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

Big Brown Bird

 

A 1st calender year Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus. Caught, ringed, measured and released today in the wetlands of Salreu (Portugal).

Aquatic warblers in Salreu

Aquatic warblers Acrocephalus paludicola are the rarest and the only internationally threatened passerine in mainland Europe. Apart from a very small remnant population in Western Siberia, its breeding grounds are completely confined to Europe. Drainage has meant that this species has declined. Its stronghold is now the south of Belarus, where 70% of the world's population breeds. This time of the year Aquatic warblers show up also in the wetlands of Salreu. These birds are on their way to Africa, where they spend the winter. They use the food rich marshes of Salreu to build up strength for the next part of their journey. JMN and I managed to ring two of these birds on September 4.




Typical Aquatic warbler habitat in Salreu: sedges and rice fields.

Creeps that only come out at night

Eurasian nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus, ringed on a very early morning of September 24 2014 at Salreu, Portugal.

See also: https://sites.google.com/site/juliomneto/blog & https://sites.google.com/site/juliomneto/ringing

Ringing Yellow-crowned Bishops in Salreu (September 12, 2014)

Another early morning bird ringing-session in the marshes of Salreu, guided by Julio M. Neto. Results and more information can be found here: https://sites.google.com/site/juliomneto/blog/bishopgalore

The Yellow-crowned Bishops Euplectes afer originate from Africa and are considered invasive in the area. They are currently nesting (we trapped an egg-carrying female) and “pollute” our captures. Luckily, I find them quite easy to get out of the nets.

Great work on little brown jobs in Salreu, Portugal (September 8 & 9, 2014)

More information and the results of two enjoyable mornings of ringing in the marshes of Salreu with Julio M. Neto can be found here:

September 8: https://sites.google.com/site/juliomneto/blog/alatestart
September 9: https://sites.google.com/site/juliomneto/blog/onemorebritishrecovery





European stonechat Saxicola rubicola







Cetti's warbler Cettia cetti




Common waxbill Estrilda astrild







Bluethroat Luscinia svecica
 



Tree pipit Anthus trivialis







Sedge warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus







Weighing a ..?