Day 12 - A quiet morning and a quad bike.

This morning's conditions were not so good with fairly strong westerly winds and rain in the air. Despite this we started from around 04.00 in two shifts, according to sleep patterns rather than any other rationale and finished at around noon. We were joined by friend of the show Anders who appeared late last night after some survey work further north. 

Anders (right) with friend.

A quiet morning that, unsurprisingly , netted only 83 birds in total and included one Lapland Bunting, one Red Throated pippit, and one Pied Flycatcher. 

Both of these were ringed by Anders and were his first juvenile Red Throated and only second Lapland Bunting.

We also had a number of Redpoll come through as usual and spent a little time looking at those birds that have characteristics of Arctic Redpoll despite being Common Redpoll with Anders speculating that a hybrid is emerging.

Looking a little closer at some of the birds

With the conditions as they were there was also some net setting to be done in more sheltered areas including extending the long line of nets we have. Here we encountered two problems. The first being that a loop flipped over the top of a pole mid way along causing tension to be lost and never refound. This was easily (eventually) solved by splitting the line into 6 and four nets. 

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The second problem was caused by a local fisherman driving a two and a half foot wide quad bike along a three foot wide pathway containing the nets. Stuart waved cheerfully to the gentleman as he sped along the beach and up onto the pathway and through the meadow and disappeared down the warren containing the nets whilst Dan and Jane enjoyed making the universal symbol for Stop - You Are Going To Run Us Over as they met him at the first bend.

In all fairness he did a fine job at an impressive speed and aside from hitting the first pole (which would have deterred a lesser man) he navigated the run largely without incident. In fact, we may write to Apple Coporation to say that the 2nd generation iPod is able to withstand the weight of a determined quad bike.

Bluethroat

Last night saw a team head down to the ringing site at around 21.30 to sit in the meadow and listen to Jean C. Roche's excellent recording of a Hawk Owl - though the plan made in the dining room was to catch one. So this evening there may be two teams: one to try to find where the hawk owl (or other) might be; the second to try for a few waders as earlier in the day three Curlew Sandpipers had been spotted on the shore by the church.

On the birding front Shaun, Ferg, George, and John headed towards Vado for rough legged buzzard, merlin, sea eagles, and a possible (but not convincing) gyrfalcon and also encountered a herd of reindeer whilst a trip to the supermarket with Anders, Jane, Stuart, and Dan yielded long-tailed duck, velevet scoter, red- and black throated diver, and eider - as well as discovering possible free coffee at the supermarket/vets/police station/craft centre.

So today's totals so far:

	21-Aug
Greenfinch	5
Brambling	6
Common Redpoll	17
Arctic Redpoll	1
Lapland Bunting	1
Reed Bunting	1
Bluethroat	8
Meadow Pipit	1
Red-throated pipit	1
White Wagtail	1
Redstart	1
Willow Warbler	20
Pied Flycatcher	1
Great Tit	1
New Birds
Species Count	12
Total	65