tchagra
Tuesday 23rd September 2003, 11:50
Hi All
Well,apart from a day on the rock ,had a really busy and interesting week on the Spanish Mainland.
Apart from the 15th,which you have already seen I managed 4 more days ,16th,18th,21st and 22nd.
Today I have given myself a day off,more normal day living,bank,post office etc etc plus sev hrs on computer for the site plus all records to input.
"Anyone know of a good secretary!!!!!!!!!"
Tonight I start again putting up nets overnight for the avocado orchard in the morning,Firday on Gib again and Sunday ringing up at the Casares site.Hope the latter is bettewr than this last weeks' session,very quiet at the moment.
So this report just relates to a site which I abandoned during high summer as it is by a river where all the loclas etc have there BBQS and camp out,so useless then,but to the rest of year it is MINE,so I dont really begrudge them it for a few weeks of the year.
The site is where 2 of the largest rivers meet inland,the Guadiaro and Genal and the local ringing group call it " Junto de los Rios"
I got there before first light and as you found it totally trashed,rubbish everywhere,but that is the norm round here so not much point in getting uptight about it,as things wont change!!
Also some of tamarisk are really grown up so luckily had my cutters with me and so went to work in the dark.
Only got 2 x 60 " nets up by first light but this was sufficient for the first autumn session as in between times was able to clear the other lanes ready for the next time,plus wind got up in the morning as per usual and had to close anyway.,after that was able to bird a bit also.
The totals for new birds were as follows
5 REED WARBLERS
3 LINNETS
1 GREEN FINCH
2 SARDINIAN WARBLERS
1 COMMON WHITETHROAT
1 BLACKBIRD
1 GOLDFINCH
1 COMMON REDSTART
1 BLACKCAP
2 COMMON CHIFFCHAFFS
1 SPOTTED FLYCATHCHERS
1 WILLOW WARBLER
1 HOUSE SPARROW
Retraps were as follows
3 REED WARBLERS
1 SARDINIAN WARBLER
1 BLACKBIRD
2 OLIVACEOUS WARBLERS
It was obvious from the outset that another 1 of the group had been ringing here recently as I had 4 retraps with rings that did not match my sequences.
Both Olivaceous warbelrs were as such an adult and a 1st winter birs and this at the moment is the only site that I catch them.
See attached pix of the adult and note the very flat forehead and grey appearance of this bird.
As on Gib finch numbers are very spartan and again they really build up in Oct and Nov.,with the passage of more northern birds .
In the spring there were so many wild flowers herbs etc that the site was buzzing with finches and I ringed more here than ever before.
On paper does not look an exciting morning but the first bird out of the net was a control,a reed Warbler which had been ringed by the French ringing scheme.
Details have been sent off so caanot wait to see where and when it was trapped!!!
YOUR SPANISH CORRESPONDENT
Well,apart from a day on the rock ,had a really busy and interesting week on the Spanish Mainland.
Apart from the 15th,which you have already seen I managed 4 more days ,16th,18th,21st and 22nd.
Today I have given myself a day off,more normal day living,bank,post office etc etc plus sev hrs on computer for the site plus all records to input.
"Anyone know of a good secretary!!!!!!!!!"
Tonight I start again putting up nets overnight for the avocado orchard in the morning,Firday on Gib again and Sunday ringing up at the Casares site.Hope the latter is bettewr than this last weeks' session,very quiet at the moment.
So this report just relates to a site which I abandoned during high summer as it is by a river where all the loclas etc have there BBQS and camp out,so useless then,but to the rest of year it is MINE,so I dont really begrudge them it for a few weeks of the year.
The site is where 2 of the largest rivers meet inland,the Guadiaro and Genal and the local ringing group call it " Junto de los Rios"
I got there before first light and as you found it totally trashed,rubbish everywhere,but that is the norm round here so not much point in getting uptight about it,as things wont change!!
Also some of tamarisk are really grown up so luckily had my cutters with me and so went to work in the dark.
Only got 2 x 60 " nets up by first light but this was sufficient for the first autumn session as in between times was able to clear the other lanes ready for the next time,plus wind got up in the morning as per usual and had to close anyway.,after that was able to bird a bit also.
The totals for new birds were as follows
5 REED WARBLERS
3 LINNETS
1 GREEN FINCH
2 SARDINIAN WARBLERS
1 COMMON WHITETHROAT
1 BLACKBIRD
1 GOLDFINCH
1 COMMON REDSTART
1 BLACKCAP
2 COMMON CHIFFCHAFFS
1 SPOTTED FLYCATHCHERS
1 WILLOW WARBLER
1 HOUSE SPARROW
Retraps were as follows
3 REED WARBLERS
1 SARDINIAN WARBLER
1 BLACKBIRD
2 OLIVACEOUS WARBLERS
It was obvious from the outset that another 1 of the group had been ringing here recently as I had 4 retraps with rings that did not match my sequences.
Both Olivaceous warbelrs were as such an adult and a 1st winter birs and this at the moment is the only site that I catch them.
See attached pix of the adult and note the very flat forehead and grey appearance of this bird.
As on Gib finch numbers are very spartan and again they really build up in Oct and Nov.,with the passage of more northern birds .
In the spring there were so many wild flowers herbs etc that the site was buzzing with finches and I ringed more here than ever before.
On paper does not look an exciting morning but the first bird out of the net was a control,a reed Warbler which had been ringed by the French ringing scheme.
Details have been sent off so caanot wait to see where and when it was trapped!!!
YOUR SPANISH CORRESPONDENT