15th and 16th June 2015
Staff: JMY, MBR, EKP, APN, MMJ, MPN
Weather:Sunny but with a slight cold breeze
Projects: Great Reed Warbler, Skylarks, Ortolan Buntings, Net rides, River Warbler, Sand Martins.
Great reed warbler
The Great Reed Warbler team have caught 3 males (one in Rysjön and two in Sörbysjön) and fitted 2 of them with accelerometers and loggers, and 1 with just an accelerometer. They have discovered 2 new females in the area - one at Nyängen and another at Åslasjön.
Skylarks
On the 15th JMY and EKP went to Husön to put 3 more skylark plots. JMY dropped off Lilly at the train station as she was leaving us, and then went to resupply the Observatory’s food. On 16th JMY went to surveyed 2 Skylark plots previously put out until farmer began to spray the field.
Ortolans
JMY possibly found an Ortolan nest at Torsholmen on the evening of the 15th. JMY and MPN went on the morning of the 16th to check it and found the male feeding on seed put out there, but could not conclusively prove that a nest was around. Late in the afternoon JMY and MPN went to Sörösletten and Lindåsabacken attempting to find an Ortolan nest. They now know that one of the Ortolans ringed there was definitely female as have seen a second unringed male there.
Net rides
APN and MMJ continue to prepare the net rides before ringing begins at midsummer. All net poles are now fixed or replaced and have had nails added for easy net mounting. All that remains to be done is a couple of boardwalk repairs and some vegetation cutting.
River Warbler
Late on 15th APN, MMJ and JMY went to Sörön to catch a River Warbler singing there. They were successful and caught the bird around 11pm. Interestingly it was halfway through re-growing its tail so has perhaps had a close escape from a predator!
Sand Martins
APN visited the Sand Martin colony close to Norrbyås on the evening of 16th to try and catch some of the birds breeding there. He caught 15 new birds and recaptured 2 previously ringed - one from 2014 and another from 2012.
MMJ and APN