was undoubtedly a Nightingale, caught in the reed bed on Wednesday. This is only the fourth one ever ringed at the Observatory and is classed as a National rarity, Sweden being well to the north of the species normal breeding range. Here, the Thrush Nightingale is more common and, confusingly, that species is called 'Nightingale'!!! Anyway, confusion avoided, all biometric data taken that will allow the rarity panel to consider the record.

 

Further long-distance migrants caught included a couple of male Redstart, a handful of Willow Warbler and some more Wheatear; all indicating that the spring rush of migrants is just starting to happen! After a couple of quiet days over the weekend we are hoping that a change from the cold northerly airstream will hasten their arrival.

 

Although the air is cold, out of the wind the sun has been fantastic, allowing lunches outside and restful G&T's as we watch over the bonfires that we have had over the last few days getting rid of old timber. New shelves up in the store room, plans designed for the bathroom, new boardwalks installed and preparations for checking nest boxes complete, it has been a busy but good week.

 

Spring is arriving here, with displaying White-tailed eagles overhead, Blue Tit and Tree Sparrow investigating the nest boxes on the wall next to our window and the first snakes seen basking in the sunshine - Adder and Grass Snake. Wood Anemones are coming out into flower and much of the woodland seems to be carpeted with them, so in a few days time it will look spectacular.

 

Had a few nights with just the two of us at the Obs this week, before Pelle arrived mid-week to spend some time with us, doing jobs, checking nets and some relaxing.

 

	w/e 24th April 2016
Species	As at 17th	Kay	Chris	Total
Blackbird	16	2		18
Blue Tit	1	1	1	3
Brambling	4		2	6
Bullfinch	2			2
Chaffinch	35	4	6	45
Chiffchaff	24	5	11	40
Common Redpoll cabaret	1			1
Dunnock	21	7	10	38
Goldcrest	120	21	20	161
Goldfinch	3			3
Great Spotted Woodpecker	8	3	1	12
Great Tit	9			9
Greenfinch	4		1	5
Jackdaw	1			1
Linnet		2	3	5
Magpie	1			1
Marsh Tit	1			1
Nightingale		1		1
Redstart			2	2
Redwing		1		1
Reed Bunting	6		4	10
Robin	203	49	41	293
Siskin	10			10
Song Thrush	24	2	9	35
Starling	1	1		2
Treecreeper	1			1
Tree Sparrow		1		1
Wheatear	2	1		3
White Wagtail	2	1	1	4
Willow Warbler		1	2	3
Wren	16	6	3	25
Wryneck	1			1
Yellowhammer	2			2
Total	519	109	117	745

Wryneck, a member of the woodpecker family 

An April shower 

The fleet of Pilot boats 

Linnet

So ends our second week on Landsort with plenty of work done but still time for cycle rides, walks and chatting over coffee.

The good birding continues with further signs of spring getting this far north. a push of Robin and Goldcrest during the week, with plenty of birds on Sunday, being brought down by calm winds and a thick sea fog. 151 new birds caught, plus a Robin already having a ring on it - from Poland.

Chiffchaff continue to drift through and the first Wheatear (2) were caught on the 17th along with the first Wryneck. Found a Moorhen swimming across the pond at 0530 on the 17th. Didn't think too much of it but it seems this is a rarity for the island, with only 3-4 previous records. Plenty of voles about, the first snake (squashed on the road), Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell butterflies, and Wood Anemones starting to flower. Mind you the Snowdrops and Crocus are still out too.

A trip to the north harbour to film was rewarded with a couple of decent shots of a pair of Slavonian Grebes gathering nest material and some nice slow-mo of a swan in flight.

Have been busy at the Obs, cleaning, repairing the board walks around the netting areas and generally helping things to run smoothly.

	w/e 17th April 2016
Species	As at 10th	Kay	Chris	Total
Blackbird	13	2	1	16
Blue Tit			1	1
Brambling	1	2	1	4
Bullfinch	2			2
Chaffinch	30	3	2	35
Chiffchaff	8	12	4	24
Common Redpoll cabaret	1			1
Dunnock	13	4	4	21
Goldcrest	75	23	22	120
Goldfinch	3			3
Great Spotted Woodpecker	2	5	1	8
Great Tit	8		1	9
Greenfinch	3		1	4
Jackdaw		1		1
Magpie		1		1
Marsh Tit	1			1
Reed Bunting	2	3	1	6
Robin	119	50	34	203
Siskin	10			10
Song Thrush	3	21		24
Starling			1	1
Treecreeper	1			1
Wheatear		2		2
White Wagtail	1		1	2
Wren	13	2	1	16
Wryneck		1		1
Yellowhammer	1	1		2
Total	310	133	76	519