27th May 2015
Staff: DWE, JMY, MBR, TMJ, EKP, DHT, MTA
Weather: Sunny, a bit windy
Projects: Great reed warbler, Ortolan bunting, Starlings.
Ortolan bunting
As the weather was quite nice today, JMY and EKP started out towards Hägersta this morning to look for more Ortolan buntings. Hopes were high based on the sunny weather because during our last visit there the weather was everything but good. Ortolan buntings seem to be a little bit like us, preferably showing up on warm, sunny, windstill days – unfortunately we don't have many of these springdays. Even though we scanned through the vast area (endangering ourselves as there seemed to be a hunt going on in the nearby wood) we could neither hear nor see any sign of Ortolan buntings. Quite sad as there used to be a pair breeding in the last few years, but we still hope...
Great reed warbler
MTA went of to Aslasjön and succeeded in catching an already known female, which was very good because each attempt to ring this individual had failed up till then. DHT explored the reeds in Sörbysjön and found a new nest.
Starlings
Noon was dominated by the wellknown song “Please Mister Postman” (Is there a letter in your bag for me?) checking our letterbox each hour. We were expecting a letter with 500 new rings for ringing our huge amount of starling chicks. Finally Mister Postman arrived and DWE, MBR, JMY and EKP headed out immediately to ring the starlings in Fiskinge, Öbykulle and Soröslätten – all in all 124 angry birds. We managed to ring the last starling chick in the last beam of sunlight. But totally worth it, because now the ringing-starlings-binge is over and we could drive home relieved in a stunning sunset.
EKP