IBRCE ringing station report

The days are getting shorter, the temperature is barely over 30 deg' centigrade and the wind stands still from the North - autumn migration slips over us day by day…

The Bee-eaters flocks are heard non-stop both day and night while Barn Swallows and Sand Martins roost keep on providing us tens of birds every evening. Manolo´s moans begging for a variety started to work at last and Sylvia warblers have shown an increase in species and numbers every day. Blackcaps are the most numerous but Whitethroats, Lesser Whitethroats, Garden Warblers and Eastern Orphean Warblers as well. Also the number of Willow Warblers has grown daily and Common Redstarts, Winchats and Tree Pipits come to the mist nets and Helgoland traps as well. But the longest waited species, for me at least, was the Marsh Warbler, uncaught since our landing in the station but finally captured, one bird on Monday 24th and another one today Wednesday 26th. 
Though non scarce during autumn migration across Israel, this species is a defeat for Spanish ringers so those birds were more than welcome, critically examined and satisfied released. 

Still with the sweet feeling remaining in my player´s hand because the first of those Marsh Warblers, I found a Reed Warbler hanging in one of the nets. This individual was ringed on its left leg, not the way of IBRCE´s station… what does it mean I ask myself? Maybe Manolo ringed it puzzling the legs, as he use to puzzle his medication…? Might the bird itself change the ring, looking for a more comfortable wearing? Both hypotheses were rejected after a closer watch: a BUDAPEST brand new ring was the perfect ending for the morning.

On Tuesday 25th, Yael and Ron joined us in the station so during the next days we could do the mist nets, the Helgoland traps as well as the roost ringing and the wader traps… one more ringer and we may put nets on the moon! The results, by now, have been two days with an up to 100 birds amount, that includes Little Stints, Dunlin, Wood Sandpiper, a juv' Scops Owl, Golden Oriole, another Marsh Warbler, Wryneck and the rest of the usual staff: warblers, shrikes and Sand Martins.

The most un-unexpected bird though, was a juv' Common Rosefinch, another new species for me and a good new for everybody because it means more beers on my own bill…

J.R.