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Gibraltar Ringer 2015 - 5
Redstart
After yesterday’s fall of nightjars we rather expected a repeat today. So much so that we managed to persuade Steve Copsey to get up early and accompany us out to the nets well before dawn. This reasoning was reinforced by the sound of Scops owl calling from the garden during the night and a brisk breeze blowing across the slopes. Despite Jews Gate catching a record 5 Scops in their nets, nothing for us and so it was with relief that the first net round of the day produced a good mix of birds including redstarts and our first Chiffchaff.
The redstart theme continued for most of the morning (total of 6 birds) but usually with juvenile birds and it was mid morning before we caught the first male in full striking adult plumage. Always good to catch several species at the same time as it is one of the few times that plumage can be compared. A total of 54 birds altogether including 9 robins and, oddly considering the habitat and altitude, our second Reed warbler. Probably the best sighting of the day for all of us was a juvenile Cirl bunting and only the second to be seen since 1991. Regrettably no photos!
Comparing juvenile Redstarts
On the admin side, no lasting effects from last night’s chilli, Steve reverts from under command exercise to under command his wife who flew in this morning and Robin has discovered Wavepad - an excellent sound system for tape lures.
CommentsSouth Africa
I have come to the end of my time in Kwa-Zulu Natal where there is no Zulu word for maintenance. I have been helped by bird clubs and my host whilst I have been visiting. I am in the humid town of Durban and finished birding In Pigeon Valley where I was early this morning. At long last I was able to sight the Purple Crested Turaco that I constantly heard on my travels. I spent all but the last day in Howick; the last person to sleep in my bed was a certain Capt Wales. I visited many sites nearby including some original Afro-Montain habitat and today Scarp Forest habitat. Yesterday I was counting Bearded and Cape Vultures at Giant’s Castle. Endemics seen over the last few days include Cape Batis, Bush Blackcap, Southern Boubou, Forest Canary, Cape Grassbird, Drakensberg Prinia, Gurney’s Sugarbird, Greater Double-collared Sunbird, Southern Double-collared Sunbird and Knysna Turaco. I have had good views of African Harrier-Hawk, Emerald Cuckoo, Long-crested Eagle, Orange Ground Thrush and Dark-backed Weaver; their Afrikaans name translates as forest musician. I have heard more birds but as not seen are nor recorded. An example is the Chorister Robin-Chat which was heard a lot at a farm which had an Open Garden week; the flowers were tremendous. Quite a few visits were to Game Reserves. As we were walking down a track my hostess reminded us about Puff Adders on the path and Leopard in the gorge; neither were met but we did walk past an old male Giraffe. I have managed to see all 3 crane species and have visited a sewage works where a Goliath Heron put on various fly-bys. I am now at 276 species for the trip as each day adds a few more.
CommentsGibraltar Ringer 2015 - 4
Slasher, Carl and Julia processing
At last some good news and it started as we drove from Bruce’s Farm up to the ringing site. A Red-necked nightjar sat on the road dazzled by the car headlights. An attempt was made to creep up on the bird but at 6 feet away the bird flew. This was followed by close sightings of two further birds and Carl Powell finding yet another sat on the net pole. Here the luck rather runs out as no birds flew into the nets but we now know that they’re back!
Plenty of Pied flycatchers today for which we have managed to sort out the sexing while ageing is not a problem. There are still juvenile birds that we are unable to sex as biometrics often show the characteristics of both sexes but we have grown more comfortable with this. A single Spotted flycatcher was a treat as was the Garden Warbler and sad to say, the Wren. Other than some interesting plumage variations, only a single Sardinian warbler reminded us that we were ringing abroad.
Garden Warbler
Our garden nets newly erected last night have yet to prove their full potential but Slasher is on the job. Starting the Scops owl tape at full volume under my window at 04:45 was less than guaranteed to get a good reception at breakfast but if it catches owls... So far only Blackbirds and Pied fly caught but we have faith.
Steve Copsey’s trip up the Rock confirmed that yesterday’s raptor numbers have dwindled to Kestrels and Sparrowhawks with no migrants but as nothing escapes him, we are pretty sure that the ringing team have missed nothing. Tonight the naval contingent are cooking and giving Ann and Julia the night off. Chilli con carne with a variety of sauces for extra heat. The Andrex is in the fridge!
CommentsGibraltar Ringer 2015 - 3
Carl checking the nets
Never a good thing to believe that conditions can’t get worse because they always do, and today is no exception. This works well for Mark Cutts who, as new ringer on the block, gets all the birds to ring while the A ringers look on. This morning was, less for the heat and the one in two incline, like ringing in a country garden, with blackbird, wren, blackcap and robin first out of the nets. The sardinian warbler rather breaks the illusion but a light shower of rain also helped. While the Springetts, Carl Powell and I all expect the contrariness of a day’s ringing in Gibraltar, Steve Copsey had every right to expect a decent autumn raptor migration. Booted eagles appeared briefly with honey buzzard, common kestrel, goshawk and sparrowhawk but no further signs of lesser kestrel, osprey and short-toed eagle.
An unoccupied Robin Springett is always dangerous and after I had moved the nets a foot to the right of their original position, the constant gardener was away with the loppers and secateurs like Titchmarsh on double Red Bulls. An early return to the accommodation at Bruce’s Farm has allowed us to put up some nets in the garden, principally for Scops Owl but also for any ‘olive tree passerines’ that we can catch during the evening. If Jew’s Gate, a mile away, can catch them, so should we.
The blackbirds continue to cause problems with ageing. So simple in the UK but in Gibraltar the adults are often light grey and with speckled juvenile throat feathers. Nicely square tailed adult tail feathers are complemented by first year contrasts in wing colour. And to top it all, sexing, which is merely deciding how black are the tail feathers, is making us all question our definition of ‘black’.
Steve is still on the hill and has reported back 13 black storks so things might be beginning to move. So yet more prayers tonight for a change in wind direction; contrary to all the forecasts!
Slasher on watch looking after the ringing site
Gibraltar Ringer 2015 - 2
Slasher and Steve have arrived bringing a new dimension to activities on the Rock as well as rain and over-healthy appetites. Beer supplies have been quadrupled. There are now seven of us here in Gib, unfortunately coinciding with a real doldrums in bird activity. The Blackcaps and Sardinian Warblers are still here but the continuing westerly winds have stopped all bird movement at the north side and on the southern site at Jews Gate. But all is not lost as another Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, and Willow Warbler hit the nets. It’s hard to believe that this was our best ringing day two years ago!
One of the benefits of our site on the side of the hill has been being able to watch migration progress below us. It’s the time for Lesser Kestrels and almost on cue, one appeared today as well as a Common Kestrel and Sparrowhawk. With Steve here we should be able to get better photos and at least zoom into the high fliers.
The Macaques have forced us to drop two nets and relocate them elsewhere. We are not here to provide an adventure playground for immature monkeys and that is how they are treating the nets put up for Blue Rock Thrush. Still, it may give us a better chance at Red-necked Nightjar on a different part of the slope.
Praying that the weather changes!
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