Article of July 30, 2012 : He's back...

It is with impatience that we waited for him, he was allowed wished from the beginning of the season, but we finally got… our first Sparrowhawk!

Like the 21 captures last year, we hope this is the first one of a long series!

Concerning the other captures, despite relatively calm mornings, some species stand out for the station : two sorts of " wetland warblers " (1 Sedge Warbler and 2 Marsh Warblers) were ringed.

Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus).

The first one!

Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus).

Marsh Warbler (Acrocephalus palustris).

Compared to the Reed Warbler,note the less warm color, almost "yellowish".

Article of July 25, 2012 : Finally the good weather! It only needs...

…birds!

Since this weekend we have a nice weather on the station. But, it is not enough to make birds come and ringing sessions are quiet.
Migration is far to be in full swing and many local birds still nest (brood patches and cloacal protuberance well marked). However we captured these last days some Icterine Warbler (4), one Reed Warbler, one Great Spotted Woodpecker (only one captured last year ...), and a trio of Crested Tits.

Great Spotted Woodpecker, juvenile (Dendrocopos major).

Hey yes, there is no red but it is good a Robin!

Robin, juvenile (Erithacus rubecula).

Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina).

Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus).

Nightingale, juvenile (Luscinia megarhynchos).

We also meet other occupants  in the dune!

Toad (Bufo calamita).

Windy beginning.

This first week of capture is marked by a catastrophic weather with relatively strong wind gusts.

Our ringing sessions are fast arrested and scores are low : about twenty catches per day, mainly in nets. However we have already made some atypical or less common species on our site with: one Green Woodpecker, one Black Redstart, one Cetti's Warbler, one Reed Warbler and two Bullfinches.

This morning, there is no wind anymore and that’s much better! We captured 55 birds including 11 in the trap and the great majority are Blackcaps (18) and Chiffchaffs (17).

Green Woodpecker, young male (note few red feathers of the "mustache"). (Picus viridis)

Willow Warbler. (Phylloscopus trochilus)

Black Redstart, juvenile. (Phoenicurus ochruros)

Long-tailed Tit. (Aegithalos caudatus)

Bullfinch, juvenile. (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)

Grasshopper Warbler. (Locustella naevia)

Enter it's open...!

Yesterday morning we attack our program “Halte migratoire” 2012 : it will be more than 4 months of ringing to cover the main part of post-nuptial migration.
Our first session was quickly cut short by the rain that doesn’t want to stop this year ... However we still had time to put some rings. Finally, our first one-small total is 22 captures in nets and one in the trap. Right now there are especially in the dune many young of chiffchaffs, tits, warblers (Blackcap, Garden, Common and Lesser Whitethroat).

As usual, below, some pictures:

Young of Great Tit (Parus major).

Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin).