Another calm session, but with new species

Post date: Jun 5, 2014 12:22:15 PM

I just carried out the fourth session of the CES, in which rather few birds were caught, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. Two new species were caught: a very large male Thrush Nightingale (Luscinia luscinia), with a wing length of 96 mm!, and a Dunnock (Prunella modularis) that had been ringed this year in one of the sessions I undertook for the students of the Ornithology course.

I was surprised by the capture of two quite large Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) with wing lengths of 71 mm that had quite a lot of fat (scores 4 and 5). They seemed typical Reed Warblers judging by their plumage, tarsus and claw colours, as well as notch length, so I could exclude them being Marsh Warblers (Acrocephalus palustris), and strongly suspect that they were birds still migrating north, rather than local breeders. A colleague also told me that he found a Reed Warbler this week in a very atypical habitat, which often occurs during migration.

Hippolais icterina

I take the opportunity to let you know that at the end of last week, when ringing at another site in Krankesjön for a project about bird malaria, I caught some nice birds, including a Jay (Garrulus glandarius), a pair of Thrush Nightingales and controlled an adult male Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus major), but have not yet found out where and when it was originally ringed. Results from this other sessions are added to the total number of birds ringed in the Results sub-webpage.

Now it's time to rest and then enjoy the Swedish National Day!

Júlio M. Neto