It is now...!

Our final day of ringing was a slight improvement on yesterday, but only just.  In all 114 new birds were ringed, with the 'bird of the day' award being taken early on by a stunning juvenile merlin, our second of the trip!

The day was also great for sightings starting with 2 capercaillie and a pair of common crane on the way to the ringing site.  During our ringing session a hawk owl perched on the police house giving brilliant views, before plunging towards one of our nets but narrowly avoiding being caught.  During the excitement a gyr falcon also flew over the compound giving brief views to those who could tear themselves away from the posing owl.  Added to this were several very vocal flypasts by black-throated divers and a pair of osprey fishing along the river.  Just as we were about to leave, a peregrine flew up the river before thermalling to a great height and rocketing away.  On our drive back to the campsite we found 6 black grouse having a dust-bath along the roadside and a great grey shrike perched on the telegraph wires.

27th August (114 new birds)
Merlin 1
Meadow pipit 44
White wagtail 1
Bluethroat 4
Redstart 2
Sedge warbler 1
Willow warbler 40
Reed bunting 21

Is it all over?

Another even slower day today has left us wondering whether migration is over already, or whether the birds we've been encountering are the local breeders and the true migrants are following the coastline to the north, which would also explain why last year at Nesseby we were still catching reasonable numbers of birds in to September.  Only time will tell, and be helped by our ringing.

The main highlight today was a new little bunting caught before one of the local school groups had departed, and allowed a good comparison with a reed bunting we had just caught.  With such a slow day we began packing up to lessen the work load on our final day of ringing tomorrow.  Back at the camp site we stuck up a couple of nets around a feeder and added a few tits to today's totals.

26th August (90 new birds)
Dunnock 1
Meadow pipit 26
Tree pipit 1
White wagtail 2
Bluethroat 2
Willow warbler 31
Great tit 13
Willow tit 1
Common redpoll 1
Brambling 1
Reed bunting 10
Little bunting 1

It's slowing down

Since peaking at nearly 400 birds a day, our totals have gradually declined, along with the temperature.  Things are definitely becoming more autumnal and as every day passes, more and more of the leaves are turning yellow, gold and brown.

The main highlights today included the first fieldfare of the trip, another two tree pipits and our 4th sedge warbler.  Back in the UK sedge warblers are a reasonably common and widespread breeding species in suitable habitat, but this far north local specialties like little bunting far out number them!

25th August (191 new birds)
Meadow pipit 73
Tree pipit 2
White wagtail 5
Bluethroat 7
Redstart 2
Fieldfare 1
Redwing 2
Sedge warbler 1
Willow warbler 59
Great tit 1
Willow tit 1
Common redpoll 1
Brambling 1
Reed bunting 35

Back to school

Today the ringing site was visited by two local school groups as part of the wider community and education element of the project.  Around 50 pupils got the chance to see several species up close and find out more about them, how and why we ring birds, and even have a go at releasing birds once our ringing team had processed them.  We were also treated to the sight of four moose crossing the river to Russia.  Below is a photo taken earlier in the week by Paul of a mother and calf crossing closer to our ringing base.

Otherwise today was similar to yesterday, with the exception of a short burst of sharp showers which reduced our catch whilst we suspended operations by closing down the nets.  Still, the team managed to catch 279 new birds, our lowest total for several days, partly due to a drop in the number of willow warblers caught.

To date, thanks to the work of both teams, the project has now caught and ringed over 3500 birds of 35 species.  With a few more days to go, we should pass 4000 birds before we return to the UK.

24th August (279 new birds)
Meadow pipit 136
Willow warbler 87
Bluethroat 13
Reed bunting 32
White wagtail 7
Redwing 2
Redstart 1
Great tit 1

A wader! We've caught a wader!

OK, so everyone knows that waders are great birds.  Our ringing site in previous years at Nesseby, on the north coast, has allowed us to catch many species of wader including little stint, dunlin and curlew sandpiper.  In 2015, the chance of catching waders is limited, so any species was at the very bottom of our 'likely species' list.

Whilst there is suitable breeding habitat along the valley, most waders have now departed for their wintering grounds.  That said, over the last few days we have noticed a couple of snipe being flushed from the marshy ground along the edge of the river, so with a little change of tactics we managed to catch a single bird.

Other than the addition of the snipe, activity seemed quite and only 286 new birds were ringed, mainly of our most frequently encountered species although a new siskin and 8 brambling were welcome additions.  A single chiffchaff was also caught, justifying the need to check every willow warbler, just in case as many of the adults birds we are encountering have not almost completely moulted and are much paler, whilst individuals of the subspecies acredula look very different again.

23rd August (286 new birds)
Chiffchaff 1
Great tit 4
Tree pipit 2
Willow tit 4
Siskin 1
Common redpoll 5
Redwing 3
Snipe 1
Brambling 8
Reed bunting 22
Redstart 2
Bluethroat 13
Meadow pipit 92
Willow warbler 128

The bunting shrikes back

Today saw 335 new birds caught and ringed at our site along the Pasvik Valley, with the first contender for 'bird of the day' arriving in the form of our third great grey shrike.  This third juvenile had been caught along the river nets as it was hunting the numerous willow warblers and other passerines migrating down the valley.

Then, with the title in its grasp, it was stolen by a stunning addition of a new species to the trip list, a lapland bunting!  The stonking juvenile had great fresh plumage and made a great birthday present for Paul on his first trip to Norway.  Some other great species included 4 little bunting

22nd August (335 new birds)
Siberian tit 2
Spotted flycatcher 1
White wagtail 2
Little bunting 4
Lapland bunting 1
Tree pipit 3
Willow tit 2
Great tit 3
Common redpoll 6
Brambling 3
Great grey shrike 1
Redstart 4
Song thrush 2
Willow warbler 177
Reed bunting 33
Meadow pipit 70

Added extras

The first birds of the day arrived early with at least 6 siberian tits feeding in the woodland edge around our accommodation at around 5am before we'd even left for the day's ringing.  A few nets may pop up around the camp this evening to target them and the many jays and owls that have been seen!

Once we'd set off, the morning was chilly with a patches of dense mist clouding the road as we drove to the ringing site at Nyrud Police Station from our weekend accommodation.  A male capercaillie was seen on the roadside and then, around the next bend in the road, three shapes loomed out of the mist.  MOOSE!  Three individuals of what looked like two adults and a well grown calf stopped in their tracks, looked briefly at the car and then made their way back in to the woodland, instantly melting away.

At the ringing site the morning started with a few busy rounds with numbers breaking the 200 mark within a few hours.  No surprises or new species today, but a new siberian tit was a nice addition, along with another 16 bluethroat and a tree pipit.  By lunchtime, rounds had reduced to just a handful of birds so we've made an early finish for an afternoon of well-earned R+R.  The return journey to our accommodation produced a willow grouse on the roadside, whilst the river valley was a bit busier today during our ringing session with an osprey, hen harrier, two whooper swans, a muskrat and several black-throated divers seen.  Some of the group also had another brilliant view of moose when a mother and calf crossed the river just a few hundred yards from the ringing station.  We'll upload the photo soon!

After our break this afternoon we'll back at it first thing tomorrow, hopefully for another big catch and preparing for a public open day on Sunday, and several visiting school groups on Monday and Tuesday.  Its going to be a busy week!

21st August (281 new birds)
Redwing 1
Siberian tit 1
Great tit 1
Common redpoll 2
Redstart 3
Willow tit 1
Tree pipit 1
Bluethroat 16
Reed bunting 25
Meadow pipit 38
Willow warbler 192