Wednesday 29 August 2012

Kvismare fågelstation, Sweden - Day 48

I have posted a picture of a 1cy and adult Spotted Flycatcher in the last week, so thought I'd post one of a 1cy undergoing moult of the median coverts. (Maybe, I'm just noticing moult in birds a little more, but this is again something I don't think I've seen before? Shows how much I pay attention!)

This morning I visited Öby Kulle with Hectar and Tage in the hope of catching Robins for the Spanish project.
Totals for the morning - (Recaps in brackets)
Robin - 4 (1)
Willow Warbler - 3
Spotted Flycatcher - 1
Chaffinch - 16 (1)
Tree Pipit - 5
Blue Tit - 5 (1)
Marsh Tit - (1)
Great Tit - (9)
Blackcap - 2
Garden Warbler - 1
Nuthatch -  (2)

Öby Kulle is also a fantastic spot for watching migration because it is a high up vantage point in which to scan the valley. It is almost surrounded by trees meaning there is a significant wind blog, so any birds flying over can be heard easily, and is very rarely windy, meaning there are lots of insects for migrants to be attracted to.
Observation of migration today came in the form of:
Tree Pipit - 150+ (first observed at 05:49)
Northern Bullfinch - 1+ heard 05:53
Taiga Bean Geese - 2 with 8 Greylag
Siskin - 10+ over
Tree Sparrow - 14 (12 juv) landed in Öby from high up
Mistle Thrush - 1 (new for Kvismaren for me)
Chaffinch - c200 in Öby itself with several moving overhead too
Jay - 5
Redpoll sp - 2 over >S

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