Monthly report August 2019

General: coverage and weather:
Average temperature was 15.7 degC, 2.2 degC over the normal. Highest temperature was 21.1 degC (28th) and lowest was 10.3 degC. Total rainfall was 183.0mm. Most rainfall in one day was 21.6mm (11th). Highest wind speed was 19.5 m/s (28nd).

Raptors:
Six different raptor species during the month is above average. A Buzzard on the 8th and 9th and a Merlin was seen on the last day of the month. Otherwise there were no days with good raptor numbers. Sparrowhawk were reported between the 26th and 31st with a maximum of three, while Kestrel were noted sporadically from the 24th to the end of the month. Otherwise there were reports of the local White-tailed Eagles and Peregrine.

Shorebirds:
August was without and Storm Petrel ringing, good days for getting on to Spannholamne and there were few days with good weather conditions for seabird passage. Waders were well represented with quite a few stationary birds. Bar-tailed Godwit was noted with passage birds on the 1st and 31st. Wood Sandpiper were reported by a passaged bird on the 5th and a resting bird at Klovning on the 24th and 25th while two were at Pedlesetemmen on the 31st. Flyby Spotted Redshanks were noted on the 5th and 25th. A Great Snipe was flushed at Pedlestemmen on the 30th. The only day with any seabird movement was the 23rd when two Manx Shearwater and 35 Widgeon were noted.

Passerines:
The biggest surprise was the absence of passerines during the month. Two-barred Crossills were reported by 10 birds on the 6th and two femlaes on the 23rd. Common Rosefinch were reported in Nordvik with two birds on the 6th and a single at the dump on the 31st. The most exciting passerine was an Ortolan Bunting at Pedlestemmen on the 25th.

Ringing:
There was no ringing activity during the month. The inner nets were maintained with digging and laying of shingle. The work was carried out by Landbuksservice AS and esures that ringers can do net rounds while remaining dry.

Year ticks:
There were seven new birds for the year in the form of: Spotted redshank and Turnstone (5th), Buzzard (7th), Sanderling and Widgeon (23rd), Dunlin (24th) and Great Snipe (30th).

Rarities/local scarcities:
No birds falling in this category were seen during the month.


As mentioned above the inner nets has been maintained and here you can see some of the result of the work: