This week at Kvismare…

This week we continued the survey theme… Marsh Harriers, Farmland breeding birds and in particular, Ortolan Bunting- Emberiza hortulana. Many farmers around the Kvismare area have recieved funding to set aside some bare land for the Ortolan’s to nest in. For unknown reasons the population of Ortolan bunting has gone down from Circa 100 singing males to maybe half a dozen in less than 3 decades within the reserve itself; The species still thrive in Northern Sweden however, in fire prone forests.

Managing to hear a minimum of 5 Ortolan males in the first week of surveys then is quite good and these birds are all singing in the correct areas, again promising. It is still early for these birds and so we will continue to monitor this species throughout May.

The Marsh Harriers have begun displaying high above the reed beds this week meaning that their building period is all but over. We managed to identify 14 females in total and possibly 10 nests which we will confirm when the birds are feeding youngsters later in the season. We still wait for the Montagu’s Harrier that nested here last year.

All Starling boxes have to be checked every 5-7 Days (a rule in Sweden) and so this week we confirmed all the full clutch sizes for Starlings. Most hold 5 or 6 but one or two contain 7 eggs. These should be hatching any day now. The White Wagtail in the front garden is also now incubating her 4 eggs. 2 Broods of Fieldfare have hatched just by the side of the house and are noisily protected by the adults.

Some good birds being seen this week has heated the competition for Blonde hair. I still lead but Magnus has gripped me with Savi’s Warbler, Black Woodpecker and Little gull today. I however have Peregrine, Black Tern and Icterine Warbler on him. So it’s wide open.

Birds arriving in number this week, Cuckoo, Garganey, Whitethroat, Pied Flycatcher, Wood Sandpiper (flock of 140 seen regularly on Rysjon), Spotted Redshank (up to 25 present on Rysjon), Green and Common Sand also push through not in such great numbers but do reach a few dozen each some days. Common Tern in decent numbers with Arctics’ heading through some days. Myself and Magnus haven’t seen any as of yet! Today I had a flock of 47 “thunbergi” type Yellow Wagtails in one tree!

The Geese and Whooper swans continue to fatten up for their migration. Amongst the Bean geese (fabalis) this week, Barnacle,Pink Footed, Canada, White-fronted and some Bean (Rossicus).

If only races counted in our competition…

Spring in Sweden

Spring in Sweden seems to happen a good month after it did back home. So I have already seen many of the birds we await here. This last week however has been full of migrants.

Studies turned to Marsh harrier nests/ territories this week to try and pin down nests if possible (as a visit to ring the young will be made in June) or if not accessible, just count the amount of females. There is one Female per nest but not necessarily one male; Polygamy does occur in these birds. Anyway this week we have Identified 11 different females with relative ease with possibly 2 or 3 other birds, and the nests are now very well pinned down.

These birds are amazing to watch, however you have to be up early to see the main nest building; This is thought to be because Marsh Harrier pick fresh twigs from trees and in the morning dew these twigs are more flexible and therefore easier to break and place into the nest.

Whilst out on these early morning watches new birds this week…

Black-Throated Diver, Wryneck, Osprey, Common Tern, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Pied Flycatcher, Ortolan bunting, Icterine Warbler, Wood Warbler, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper and the nicest birds in my opinion the “lekking” Ruff. The Bean geese and a few Whooper’s remain on the fields by the house.

The work load slows in the next week or so, so I’ll be out and about trying to see as many species as possible throughout May (me and Magnus are having a competition.) No winning prize, but the loser has a punishment…

Hooded Crow surveying

Magnus and I have been very busy this week trying to find all the “active” Hooded Crow nests within the Kvismaren reserve before the leaves open, we have previous survey data and this has been a great help as these birds often nest within metres of previous years, not always though… Having to be out by dawn every morning craning our necks trying to find nest, checking every single tree on the reserve has had it’s plus points; New birds.

We were lucky enough to stubble across a couple of Male Three-Toed Woodpeckers yesterday morning these birds gave amazing views for 30 minutes (down to 15 feet totally ignoring us) before we left them in peace. These only the 3rd and 4th records on the reserve since 1985!

A Pair of Hawfinch sang and fed happily in the glorious sun whilst above them a Rough-legged buzzard soared.

Spotted Crake and Jack Snipe displayed on the marshlands nearby.

Today I found a Yellow Wagtail, Feldegg race amongst a flock of White wagtails ( If accepted apparently only the 6th for Sweden).

Also some of the more common birds have given cracking views, Lesser spotted woodpeckers drumming down to 3 metres away, Greens Laffe at similar distances. Marsh Harriers ignore us as they go about nest building. Bean, Barnacle and White fronted geese give great views and Bitterns constantly boom.

The next few days we will finish the first round of the Crow study and then begin to pin point Marsh Harrier nests. The Yellow wagtail and many Willow warblers around today signify the start of spring migration in Sweden. (Everything here seems to be a month or so  later than England)

 

Note to self – TAKE CAMERA EVERYWHERE.

 

Technorati Tags: Flava Feldegg,Kvismaren Bird observatory,Hooded Crow. Three-toed Woodpecker. Lesser Spotted woodpecker.

Kvismaren Bird Observatory

Arriving in Sweden for the first time yesterday afternoon I was amazed by the sheer vastness of it all. I mistook lakes for seas whilst flying over them and the endless forests which hugged the horizon. I travelled across the country from Stockholm to Orebro by train where I met the reserve chief for this season Magnus.

Today Magnus and I began work surveying the Hooded Crow and Raven nests within Kvismaren itself. A cracking day with some extra special sights too. Marsh harriers floating around the woodlands picking sticks for their nests, White-tailed eagles hunting over fresh water reeds is also something different. The Eagles often pursued by Raven and Marsh Harrier alike. Green, Great Spotted and Lesser Spotted woodpecker also today; Still not seen the Lesser Spot but they’re drumming and calling somewhere nearby. Cranes danced in the fields.

Other things seen today -

 

A Beaver swam straight towards us and got within 3 metres of the car before diving.

Fieldfare and Redwing are common thrushes here and they’re nesting everywhere in good numbers.

Yellow Hammer and Tree Sparrow are not very easy to see at home but are in abundance here.

White-Fronted, Barnacle, Greylag,Bean,Canada and Pink footed geese today.

around 100 Cranes seen today, some “dancing”.

Green Sandpipers and Snipe display on the marshlands.

Bitterns Booming.

 

Magnus and I will continue surveying Crows and Wetlands this week and still await the other staff to come and join us.

Technorati Tags: Kvismaren Bird observatory,Crane,Hooded Crow.

No pictures worth posting yet, I will get some soon. First though, I need to learn some Latin.

A big thank you and a new start.

I do not blog as often as I may hope but I feel that if I am to blog it has to be something of interest. There has been a few developements since I last blogged...

Firstly I would like to say a massive thank you to Seumus Eaves, Phil Slade and Kane Brides in particular for all their help and hard work putting up with me throughout my training to ring birds. I have recently applied for a restricted netting permit and this should appear hopefully before I vacate (More on this later) So many thanks to these 3 and all the other great people who I have been lucky enough to spend some time and great experiences with whilst out catching birds.

Next, the fantastic group of friends I have been lucky enough to travel around with, having countless laughs and triumphs as well as failings and frollocks which has temporarily split up. With Chris (Birdman) Bridge always at Uni I suppose we are all used to this and he seems to get back often enough to spend time with us, however Ciaran, after spending the whole last winter working hard and enjoying it being Kane's assistant has now vacated to the Farne Islands to be a Warden until September and possibly longer? I am sure Ciaran will do fantastic work out there and I wish him all the best with his travels. Stay safe mate. Kane and me have held the fort before whilst Ciaran and Chris travel far and wide birding or working, but never before have I left. This will mean all of the fantastic bunch are now fragmented, I am off to Sweden to Kvismare Bird Observatory to aid with Census work and from June to September run a ringing base.

I must wish Chris good luck with his academic studies whilst I am away, please concerntrate on Uni studies this year. Twitching is not the way forward and do NOT let Mr Hincliffe twist your arm for some "tick", it really isn't worth losing out on uni for!

Cia, stay safe and do well mate. I have faith you will be having a cracking time and will be in your element out there. I've seen the pics and it looks like you're already settling well.


Kane, look after yourself and keep busy (I'm sure you will). Thanks for all the help and hard work you've put in with me :) Really appreciate this.

All three of you have been a fantastic inspiration whilst out and about and I will miss you all greatly. I'm sure that the next time we each meet will be a fantastic occasion and I look forward to it already.

Possibly a joint belated 21st for Cia (very very late for you mate) and Birdman just a little late? I'll be back in October, however I hope to keep the blog updated from Sweden if at all possible.

Good birding and best wishes to all.

C

2010 Highlights

Another Year ends and a new begins... In a some bird watchers diary this is a time to manically start a new list for everything, not me. It's a time to reflect on a fantastic years ringing with some fantastic people.

Highlights ringing wise:

January - Watching/Helping Kane Catch 20+ Tufted duck in one day at Southport as well as catching 30 or so Coot. (We thought we'd never get the same numbers in a day again... We were wrong).

Swan Catch at Martin Mere - Always a pleasure seeing Teal, Pochard, Wigeon and Whoopers "In the hand."

February - My first Cannon netting session; Heysham power station, over 600 Oystercatchers Caught and ringed (Amazing).

March and April - Ringing ( Or scribing) at Rossall Ringing sessions due to a broken hand, But I saw plenty of decent birds in the hand. Lots of Lesser Redpoll and one Common.

May - My first Grasshopper Warbler (tape Lured) followed by accompany Kane whilst he found Long Eared Owls breeding in Manchester. All the hard work paid off and the following day I watched them get ringed, Then returned to my Local patch to find another Long Eared owl nest!

June - Black headed Gull colony with Robin Sellars, Steve Christmas, Will Price and Ian Gardener. Over 500 Black Headed gull chicks ringed in under 2 hours. A Follow up trip with Kane Brides and Chris Bridge produced another 110.

July through to August. - ICELAND.

Ringing Puffins, Kittiwakes, Fulmars, Shag, Snow Bunting, Eider, Snipe, Red necked Phalarope, Dunlin, Oystercatchers, Arctic terns, Black Guillemot, Redwings,Ringed plover, Golden Plover and last but not least Whooper Swans for nearly a month. Seeing some other amazing sites ( White Tailed Eagle really close, Great Nortern divers from above as they dive in the crystal clear water, Also hearing their Eary call. Gyr Falcons getting unbelievably close to catching Ptarmigan right next to us, and the inquisative youngsters whom let us get really close.) I had a fantastic time with 3 of the finest friends. Kane introduced us to his very welcoming Icelandic friends and they looked after us like royalty. they're fantastic people and I'm glad I met them.

August back home - Recovering, wishing I was back in Iceland.

September - Started Catching decent numbers of Coot to Colour ring. Also started ringing at Rossall again.

October - Great numbers of greenfinch dropping out of the sky straight into the net at Rossall, Also my first British Great grey Shrike. Picked up by Ian and then all the group (including a very excited Seumus). Also went Cannon netting again with SCAN in North Wales, Caught lots of Redshank, Oystercatcher, Curlew and the odd Dunlin, Knot, Lapwing, Snipe and starling (Cracking trip). Oh and held my first Waxwing (STONKER)

November - Not too much but enjoyed catching Coot still at the Park and started to get good movements from them. Please keep your eyes peeled for colourful Coot.

December - Has to be the day Kane and Ciaran caught 106 Coot in a day, Also a trip to Will's Garden with Will and Phil where we were Lucky enough(?) to catch 28 Brambling in one session. A Priveledge that I probably won't see again for a long time.

Sorry no Photo's yet... I'm going to start 2011 with an update from a recent trip to Ireland and I'll try to slip a photo in.

Let's see if 2011 can be half as good at 2010... I'm sure with a lot of effort and a bit of luck, we can improve?

Recent trips

SCAN

I recently spent a very enjoyable weekend with Kane and Chris at the SCAN Wader ringing groups' organised weekend in North Wales, it was great to meet new people and put faces to names and vice versa. throughout the weekend we made 1 successful Cannon net catch and also had a mist netting session in the dark; a totally new experience for myself and Kane. We caught 103 Waders in our night session, species caught were Dunlin, Redshank,Oystercatcher, Curlew, Lapwing, Knot and Snipe in the order of most caught to least; The latter being a single. We also caught a single Starling which was a ringing tick for a fellow trainee... Up early and Cannon nets set the next morning just after dawn and we'd set for Redshank in Penryn bay. Further up the coast at Abergele Richard and his team had set for ringed plover and Oystercatcher however this catch was abandoned due to a rising tide and no birds in the safe catching area. ( To see rants about Dog walkers see Seumus Eaves' Blog - Link on the right ). Anyway a rush back from Abergele to Penryn and the birds were in the catching area, Net fired and a rush down the hill and into the Water to retrieve the birds as quickly as possible... "No need for Waders in this weekend" remember folks... Chris bridge 2010! What a pillock! After Kane had taken a soaking extracting birds in the dark on the Friday night ("We don't need headlamps either" Chris Bridge 2010.) I'd just taken 2 full wellies full and still we had a day to go!!! We extracted the 67 Redshank and put them into holding cages until we were set and organised. We processed these birds (and checked each individual ring) and then it was down to decisions on the next steps... We later recieved a message from Steve saying Cannon netting tomorrow... Up early the next day and a trudge along a farm to a pool well within thigh wader safety zone... Well out of Welly zone and the intension was Redshank... Around 200 were on the pool and Twinkletoes Christopher Bridge and his radio set about "Twikling" in a field full of cowshite and freezing hands we sat, waiting for twinkle toes to twinkle the birds into the catching area... He did this successfully, NOT!!! All the birds flushed and with twinkle toes disheartened we softened the blow and told him that a Sparrowhawk had flushed the birds! We abandonned the catch and put the field back to its original self and then said out goodbyes... A great weekend spent and hopefully we can do it again soon??? If somebody will please pass Chris Bridge a Radio!!! We then found some Waxwing nr Bangor Harbour and Kelvin Jones supplied a net and entusiasm. One Waxwing was caught and processed and everyone was chuffed to see this lovely bird in the hand!!! Myself and Kane then left twinkle toes to consider zig zags and study the kitlist. Thanks for having us Birdman, as always it was a good crack!

Local Birding

Harsh weather and Gales has hit the fylde pretty hard recently and I was sure it'd have blown in some sea birds to the Mere. I checked the Mere time and time again and nothing was there... Then Last Friday, 12th November I found a Male Common Scoter on there giving cracking views. I've seen common scoter by the thousand on the Coast but to be the only person watching one right infront of me was a bit special... This a Patch tick for me, I was chuffed. I continued walking round and I saw 5 Tree sparrow, Water rail, Cetti's warbler and a Goldcrest. I saw other things as well but they were the highlights. I then stopped in my tracks as I saw thousands of starling diving into the reeds yards from me... I stood and watched these for a good 20 minuts as the flittered and swung through the reedbed. Next thing a Sparrowhawk whipped over my shoulder and landed in a tree less than 10 feet from me, it seemed oblivious and carried on prying into the reeds. It lept from its perch and plucked a starling from the reeds in front of my eyes, if that not good enough another 3 sparrowhawks did the same as did a Kestrel, a Peregrine and more suprisingly a Buzzard. It was growing dark now and I had to get back to my car before the path disappeared in the gloom, on my way round I watch a Sparrowhawk rip apart a Starling; Again less than 10- 15 feet away... Awesome.

Another trip out on the 17/11 produced a nice inland sea bird and another 2 nice sea ducks on the patch.Also saw a mammal patch tick. The nice sea bird was a Grey Phalarope that had been found 5 days ago or so but I had no intension of going on "Dickhead day" and so I didn't think of going at all... I decided I'd go and look where the whooper flock had moved to, to see if rings would be readable yet and in doing so I saw the Phal spinning by the side of the road. I stopped and watched it for a bit and recorded some stuff for bird atlas, then I went to the Patch, On arriving at the patch it was cold and not a person in sight I decided I'd sit in the hide and be lazy instead of drag my sorry sekf around and get piss wet through... So there I sat in Fylde bird club hide and counted and Listened for anything I could, I counted the Coot again and had 87 birds and little else to be honest. Then I picked up 2 Juvenile Scaup swimming together, a few yards behind the small group of tufted duck! These drifted in and out of view until something strange happened... I noticed all the ducks from the right took flight including birds that prefer to just swim off; Coot and Tufted duck. I figured that this is what the birds did last year before the Bittern was due to fly... However no Bittern... And the Starlings were still wooshing round so I thought that it couldn't be an aerial predator like a Peregrine... I had mink in my mind but i'd seen these before and the birds don't really flush from them... So staring at the waves I noticed a break in the water, a strange shape moving along the north reeds, then in a playful manner an OTTER jumped almost clean out of the water and continued to do this in order to dive, I watched it scout around in the "North reeds" for about 15 minutes before losing it to view near the container hide. However I did notice that the Otter was very playful when I first saw it, and the one lost to view looked very differnt. Diving cleanly, swimming straight on the surface and the Otter I had first seen was messing in the waves this could therefore have been a Mother and Cub. I did not see both at once and I couldn't be sure of size difference in the choppy conditions, but I am sure that I was damn chuffed to have seen this! Then I was watching the Starlings' and I saw 2 sparrowhawk whip amongst them and on bird pursue a single starling over the water before slamming it into the water and killing it. Such a quick event but very happy at seeing it in full view!