Army Ornithological SocietyArmy Ornithological Society Blog
Gibraltar Ringer 10
Yet another day when you just don't know what's around the corner, prospects not being hopeful for a large catch with dawn breaking with clear skies, and Mark and Robin due to catch the plane home mid morning. A quick credit to Mark Cutts whose company, advice, ID skills, and IT know-how, and his matelot sense of humour, will be very much missed by us all. Greatest accolade we can pay must be his grinning mug as lead picture on an AOS blog!
In semi darkness and with the nets opened, we watched a couple of fly pasts by a Red-necked Nightjar and thought little further about it. A later net round and there was a nightjar in the tape lure net - but surprisingly, a European Nightjar. Clearing the last net of the round and a long way from the tape lure was our fly-past bird, the Red-necked. Big grins all round from the guys who ringed them and Mark forgot for once to mention 'bloody A ringers'. Great chance to compare the two young birds and their respective sizes and plumage, though both hissed and gape-threatened throughout.
John Hughes arrived to help with the recording leaving only myself and Carl Powell to ring while the others visited the airport. Probably just as well as catches were poor but still including Redstarts, Nightingales, Garden Warblers and Iberian Chiffchaffs. The Whitethroats are still causing us to double check for Subalpine but no reshows as yet. Tomorrow the long promised levante returns with a complete shift in the wind from west to east and hopefully an increase in numbers...maybe... Oh, the AOS has just opened a Twitter account - I must be getting too much sun.
Gibraltar Ringer 9
A really bad day if you are a black cat caught eating birds in the nets yesterday, but a good day for the rest of us - 'nuff said. Also, call off the search for John Hughes. He appeared like an 18th century explorer out of the blue having walked in from Spain, climbed to the top of the Rock, visited the (wrong) Bruce's Farm - the one that rehabilitates drug addicts, and found us up on the ringing site. Missing the pith helmet but really great to see him.
Not quite the same numbers as yesterday but still 44 birds ringed. The best was undoubtedly Orphean Warbler (pictured) which everyone seemed to have ringed except me. Another ringing tick then. Thankfully, a yellow eye and no barring allowed ID and ageing and the lighter head colour suggested a female. Once again a Whitethroat remained a Whitethroat despite an attempt to 'sex it up'. Lots of Garden Warblers coming in now and the Pied Flies have mostly moved on. Always nice to see old favourites and Robins and Blue Tits are building up numbers.
Leaving Robin and Julia to download results, Mark Cutts insisted on a nostalgic tour of downtown Gibraltar before he leaves tomorrow. Bad idea. We apparently visited (in Matelot terms) the Donkey's Flip-flop and the Mad Monk. Unable to walk much further but with Services ingenuity and following a short visit to the Botanical Gardens, we caught a passing cable car to the Peak (photo) and let gravity help us find Bruce's Farm on the way down. Will sleep well!
Gibraltar Ringer 8
A totally mixed day today with some great catches and a disaster. As seen by the opening photo, we managed to net an Ortolan Bunting. These are hardly ever seen on Gibraltar and if they turn up any year, it is only in ones or twos. A great bird but I spent ages ensuring that, as a first year bird, I hadn't confused it with Cretzschmar's or Little or a host of others. Satisfied, it was ringed, biometrics taken and quickly photographed. According to Mark, it was a 'Twitter bird'. This apparently means that I have to be indoctrinated into 'social media' before he leaves on Saturday. I can't wait.
The Ortolan unfortunately knocked a very nice Whitethroat into second place. As the first of the trip, it again had to be looked at carefully but was a welcome addition to our list. A total of 63 birds ringed today and would have been more if a feral cat had not got into the nets. Shades of early Ascension days and just as distressing to see the damage that they can do. Suffice to say that a trap is out and the wardens warned.
Last point - has anyone seen John Hughes? Meant to be visiting us but we have no contact information.
Gibraltar Ringer 7
A pause to give Mark's Cyprus blog some space and to recognise what a real blog should look like. So much information and consistently great photos.
Here we are on day 10 and two more housemates join us in Bruce's Farm - Carl and Ann Powell. Their arrival coincided with Mark's work experience day when he inspected something in the Dockyard. Never to miss an opportunity he joined us on the hill in uniform but surprisingly didn't try ringing Blackcaps for obvious reasons. His two mornings away coincided with the largest number of birds netted in one round. At this rate we are having to download data to IPMR daily at Jew's Gate and gives us a chance to compare numbers and species caught. This is getting a little embarrassing as the winds seem to favour us and they have had a week of poor results.
Today of course, Carl ringed all we could throw at him and he has caught up with most of the good birds such as Redstart but we could only get him one retrapped Iberian Chiffchaff. Yesterday's Willow Warblers failed to put in a repeat performance and must have moved on. Mark's face on one net round gave away that he was holding something special and I was therefore surprised that he offered it up after the promise of a beer. Not exactly a rare bird in Britain but I have never ringed Grasshopper Warbler until this one and spend some time looking at the differences with Lanceolated Warbler. It's all in the under tail coverts and tertials and did not take long to work out. A lovely bird and photogenic as the attached shows. A beer worth spent.
We now have two chefs - bad for all our waist lines and I have already failed on the no beer on weekdays rule, foolishly mentioned on Ascension and already picked up by our one avid reader!
Cyprus Weekly
Birding Highlights for the Week Ending 29 Sep
Osprey at Akhna Dam on 29 Sep
* indicates that a photo of the species is included please visit Flickr site to view or click on the link
Monday already and after a long day at work I managed to get to Akhna Dam for a couple of hours. The evenings are drawing in and it’s now dusk at about 1850 so I need to make the most of the time before the clocks go back. The dam was productive although nothing exceptional was seen. Waders numbers were fairly consistent with the last couple of weeks with Ruffs and Little Stints being in the majority. A couple of Whiskered Terns were present, one being a moulting adult and Red-backed and Masked Shrikes continue to pass through in reduced numbers. A Little Owl was in the usual place, Snipe numbers had increased to 4 and a Sedge Warbler was seen. As I returned home through the village c20 European Beeaters fed from the telegraph wires.
With the car back up and running with Turkish insurance, we headed over to the North via the dreaded “Poundland”. We arrived at Fresh Water Lake South and I immediately sighted a Whiskered Tern. Several waders were present including a Spotted Redshank, Ruffs, Ringed Plovers, Wood & Green Sandpipers and 3 Black-winged Stilts. A couple of Kingfishers chased each other around the tamarisks. A whos who of herons were present with c30 Grey Herons, 2 Purple Herons, 2 Night, 5 Squacco and 18 Little Egrets accompanied by 6 Glossy Ibises. Clapsides beach held 4 Ruff and an early Golden Plover but disappointingly there were no post breeding Audouin’s Gulls present.
Mid week already and with a BBQ looming I only managed to grab a couple of hours at Akhna Dam where there were a few notable highlights. A Jack Snipe fed actively under a tamarisk with 4 Common Snipes in close proximately. A couple of Shrikes continue their passage and Ruff numbers had increased to c30. A Temmick’s Stint and 9 Lapwings* flushed amongst the more common Spur-winged Plovers* and a lone White Wagtail continued its stay. A Honey Buzzard* drifted overhead and a few Willow Warblers and a Reed Warbler moved actively in the reeds. As I was leaving the site on the main road to Ay Nik a latish Lesser Grey Shrike sat on a sprinkler head and overhead a fantastic view as 33 White Pelicans* flew south west in formation.
On Thursday, I was late home and had to drop Deb to the theatre club in Dhekelia where a Red-backed Shrike sat on a fence. On the way home, I stopped at Dhekelia Fire Station and the Stone Curlew roost had risen to 23 vice 18. Briefly, with the light fading at Akhna Dam, I encountered a Greenshank, 2 Snipe, a couple of Little Stints and Ruffs with an immature Masked Shrike catching flies in the twilight. A couple of Garganeys rose from the water and a Northern Wheatear was sat on a ploughed field. I also noticed a Whiskered Tern hawking the water.
On Friday morning as I departed for work 18 European Beeaters passed over the house heading south east. Attending a dinner in Troodos, we travelled up in the afternoon seeing a Great Grey Shrike in Ay Nik and 2 Ospreys over Polemedia Dam as we started the ascent. On Saturday on the way down we stopped at Oroklini Hills and saw a Masked Shrike, Northern Wheatear, 3 Chukars and c20 European Beeaters. With the station fete on Saturday, I had little time to go birding so had to wait until Sunday afternoon when I visited Akhna Dam.
At Akhna Dam I immediately noticed an Osprey* sat in the water with a Little Egret nearby and c30 European Beeaters overhead. A solitary White Wagtail continued in situ and a Spotted Flycatcher called as I passed. A couple of Shrikes; Red-backed and Masked continue to perform as they hunt actively prior to departure and at least 5 Kingfishers were seen. A female Marsh Harrier spooked the various waders with 4 Snipes and at least 25 Ruffs being seen along with smaller numbers of Little Stint, Little Ringed Plovers and a single Curlew Sandpiper.
Highlight of the Week: A Jack Snipe is always a good bird on passage and the 33 White Pelicans was a good count but good to get another opportunity to photograph an Osprey..
Look Forward: A couple of days off in the week should see me at Akrotiri attempting to catch up with a Lesser Spotted Eagle..
If you are planning a visit or require more info please feel free to contact me at: birder639@yahoo.com
Mark Easterbrook
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