Failure...

Two-egg clutch of Barn Owls (Tyto alba guttata) in a wall mounted nest box located in a green suburb of Zwolle, The Netherlands. An infrared camera connection showed that one of the two breeding birds disappeared during early egg-stage (halfway April), but the true cause of failure remains unknown. The box was installed over 20 years ago and became occupied by a single Barn Owl pretty much every winter and occasionally in summer. During summer 2015 a second bird appeared and a first breeding attempt was made the following year, which also failed during early egg stage. Today the box got cleaned out, the eggs were removed and 85 pellets were collected and will be used to identify prey items.

Phylloscopus trochilus acredula

Northern Willow Warbler, but a very difficult ID… Captured, ringed, measured and released today @ VRS Hessenpoort, Zwolle, The Netherlands.

Training on Dutch andorinhas (May 10, 2017)

Capturing, ringing, measuring, bleeding and releasing Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica from a crowded barn in Hasselt, with Joop v.A. The cows were playing outside.

A bit of twitching: Big Day Zwolle, The Netherlands (May 6, 2017)

1^st prize: “Team Rocket (?; Jasper, Reinier & Tim)”. 120 bird species found during a 12 hour (06:00 – 18:00) bicycle ride. An equation of the previous record.

Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus). April 20, Zwolle (The Netherlands)

A relatively rare (and primarily spring) migrant in this part of the world. Found at a doorstep after a probable window collision. Third CY female (??-http://www.ringouzel.info/infoandadvice/Ring%20Ouzel%20Photo%20ID_Birdwatch%20Mar13.pdf)







The finding coincided with the appearance of multiple migrating individuals in the area, including one on the same property as the one above was found, on the same date (first record of a live bird there): https://knnvzwolle.waarneming.nl/soort/view/226?from=2016-04-21&to=2017-04-21&show_zero=0&species=soort+226&prov=0&maand=0&os=0&prov_wg=0&rows=20&references=0&waardplant=0&poly=1&hide_hidden=1&global_tag=0&page=1

Some midwinter captures from Salreu, Portugal

Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata) on an icy morning... (but don't bring out your skates quite yet)



The moment when you can start thawing your toes…



For my NW-European friends… A Non-Spotless Startling (Sturnus vulgaris:-)



Think he’s yelling something like “feliz ano novo!”, with an undetermined accent.

A complete list of our captures can be found on JMN's website: https://sites.google.com/site/juliomneto/blog

153 Andorinhas by night...

Hirundo rustica. Vera Cruz, Aveiro, Portugal. December 14, 2016, 22:05h. 10°C, partly cloudy.