SWEDEN - 21st September

 Breezy and overcast at Rysjön in the morning with a slow ringing session just saved by a few more Siskins (easily the highest ringing total for this species in over 40 years) and most interestingly, a re-trap adult female Savi’s Warbler – originally ringed on 25th August accompanying that very late, young fledgling and coming to the end of a very mixed, interesting summer-partial moult.   

A good array of other bits were seen through the morning including 2 Pink-footed Geese which came onto the lake with some Taiga Beans (a Swedish tick!), a big female Goshawk over the other side playing with a range of other raptors and Ravens such as the 6 Marsh Harriers and a Rough-legged Buzzard, 3 Goosanders, a Little Grebe, 3 White-tailed Eagles sat together at first light and a lingering Tree Pipit.   

Savi’s Warbler – this bird was originally ringed on 25th August as a breeding female and was accompanying an extremely young fledgling which had almost certainly left the nest that morning from close by to give a fairly accurate timeline for it moult (not that I know how soon after their chicks fledging that they begin their post-breeding moult).   

The moult is very interesting and as far as I know typical for Savi’s Warbler although most probably leave and start on migration before starting primary moult – perhaps the lateness of this birds breeding exacerbated the need for it to moult before migrating; primary moult started at P7 and worked outwards leaving three old inner primaries with the secondary moult following a similar pattern, starting at S3 and working outwards.   There was one retained, old primary covert corresponding to the new moulted primary and the tail looked like it was replaced. 

Adult female Yellowhammer

SWEDEN - 3rd September

 A very different day with early morning light rain delaying the start of ringing at Fågelsjön for a couple of hours but when we did get started it was a decent session with the big flock of Siskins feeding on the thistle heads along the path producing most of the birds but the total also included 2 Bluethroats (both young females, with two other seen along the path), a Savi’s Warbler and a smart juvenile Whinchat.   

There wasn’t too much else flying around in the heavily overcast conditions with 2 Golden Plover with the Lapwings the first for a while, 2 Spotted Redshanks flying about and single Tree Pipit and Wheatear along the path.   

A walk in the afternoon to Rysjön and back in the still overcast weather (becoming drizzly by mid-afternoon) was also fairly quiet with an increased 68 Barnacle Geese and 9 Taiga Bean Geese on Rysjön along with a Little Grebe, a tatty adult Red Kite which flew east and probably 3 Hobbies hawking over the reedbeds.   

Bluethroat and Savi’s Warbler

Whinchat

Red Kite

SWEDEN - 28th August

 A quiet morning in the nets at Rysjön was highlighted by the first round which included 2 Bluethroats (a 1cy male and an adult female) and a new 1cy Savi’s Warbler, apart from that it was slow with just the usual warblers.   

Other birds of note comprised 2 Little Grebes and the Smew on the lake, 9 Ruff, 7 Dunlin and a Spotted Redshank flying around, 2 Black Woodpeckers, 4 Tree Pipits and a very impressive 4,000+ Swallows leaving their roost from somewhere in front of the tower from where they slowly spiralled up all calling together.   

Walked round Oset in the warm afternoon which was pretty productive with a nice spread of migrants concentrated along the middle path as totals included an excellent 23+ Whinchats (all in a loose flock), a Redstart (only the second I’ve seen in Sweden), 5 Yellow Wagtails, 35+ White Wagtails and a Tree Pipit.   

Other birds comprised a good selection of waders with a smart juvenile Little Stint with 13 Dunlin, 4 Ringed Plover, 17 Ruff, 5 Spotted Redshank, 6 Greenshank and 6 Wood Sandpipers, a Hobby and a White-tailed Eagle being relentlessly mobbed by an Osprey out over the lake.   

Savi’s Warbler – quite a well-marked individual

Bluethroat

White-tailed Eagle vs Osprey

SWEDEN - 25th August

 Clear skies and the advancing season led to the first properly cold, autumnal feeling morning of the year so the nets at Rysjön were slow and steady but there was a really nice mix of species caught which included 2 Marsh Tits, 2 Savi’s Warblers (an adult female and a super young, super late, still downy fledgling), a monster big young female Sparrowhawk (with a wing of 242), 3 Nuthatches, a good 11 Robins (mostly fully moulted juveniles – migrants?) and a new Thrush Nightingale (the first new one for ten days).   

Overhead, birds included 10+ Tree Pipits and a Redpoll, a Spotted Flycatcher was in the trees and on the lake, there was a Little Grebe and the Smew which reappeared again.   

Fledgling Savi’s Warbler

Sparrowhawk

SWEDEN - 10th August

 Overcast and calm first thing so we were expecting a good ringing session at Rysjön but a breeze picked up with a few spots of rain limited the catch to 65 new birds but these did include 2 Savi’s Warblers (two 1cy birds next to each other in the net), another 3 Red-backed Shrikes, 2 Marsh Warblers and another 18 Siskins.   

Other birds seen included a flyover Common Redpoll, a single Hawfinch, 2 Tree Pipits, 2 Hobbies, the Smew and now 4 Slavonian Grebes on the lake and a group of 5 Great White Egrets in a tree (my peak count so far).   

The clouds parted in the afternoon to become hot again but the main feature of a long walk round the reserve was a big influx of 750+ Cranes with 550+ in fields south of Hammarmaden and numerous small flocks extremely high up, vaguely drifting south although many came down nearby – as this is a well-known staging area.   

Other bits included 4 Ringed Plover, 14 Ruff, 2 Spotted Redshank, 37 Golden Plover (including 31 over Löten), 2 Common Sandpipers and 32 Wood Sandpipers.   

Savi’s Warbler

Thrush Nightingale

SWEDEN - 25th July

A busy ringing session at Rysjön in the morning produced the highlights of 2 Savi’s Warblers (both fresh juveniles), the first juvenile Icterine Warbler of the year and good numbers of Sedge Warblers, Blackcaps, Garden Warblers and Willow Warblers.   

Other birds seen included a surprise juvenile Smew on the lake with a bit of an influx of 41+ Goldeneye (must be unusual at this time of year, this far south) while a smart, pale adult Honey Buzzard was around the house when we got back.   

A walk round in the afternoon didn’t produce much new but plenty of birds including single Bar-tailed Godwit and Ringed Plover on Löten along with 40+ Wood Sandpipers, 2 Spotted Redshank and 17+ Snipe, 3 Great White Egrets, a Hobby, an adult White-tailed Eagle and a good count of 129 Cranes.

White-tailed Eagle

Buzzard

Savi's Warbler

Thrush Nightingale

SWEDEN - 10th July

A good and varied ringing session at Fågelsjön in the morning produced some new species including a juvenile Savi’s Warbler, a tricky Marsh Tit (an adult in full moult so even separating it from Willow Tit was a mission!), lots of Bearded Tits, 3 Thrush Nightingales including a couple of juveniles and 2 Great Reed Warblers including an un-ringed juvenile – our busiest session yet with 79 new birds.   

There were a few waders flying around including the first returning Golden Plover in the now cut fields along with a Hobby and 4 Cuckoos.   

Another evening trip to Oset in the rain then produced 5 Dunlin, 3 Spotted Redshank, 3 Ruff, 20+ Wood Sandpipers, a distant White-tailed Eagle, a Hobby and lots of Sand Martins and Swifts low over the reserve.

Savi's Warbler

Male Blue-headed Wagtail

Yellow-winged Darter at Oset

Pied Flycatcher fledglings at Oset

NORTH RONALDSAY - DNA results from 2019 (Part One)

In recent years the face of bird identification for many species / races has been helped and accentuated by mtDNA analysis of feathers / faecal samples obtained through various methods; this year on North Ronaldsay produced a whole cast of birds caught and ringed where feathers were sent off for kind analysis by Martin Collinson and Thom Shannon at the University of Aberdeen.   The majority of results are now in and although most of them confirmed what we thought in the field / hand at the time it was great to get confirmation with a couple of slightly unexpected results at the end.

SAVI'S WARBLER - 11th May 2019

This surprise, cracking first for Orkney was confirmed as Savi's (even though there wasn't really any need to!)

COLLARED FLYCATCHER - 12th May 2019

This female was confirmed as a Collared Flycatcher

EASTERN SUBALPINE WARBLER - 17th May 2019

This cracking male Eastern Subalpine Warbler was confirmed as Eastern after being caught in the bar having flown in through an open door!

WESTERN SUBALPINE WARBLER - 24th August 2019

This one we needed help with!   It was caught at Upper Linney in heavy wing and tail moult (presumably not freshly arrived) so the in hand / field ID features were not clear at all, although Western was our best guess!