Ringers Report - August 2015

A monthly roundup of ringing highlights from young birders, whether it be birds ringed, rings read or controlled in the field or ringing recoveries reported from elsewhere. Bird movements are amazing!

Josie Hewitt, 17 - Hampshire

My August ringing highlight was my first ever ringing session on my patch in north east Hampshire where I caught a surprising total of 59 birds of 13 species in just two nets. This included a lovely juvenile Pied Flycatcher which was most unexpected and a Lesser Whitethroat, also a fairly unusual visitor! I also visited 3 bird observatories - Skokholm, Portland and Bardsey where I had a lovely time and saw some cracking species in the hand including Storm Petrel, Manx Shearwater, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Dunlin. 

                                               

Jonnie Fisk, 19 - Pasvik Valley, Finnmark, Arctic Norway 
The Pasvik ringing project is a joint venture between Biotope, ringing groups in Staffordshire and Worcestershire and Stavanger Museum.
A ringing scheme has been in place in Varanger for the last few years. Previously, all ringing was done at the coastal site of Nesseby, this year it was moved to the Pasik taiga forest, on the border river with Russia, a minor flyway for migrants. We caught a nice range of migrant species, Willow Warblers making up the bulk - there was massive variation between these acredula types. The project also caught several taiga forest specialities including loenbergi Williw Tits, Siberian Tits, Siberian Jay, Little Bunting and one livid Hawk Owl. Padding the nets out were some good Scandi stuff: Brambling, Arctic and Mealy 'polls, thunbergi Yellow Wagtails, Bluethroat and Redwing. 
Waiting between net rounds on the river was a opportunity to view Arctic migration, with Crane every day, whinneying Whimbrel flocks, fishing Osprey, Rough-legged Buzzards, White-tailed Eagles and moose commuting to and from Russia. Over the two weeks upwards of a hundred birds we ringed per day and hopefully they'll give some interesting recoveries, painting a better picture of the routes these Arctic breeders take.

acredula "Northern" Willow Warbler on the right

Sophie Barrel - Skokholm Bird Observatory, Wales

The NGB team at Skokholm island were lucky enough to be involved in some ringing with the Teifi Ringing Group and the wardens. Although the week wasn’t great for bird numbers, we still got a mix of Meadow Pipits, Rock Pipits, Reed Warblers, Whitethroats, Reed Buntings, Robins, Swallows and Goldcrests. In addition, one morning we got a bang on the door early morning where we were shown a Lesser Whitethroat that had been caught, which was particularly rare to get on the island.

Of course, the main personal reason for the visit was to get close and personal to seabirds that cover the island. Manx Shearwaters were a ringing lifer for myself and other ringers on the trip. Storm Petrels were also a treat to ring, although only 6 were caught on the last night. Overall it was a great trip and I hope to get involved in more ringing with bird observatories in the future. 

Dan Rouse, 18 - Bardsey Bird Observatory, Wales

Whilst the six other NGB members were on Skokholm, 8 of us were on Bardsey Isalnd. There was four of us who were ringers (plus Bardsey Ben) and we had the pleasure of ringing in a variety of ways including mist netting, Heligoland traps and ringing pulli. Highlights of the trip was my first Spotted Flycatcher and ringing on the beach with Ben resulting in a Dunlin for Josie, Redshank for myself and plenty of Rock Pipits which we got to colour ring. Other highlights included Storm Petrels, which smell amazing! The countless Manx Shearwater pulli took some work to get them out of the burrows in order to ring.

Ringers Report June 2015

Ringers Report, June 2015

Dan Rouse - A Rocha Bird Observatory, Portugal

Been a great week out in Portugal at the observatory, despite having gone to Portugal a number of times it was only this time did I actually do some ringing. The heat was the biggest issue of the day, the first bird pulled out the bag was a Juv House Sparrow and the birds continued to be less interested until there was one bag left, one of my favourite birds of Portugal: Azure Winged Magpie! As much as I love them, they don't half hurt when they get you good. More common birds continued to fill the nets until a Sardinian Warbler flew into the net in front of me and then a Short-Toed Treecreeper were both major highlights for me!

Zac Hinchcliffe & Jonnie Fisk - Spurn Bird Observatory 

Jonnie Fisk had the pleasure of ringing a Marsh Warbler at Spurn. Zac, having managed to avoid them so far controlled a Sparrow Hawk which was first ringed at MigFest at Spurn the year before.

Josie Hewitt - Hampshire

In my garden, June saw the arrival of lots of fledged Starlings. I hadn't really done many Starlings before now so my aim was to catch and ring as many as I could. Using one potter trap over 3 weeks in June I managed to trap 26 Starlings, both adults and juveniles. I think their eyes are fascinating and there is so much variation with them that I decided to take some photos so that if I re-trap any of them as adults then I can see if the iris colour is any indication of sex. I decided to do this because I have been told conflicting things by different people as to whether you can or cannot sex juvenile Starlings based on iris colour. Hopefully I'll re-trap some of the birds once they've done their post juvenile moult and so I can use other criteria to try and sex them.

Urban birding - Reykjavik in January

When I made the decision to visit Iceland in the depths of winter many people kindly informed me how stupid I was being. Snow drifts, minus temperatures and icy, closed roads. Not exactly ideal conditions for a birding trip. Indeed, during our eight day stay we confined almost entirely to Reykjavik, excluding our two visits to Keflavik airport upon arrival and departure. This being the case, surely I should have left Iceland feeling somewhat low and unfulfilled? This was however very far from the case.

Birding in Reykjavik provided an entirely new experience for me, drastically different from anything I am used to in the UK. Despite looking superficially similar to the Britain, the avian makeup of Reykjavik proved wholly different to what I am used to. Indeed, here you could walk along 100m of street and see nothing. Not one bird; quite the opposite of England where Jackdaws and Collared Doves adorn most chimney pots and House Sparrows chirrup from every available shrub. Despite this, Reykjavik provided some of my most memorable wild encounters to date with numerous surprises and immaculate views of usually timid birds.

Beginning in the various streets and gardens and a bit of perseverance turned up a number of familiar faces amongst the snow. Starlings were relatively abundant, whilst both Blackbird and Goldcrest could be unearthed with a little effort. The latter taking me somewhat by surprise. Redwings were by far the most abundant bird here, though admittedly I could probably see more in an afternoon in Northumberland than I did during my whole trip. What was really surprising however was just how confiding these birds were; frequently following any human possessing anything remotely edible. On one occasion I even had one land by my hand and help itself to my hotdog, totally undeterred by my presence. Truly amazing. Elsewhere amongst the multi-coloured houses and picket fences Snow Buntings existed in surprising numbers with perhaps fifty or so noted on a daily basis. Elsewhere only the odd Mealy Redpoll and the “kronk” of the ever present Ravens kept me entertained, except on the my last full day when a Merlin tore over the main street no doubt in search of the aforementioned buntings or Thrushes. 

Away from the suburbs Reykjavik boasted a few rather nice “green spaces”. Among these Tjorn lake and the surrounding park land which remained consistently frozen during the entirety of my visit. Consistently that is except for the presence of a small patch of water towards the town centre kept open by the constant traffic of webbed feet as the resident wildfowl congregated along the shore to make use of hand-outs courtesy of locals and tourists alike. Mallard were of course numerous here, as were Tufted Duck whilst Greylag Geese congregated in their hundreds. Slightly more interesting was the presence of one or two very confiding Wigeon and a hand feeding Pink-Footed Goose. 

Though even these were eclipsed by the next resident with some 75 Whooper Swans also found milling around on the small, unobtrusive patch of water. Behaving more like Mutes than the timid migrants I am used to these birds were more than happy to take food from the hand, allowing for supreme close up viewing of what has to be one of my all-time favourite birds. Anyways, things got even better when one of the lumbering white giants lifted from the water revealing a easily read ring. A little chin wag with Kane Brides and the origin of the bird were revealed with rather surprising results. Turns out the Swan, which should have been residing somewhere in the UK was ringed at WWT Caelaverock during March 2014. By Kane himself! Quite a surprising find though the reasons for it forsaking migration remain unclear. 

Moving away from “swan lake” a gander round the rather unassuming patch of water and sedge that is Vatnsmyri nature reserve turned up the trips first Gadwall alongside a couple of Eurasian Teal and few Ravens. All seemed quiet until an excited squeal from Liam heralded the arrival of the first of our Icelandic target species. A awe inspiring Gyrfalcon! Watching the colossus for a good five minutes and it drifted over head and off towards the town centre the true size of the bird became clear. Moving or should I say skipping onwards around the pool a final scan of the pool prior to departing turned up yet another surprise. A drake Green-winged Teal. Not something I was expecting to find on a half frozen puddle in the centre of Reykjavik. The bird in question showed immaculately allowing for my best photos of the species to date but before long the light faded and we set off towards our hostel.

Finally we come to the last and arguably the most awesome aspect of the city. The famous Reykjavik seafront. I visited the coast daily throughout our stay, sometimes alone, sometimes in the company of Liam. This proved a fruitful endeavour with the highly urbanised harbour and built up coastline throwing up some truly fantastic birds. Eiders were the most numerous species here, closely followed by Long-Tailed Ducks. Both of which set about courting on a daily basis making for memorable viewing as the amorous drakes tirelessly pursed the females and constantly squabbled amongst themselves. Other ducks seen here include a few dozen Red-Breasted Merganser, a single Wigeon and a probable drake White-Winged Scoter. The latter of which was noted by Liam as we returned from our ‘whaleless’ whale watching trip. Though I didn’t see the bird, there has been one in the area for quite some time now and thus the “velvet scoter type” bird noted by Liam was probably the yank rarity, at least according the officiator of the “Birding Iceland” page. Rather surprisingly however the probable scoter was not the most interesting duck to be seen on the Reykjavik coastline. This award goes to a rather peculiar bird noted by yours truly on the third day of our trip. After lengthy debate among NGB members, the twitter community and even Chris Packham I have come accept the bird as a partially leuistic Long-Tailed Duck (minus the long tail). This in mind, the hotch-potch of white and brown, the small stature and the solitary nature showcased by the bird had both of scrambling around like maniacs, inventing numerous explanations for the oddity and its peculiar visage. I do believe the words Harlequin, hybrid and even Bufflehead were uttered more than once. My bad, but it truly was an odd sight.

Aside from ducks the harbour boasted a wealth of other species scrapping out a living amongst the various snow-capped fishing boats. Black Guillemots were encountered frequently whereas some fantastically showy Little Auks continuously delighted. Both Shags and Cormorants numbered well into their hundreds whilst some twenty or so Red-Throated Diver and four Great Northern Diver made for excellent viewing. The latter of which lounging around ridiculously close to our positon on the sea wall. Finally we have the gulls! By my own admission gulls have never been a favoured taste of mine. Whereas numerous birders get overly excited by the noisy white things I usually remain at home, tempted only when one of them lands practically on my doorstep. This changed in Iceland however and I feel I have developed a new found fascination for these conspicuous chip thieves. Both Glaucous and Iceland gulls were a daily occurrence here, both of which gave fantastic views as they loafed around in the surf. Liam was able to pick out six or so Kumlien’s gulls during the course of our visit subsequently giving me a lesson into Iceland gull taxonomy. Alongside the white-wingers a host of familiar faces put in regular appearances with Black-Headed Gull, Herring Gull, Common Gull and Great Black-Backed Gull all locally abundant. Liam did however manage to string me both Boneparte’s and Ross’s gulls during the duration of our visit, the latter of which would have been a truly sensational find.

And there you have it. I may not have been stunned by the bedazzling plumage of drake Harlequin Ducks or indeed had the pleasure to behold Barrow's Goldeneye in the wild but despite this my eight days in Reykjavik will go down as some of my best to date. Other birds noted during the trip though absent from the above log include; Fulmar, Kittiwake, Oystercatcher, Purple Sandpiper, Razorbill and Feral Pigeon though all of these obviously fade into obscurity when pitted against my first views of a wild Gyr and the sheer bliss associated with sharing a Hot Dog with an obliging troop of Redwings. I love Iceland and will certainly be back again in the near future, perhaps in summer on this occasion.

-James Common

James is a 20 year old birder/conservation nut and wannabe naturalist based along the North-East coast near the reserves of NWT East Chevington and Druridge Bay.  The last few years he has spent studying BHs Animal Conservation Science at the university of Cumbria from which he has now graduated.

http://blythbirding.blogspot.co.uk/

https://twitter.com/NEbirder

Trip Report - Mammalwatching special: Iberian Lynx

This winter’s “must-do” European nature trip seems to have been a visit to the Sierra de Andujar to look for one of the continent’s most endangered mammals, the Iberian Lynx. My Twitter feed has been filled with photos of this stunning animal and various friends had been discussing a trip. Deciding I wanted a piece of the action, I tried to organise an NGB long weekend trip but this unfortunately fell through. I thought that this meant my opportunity to search for lynx this winter had passed. However, when Ashley Howe messaged me saying he was going to try to get lynx in a single weekend and asked if I’d like to come, I jumped at the chance.



Our evening flight from Stansted arrived in Malaga without a hitch and after picking up our hire car, we arrived in the Sierra de Andujar at around 2 am. The drive did produce Wild Boar, Hedgehog, Red Deer and Little Owl, all early signs that this would be a good trip. After a sleepless, freezing night in the car, we started our search at the Mirador de la Jandula in the heart of the area where lynx can be found. We spent a very pleasant couple of hours searching here but without any success. Despite this, the birding was very good including three lifers (Spotless Starling, Spanish Imperial Eagle and Iberian Green Woodpecker), as well as Short-toed Treecreeper, Firecrest, Hawfinch, Sardinian Warbler and Griffon Vulture.

We decided to drive up the road a bit and join fellow NGB, Oli Reville, who had also made the trip with his boss, Richard Campey (One Stop Nature Shop). Oli had been there several hours and had no luck, although he did manage to “grip” me with his sighting of a couple of Thekla Larks. A fruitless nine hour vigil then ensued, only punctuated by an unsuccessful trip to La Lancha dam to look for a herd of ibex that Oli had seen there. Although we had enjoyed views of Moufflon and Fallow Deer, as well as birds like Azure-winged Magpie, Blue Rock Thrush, Iberian Grey Shrike and Dartford Warbler, there was no hiding our disappointment as we made the 1 hour 30 drive back to our accommodation, the Hostal Plaza in Marmolejo. Our mood was not helped by a report that the lynx had been seen by one individual who did not think to share his sighting with the assembled watchers.

We were not optimistic the next morning and the first few hours were unsurprisingly frustrating, especially as the lynx had been seen by another observer at the other side of the valley. Nevertheless, the birding was still good as we added Chough and Rock Bunting to the trip list.

Then came the moment we had been waiting for as a Belgian young birder, who had walked up the road to check out my Rock Bunting sighting, shouted that fated word “Lynx!”

Panic then ensued and I was too busy running to notice it slip behind a rock. A nerve-wrangling 20 seconds or so but what felt like 20 minutes followed before I noticed it slip behind another rock. A further 30 seconds followed as Ash ran from the other side of the valley and Oli ran up the hill before the lynx came out again briefly but long enough for the assembled crowd to see it. Oli even managed some stunning shots! The lynx then proceeded to show intermittently as it moved through the scrub for the next five or so minutes. The lynx then moved over the hill so the crowd dashed round the other side only for one observer to see the lynx cross the road behind us and disappear in to the valley! 

Our luck did not stop there as we returned to La Lancha to enjoy distant views of 3 female Ibex before finding a Golden Eagle and a Black Vulture, the latter a most-wanted lifer for me. The rest of the day was unsurprisingly a bit of an anti-climax as we headed off to do some birding at Laguna de la Fuente Piedra. This was disappointingly quiet, although we did see flocks of both Black-winged Stilts and Cranes, as well as White Stork and several Crested Larks on the journey down. A check of Teba Gorge was fruitless on the bird front but we enjoyed excellent views of a very approachable herd of Ibex. After that, we had to head back for our flight but the trip had been an excellent way to spend the weekend!

I’d like to thank Ash for driving and making the trip possible, Oli for all his help with the information and logistics, all the assembled watchers for the effort they put in and, in particular, the Belgian young birder who spotted the prize! I did mention NGB to him so fingers crossed that he’ll join and I’ll be able to thank him properly!

-Oliver Simms

Oliver is a 21 year old Classics graduate from Durham university, living in London and patching Hampstead Heath. When he is not watching the world's rarest feline, he likes to spend his time birding and hill walking. 

@osimmsbirding

Wryneck weekend

Late August/Early September: loathed by (almost all) schoolchildren as the imminent start of the new school year. To a young birder, however, it's just the precursor to a juicy few weeks where start-of-term homework will be abandoned for staring at weather systems and refreshing bird news services. It's autumn migration, baby.

My most eagerly anticipated autumn 'event' is the annual sweep of Northern European Wryneck across Coastal Britain, when internet pages are stocked with fresh-off-the-SDcard close-ups of barred finery and ringers dream of netting a 'little twister'. 

This year's tide of torquilla (5th - 8th Sept) occurred a little later than last year's record bank holiday (23rd - 25th August) when an incredible 27 were in the Spurn area in one day (25th).

Spurn was the site this year for my first UK Wryneck, having only had experience with migrant birds on the French coast, where they decimate Lasius whilst Sacred Ibis stream overhead. I was not the only one to enjoy the Wryneck weekend, several NGBs connected, the map below showing where. 

Poor, poor inland birders.

Sites ranged from famous bird obs Portland, Spurn (at least 7 NGBs) & Bardsey to Shooters Bottom - E Sussex & Barton-on-Sea - Hants on the South Coast and Hadston Carrs - Northumbs, Seaton Carew - Co Durham & RSPB Frampton Marsh - Lincs on the East Coast. Marooned on Skomer, Liam Langley also saw one while over in Batumi - Georgia, Oliver Reville jammed one in the Chorochi Delta before going back to raptor watching and experiencing the atrocities of illegal hunting. 

Wrynecks, a history lesson:

• Breeding used to occur in all English counties, except Northumberland and Cornwall (at least, there are no breeding records for these two counties), until 1830, when populations began to fall rapidly.
• Between 1954 and 1966, the English population declined from 400 to 40-80 pairs. There was no reported breeding in 1974.
• The last record of breeding in Essex -1950- coincides with the only (unsuccessful) British breeding attempt of Gull-billed Tern in the same county.
• Conversely, from having no breeding records ever, Scotland began to host singing birds from 1950. In 1969 3 out of 5 pairs were successful in Inverness-shire. They have now bred in other highland locations. This sudden appearance is a result of Scandinavian migrants moving into suitable areas of Scotland. 
• Nowadays, breeding in Scotland is confined to a very few pairs. 
• Their decline is a Europe-wide (particularly Western) phenomenon over almost 180 years.
• Wryneck chicks have been known to have been killed by Tits building a nest on top of them...

-Jonnie Fisk

Jonnie is an 18 year-old Yorkshire-based birder, invertebrate enthusiast and frustrated artist. When not being oblivious to every local rarity, he enjoys autumn vis-mig, the music of Hall & Oates and being distracted by bugs. 

https://twitter.com/jonnie_fisk

The secret birding sites of Western Andalusia: Number 2 – La Janda

Southern Spain is not unknown to British birders, in fact its one of the most popular destinations in Europe for them. But hidden within striking distance of the world famous Donana is a series of sites that many in the UK may have never heard of. Here are my top 5 sites that may have escaped your attention when looking at a birding trip in Spain.

La Janda – A sleeping giant of Spanish birding

La Janda is not your average birding site, in fact it’s a miracle it still exists at all. Before the 1950’s La Janda was a 20km square inland lake and wetland, one of the greatest of its kind in Iberia.  However during the fascist regime of Francisco Franco (more on him at the end!) it was decided that one of two great areas were to be chosen to be turned into agricultural land, La Janda and Donana.  While Donana has gone on to receive international protection and is known to birders the world over, although now under massive threat (more on this at the end too!), La Janda was drained and turned into mile upon mile of rice paddies and other agriculture land. It was nothing short of an ecological disaster.

La Janda was once home to breeding Common Crane, the last breeding site in Andalusia, Demoiselle Crane, Marsh Owl, Osprey, herons, ibis, crakes, rails and duck species including threatened species like White-Headed Duck and Marbled Teal. While La Janda has suffered greatly over the last 60 years it still remains a fantastic birding site throughout most of the year, pointing to just how good it was before the actions of Franco. There is also the nearby area of Benalup which is also worth a mention as another superb area for birding.

There are several ways of tackling the La Janda area, the map below giving the route through the former lake and which roads connect to it. This article assumes a southern starting point.

The southern track area (Around 11km in length) is very dependent on water level. If it is dry then it can be quiet, other than larks and other passerines, but if the fields are flooded then a whole host of species can be present. One of the most obvious is the increasingly large flocks of Glossy Ibis, which have become a very strong breeder in the area in recent years. Waders, herons, egrets, Spoonbills and birds of prey (including rarities such as Long-Legged Buzzard, Pallid Harrier and Spanish Imperial Eagle) can all be seen here with numbers growing markedly when the rice paddies are flooded. The main canal on the north side of the main southern track is a great place to look for Purple Gallinule which cling precariously to the reeds by the canal. Behind the canal is a huge expanse of farmland where similar species as mentioned about can be seen throughout the year. It is also a great place to find the Bluethroats, Common Cranes, Hen Harriers, Short-Eared Owls and Merlins that winter in La Janda.

Fence lines close to the main track are a fantastic perch for Fan-tailed Warbler, Stonechat, Tawny Pipit, larks and sometimes Bee-Eater, Little Owl and small birds of prey such as Common Kestrel and Black-Winged Kite.

Further into La Janda is a 1.5km line of trees by the track. Despite being cut back in early 2014 these trees are home to a fantastic Cattle Egret colony. In the past this area was also a breeding site for all of the heron and egret species but other than the Cattle Egrets, and a couple of pairs of Glossy Ibis, the other species have all left.

The land rises and changes habitat as you approach the farm in the centre of the area. Species more familiar to UK birders can be found here but it is also a great place to find Spanish Imperial Eagle, Roller, Hoopoe and Rufous Bushchat. Beyond the farm is a flat, open area of woodland. Birds of prey are very evident here with Booted Eagle and Black Kite relatively easy to find. During the migration period a huge variety of birds use this area as a stopping point, spring 2014 saw a good number of Roller in this area.

The track drops down once again to grazing meadow and joins the long track which runs from Facinas to Benalup, a good area to find Little Bustard. At the t-junction of the two tracks is a small pool and sometimes an area holding water by the track itself. This can be a great place for Purple Gallinule at close range and the pool itself looks great for crakes and rails.

Turning left we come to the Northern section of La Janda (about 5km in length). This is generally dryer then the Southern section and the bird species found here reflects that. A small pool on the south side of the track can hold waders in early spring, with Black-Winged Stilt and Common Sandpiper the most common. The agricultural land here is a good place to see pipits, larks and wagtails but also more elusive birds such as Stone Curlew. The woods to the north also hold Sharpe’s Woodpecker (Iberian Green Woodpecker), which are often heard from the track while driving along.

The track continues until reaching the CA-212 which goes from Benalup to the A-381, just north of Los Barrios. By taking a left then immediate right you enter the Benalup area and leave La Janda.

Despite its destruction La Janda is still a fantastic birding site all year round. Unfortunately it seems the current Spanish government are too naïve and short-sighted to see the true potential of La Janda for ecotourism purposes so its protection and long term future are far from certain.

Also with Donana facing a disaster of its own in the near future (water drainage, new pipes for gas extraction off the coast, new buildings destroying coastal habitat etc. etc.) the 6 million birds that use it every year face a very bleak future, along with all wildlife in South Western Spain.

Soon it could be a very real scenario that two of the greatest wetland areas in South West Europe will be gone for good. Donana at its limit is about the size of London and La Janda would cover three quarters of the Isle of Wight, soon they may be all but a memory.

Example Species:

All Year

• Cattle Egret, White Stork, Griffon Vulture, Little Bustard, Purple Swamphen, Black-Winged Stilt, Stone-Curlew, Eagle Owl, Calandra Lark, Thekla Lark, Fan-Tailed Warbler, Spotless Starling.

Breeding Season

• Black Kite, Egyptian Vulture, Short-Toed Eagle, Montagu’s Harrier, Booted Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Collared Pratincole, Scops Owl, Red-Necked Nightjar, Bee-Eater, Hoopoe, Greater Short-Toed Lark, Red-Rumped Swallow, Tawny Pipit, Rufous Bush Chat, Great Reed Warbler, Woodchat Shrike, Ortolan Bunting.

Passage

• Garganey, Squacco Heron, Purple Heron, Black Stork, Honey Buzzard, Osprey, Roller, Wryneck, Lesser Short-Toed Lark, Bluethroat, Black-Eared Wheatear, warblers and finches.

Winter

• Common Crane, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Golden Eagle, Hen Harrier, Black-Winged Kite, Short-Eared Owl, Merlin, Bluethroat, winter ducks

-Oliver Reville

Oliver is a 25 year old birder and photographer from North Norfolk. His passion is the wildlife of Spain and in particular its birds of prey. Oliver's other wildlife interests are Sylvia warblers, Wheatears, Reptiles and British orchids. His photographic inspiration is Markus Varesvuo and his book "Birds: Magic moments" first triggered his own interest in photography.

https://twitter.com/OliReville

http://ojrnaturalworldphotos.wordpress.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oreville1989/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/OJR-Nature-Photography/140700866105255

NGB at Gullfest 2014: the Arctic birding festival! -Part 1-

Hello Varanger in March, where the reindeer roam, where the eiders are king and where where locals take 30 minutes off their journey by cutting across frozen rivers. A place where seabirds swamp the senses, where Cod Is Great and where your eyes tire from scanning the tops of trees for owls.

It was early February when Tormod Amundsen from Biotope; a pretty unique company of architects specialising on birds and birdwatching, sent Zac Hinchcliffe and myself the email that dropped like a big, Scandinavian bombshell: "Gullfest 2014 - you in?". 
There was really no question. To be in one of the coolest birding locations in the world, with some of birding's rockstars, watching the avian awesomeness of the Arctic - YES PLEASE!

18/03/2014
So little over a month later, we found ourselves Oslo bound, seeing the weather get colder and the ground snowier as we travelled Manchester - Stockholm - Oslo. Our final destination was Kirkenes, a town 69° North and close to the Pasvik taiga forest where we were to spend our first official day of Gullfest 2014, but that was tomorrow and right now our first night of the trip was spent in the Scandic Oslo airport hotel. A spot of compulsory evening birding in the surrounding snowy forest and fields brought Yellowhammers, Blue and Great Tits and Starlings doing a good job at imitating Redwing song. Most impressive, however, were the human head-sized Moose prints in the snow, as well as mounds of Elk-crement. Scarlet Elf Caps were found as a Sparrowhawk slinked through the trees.   

19/03/2014
Morning dawned with snow flurries over breakfast and a building sense of excitement. Before boarding the shuttle bus back to the airport for the flight to the Arctic Circle, we met Graham White and his partner Jacqui. Graham (aka The Grumpy Ecologist) is a senior wetland ecologist with the RSPB and would later show just what an incredible task the RSPB undertakes on its reserves -and beyond-! A very closely-cut sprint through security and customs was unnecessary when our plane was delayed some 40 minutes. 

The iced-cake scenery from Oslo - Kirkenes plane

Kirkenes is in a very interesting area of Norway. Further East than Istanbul and a stone's throw from the Russian border (in fact, for much of the drive to the taiga forest, the only thing separating us from Russia was a frozen river), it was occupied first by the Nazis, then by Russia's Red Army in WWII and it has a large Norwegian military presence even today, with watchtowers and cameo-clad Norwegians milling about the airport. We were met by Elin Taranger, of Biotope who filled us in on all things Varanger; the birdlife, human life and way of life (the mining side of this was evident, with large areas of scarred grey rockface in the snowy hills) as we drove to our first destination. 

It was here we had our first 'proper' Arctic birds, both causing us to lurch forward as the brakes were slammed on. Our first was sitting pretty at the top of a fir tree, like a fiery-eyed predatory Christmas angel: Hawk Owl or Haukugle (pronounced "Hurk Urgler"). The only time I've ever been stared at so terrifyingly was when I was caught cheating in a French exam. I would not like to be a lemming here. 

Hawk Owl cubism ©Jonnie Fisk

Our second Arctic special jumped abruptly in front of the car in a forested area. It could well have been a floating pair of eyes and a black beak, the Willow Grouse was Predator-like in its invisibility with the environment. It was followed by another and a few seconds later, a whole flock of 13 erupted from the birches like a barrage of fat, black-tailed white pigeons. 

We shortly arrived at the first 'base' for Gullfest 2014, the electricity and water-less Ellentjernkoia, where the toilets were outside and fires were perpetual. The first words we heard were from Jacqui who simply stated "It's birds on tap." That pretty much covered this place. I nonchalantly raised my bins to a nearby feeder and promptly had a visual assault of Pine Grosbeak, Siberian Tits and Coues's Arctic Redpolls alongside more familiar (but undoubtedly hardy) Great and Willow Tits. No words were exchanged between Zac and I, just witless grinning. 

What a feeding flock!

The cosy cabin was a very good way of getting acquainted to the other Gullfest 2014 contributors, who, for the moment, consisted of Graham and Jacqui, Tormod Amundsen and Elin (of Biotope), Norwegian birdguide and (often unintentional) comic Anders Mæland, artistic gull-god Hans Larsson from Sweden and the charismatic and characterful Richard Crossley (of Crossley ID guides), an Englishman living in the USA. Meals were hot and filling, cooked by Marit Sundt, owner of the cabin, who walked about the sub-10°C in just salopettes, thermal tshirt and a smile. 

Reindeer stew and incredible company

From introductions over food, the conversation remoulded into typical birder topics and I managed to capture snippets from subjects as diverse as modern field guides, albatrosses, thermal imaging cameras, the use of Twitter and cod. The Arctic nights fall quickly and the light fades to deep blue by 5pm, but this brought perhaps the most excitement: Aurora time! Hours of electrical-phenomenon-appreciative fun were had on a frozen lake by the cabin, as we watched the green troughs and spikes in a star-spilled sky, before breaking out the headtorches for some light-painting. 

Scandinavian sky-grafitti

©Zac Hinchliffe

The temperature had descended to -25°C, the coldest I had experienced and it showed - inhalation through the nose became painful as ice crystals formed. Our custom Gullfest hats were very welcome! After a good few nocturnal hours in the taiga, and with the aurora imprinted on our eyelids, we turned in for our first Norwegian night. 

Ellentjernkoia - magic!

20/03/14
The clear ringing song of Pine Grosbeak filters through the wood panels and I'm wearing 3 layers in my sleeping bag; no, yesterday was not a dream. Biting cold pre-breakfast birding gives a good chance to fully appreciate the Arctic taiga specialties. The 15-or-so Pine Grosbeaks hop about the feeders like inflated sparrows; part Bullfinch, part Crossbill, full raspberry, being the messiest eaters of any bird I've seen, dribbling sunflower husks everywhere. One female bird had no tail, looking even more like a small avian balloon than the rest of them. 

Female Pine Grosbeak ©Zac Hinchliffe

Male Pine Grosbeak ©Zac Hinchliffe

Tits were well represented with the charming Siberians (or Lappmeis) and frosty Willows, which opened up a taxonomic paradox as to whether they were race borealis (Northern Europe and Arctic) or uralensis (SE European Russia and W Siberia), joined by 2 puffed-up Great Tits (Kjøttmeis). Just to further add to the party, a pair each of fat Northern Bullfinches and Arctic Redpoll plus a vocal GSWoodpecker and an icy two-toned Red Squirrel joined the massed ranks. 

Abominable Snowpoll/Arctic Roll  field sketches ©Jonnie Fisk

Siberian Tit ©Zac Hinchliffe

A jaunt across the frozen lake was halted when a stream of reindeer crossed in front of us, some sporting GPS collars, others spray-painted hides - all in the arsenal of a modern Sami herder. 

Zac and the reindeer train

A minibus pick-up later and we were on our way to Kirkenes to board the Coastal Express ferry which would take us to Vardø - the 'home' of Gullfest, via a few choice birding stops. Siberian Jays, three of them, were eventually tracked down yapping to and fro across a forest road and the first of many Richard Crossley "STOP THE BUS!" moments brought us a pale male Sparrowhawk perched in a tree - a very scarce bird in the Pasvik area. 

At Kirkenes docks we met Mark Thomas, Senior Investigator at the RSPB, a man who's had to deal with enough brutal bird persecution cases to stop a lesser birder sleeping for life. Introductions were sporadic on the Coastal Express as every hundred metres of black sea would throw up another storm of Brünnich's Guillemot or Long-tailed Duck squadron. Keeping tally of the journey's birds became death by lines of 5. 

NGB Coastal Express seflie - deckchair birding

Point to the Brünnich's Guillemot...and the other...and the other...

The sea-crossing took a turn for the phenomenal upon nearing Vardø, as we entered the realm of the 'Eider Vortex'. The name is not an exaggeration; the entire sea seemed to lift upwards as several thousand each of King and Common sprung from the water simultaneously, like a summer English river thick with mayflies. Even non-birders on deck were pointing. 

(From L to R: Tormod Amundsun, Hans Larsson, Zac Hinchliffe)

After that experience, I have to admit that our first Steller's Eider, a loly drake bobbing about Vardø harbour after docking, seemed a little tame in comparison, even when joined by 2 friends. 

Home for the night was the Vardø Hotel, right on the harbour front, complete with a stuffed Shag in the reception. After unpacking, a bit of bonding with the locals was had as I was taught the Yukidance routine, part of the Yukigassen competitive snowballing festival held in Vardø, by a group of girls. Naturally Zac filmed me dancing for future embarrassment/blackmail. 

Vardø Hotel - Zac and a skyscanning mate (he was a little inanimate)

A fantastic meal consisting of 2 different species of fish as well as Sea Urchin roe was wolfed down before skidding down the road to the Nordpol Kro (= North Pole Pub) for the first of the Gullfest Talks. The pub was stuffed to bursting with international memerobilia and locals, as well as the recreated skin of the World's last Great Auk (RIP the 5 Razorbills it took to make it). 

Tucking into Scandi scran: Sea Urchin

After a warmup by Tormod, the artist Hans Larsson took us through 'The Joy and Obstacles of Depicting Gulls'. This Swedish Viking ("even if I don't look like one") was merciless with self-criticism of his frankly perfect plates but also regaled us with his knack for finding fantastic visual cues to help identify gulls. A Glaucous Gull is a "flying pig"; a Heuglin's a "bull terrier". Caspian Gulls resemble "Blanka Vlašić" and what do juvenile Herring Gulls look like? George Constanza of course!

Hans is currently working on a new seabirds guide, illustrating the gull, terns and skua families and we were treated to viewings of a few plates - original Larssons! 

Hans Larsson and his Black-headed Gull plate (with Med and Slender-billed Gulls looming behind)

Richard Crossley was up next with a rollercoaster of a talk covering bases from growing up, the psychology of bird ID, all things Cape May and even serenading us with the first verse of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons' "December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)". We were shown the meticulous process that goes into the Crossley ID guides and a taster of the birding scene in the USA, including an exciting sounding scheme called Pledge to Fledge, where a non-birder is taken birding by a friend in the hope that they will gain enthusiasm for the hobby. To finish, Richard recounted a poem that he felt reflected his favorite bird, the Sanderling, as stunning images of these clockwork-legged hydrophobics were shown behind him. 

The Nordpol Kro - with Polar Bear sign.

Our minds buzzing with euphoria for the future of birding, we made our way back to the hotel via the darkened star-shaped Vardøhus Fortress with Mark Thomas for a spot of light-painting photography with the Northern Lights, a lot fainter than in Pasvik but still (in the words of Tormod) "super amazing"!

Tormod rounding up the evening

-Jonnie Fisk and Zac Hinchliffe
Jonnie is an 18 year-old Yorkshire-based birder, invertebrate enthusiast and frustrated artist. When not being oblivious to every local rarity, he enjoys autumn vis-mig and being distracted by bugs. 
https://twitter.com/jonnie_fisk

When Zac's not counting birds on patch, he's usually ringing birds on his regular Bangor site or is depressed that he does't have the money or time to twitch the latest big thing. Zac is 22 and currently studying a Research Masters at Bangor University and investigating Welsh Twite; adding a touch of science to his birding.
https://twitter.com/Zac_Hinchcliffe
http://www.zacswildlifeblog.blogspot.co.uk/

(links to Zac's take on Gullfest 2014 can be found here, here, here, here aaand here)