Storm Petrel (Photo: Atle Grimsby)General: coverage and weather:
Average temperature of 17.1degC for the month, 4.1degC over the average and a new average record for July (2003 had the previous record with 16.9degC. Highest temperature was 26.3degC on the 10th and lowest 9.9degC on the 2nd.

Total rainfall was 115.7mm in the month. The most rainfall in one day was 32.4mm on the 7th. Strongest wind was measured at 14.8m/s on the 5th with most days registering winds under 3 to 5 m/s. 70 different species were recorded in July which reflects the fact that July Is holiday month with little coverage.

Raptors:
Not unusual that July did not record any raptors.  

Seabirds and waders (shorebirds):
Few records of seabirds and waders in the first half of the month because of low coverage and dry and calm conditions. Most unusual record concerned the Quail which sang on Pedlestemmen on the night of the 28th.

Storm Petrel ringing began at Pedleneset on the 22nd. The first night produced 9 Storm Petrels and a Leach’s Petrel, and the four nights of ringing in July produced a total of 28 Storm Petrel and the one Leach’s Petrel. A trip out to Spannholmane on the 27th produced good wader numbers with a record 89 Sanderling plus 16 Purple Sandpiper, 10 Knot, 4 Dunlin, 4 Turnstone and a Ringed Plover.

Passerines:
Extremly few records other than the usual breeding species. The years fourth Blyth’s Reed Warbler was trapped in Herberg on the 12th. The two Blue-headed Wagtails which bred at Aust produced two young.

Ringing:
July is outside the normal ringing season and ringing focuses on breeding birds and start up of petrel ringing. This year petrel sessions started on the 22nd at Pedleneset. Total ringing for the month was 100 individuals of 15 species. The best day was the 27th when 25 individuals were ringed of which Storm Petrel (8), Chiffchaff and Meadow Pipit (4) were the notable records. Totals compare well with previous year (85 individuals of 19 species).

Year ticks:
The four new species for the year in July consisted of waders and petrels; Wood Sandpiper (20th), Leach’s and Storm Petrel (22nd) and Sanderling (27th).

Local and national rarities:
Quail in July and Blyth’s Reed Warbler on the 12th (the 4th record in 2014 and the 18th total) were the only birds resembling rarities.


Here follows some more photos from the petrelringing sessions - all photos by Atle Grimsby:

Leach’s Petrel (Photo: Atle Grimsby)

Storm Petrel (Photo: Atle Grimsby)

Øystein Nilsen (ringing) and Benjamin Grimsby

alt

alt