Three buteos in one single day (21 April 2009)

Today we had a good warm spring day around 13 degrees all day. The most surprising event of the day was ringing three common buzzards. The number of the species and the number of the birds we ring is increasing day by day. Today we ringed 36 birds out of 15 species.

Today's birds are:

Greet reed warbler
Bluethroat
Willow warbler
Swallow
Chiffchaff
Kingfisher
Redstart
Thrush nightingale
Moustached warbler
Savi's warbler
Lesser whitethroat
Grasshopper warbler
Sedge warbler
Robin
Common buzzard

Swallow shower started (20 April 2009)

Today it was clear and shiny around 13 degrees and we got very good numbes of birds today. Since Jukka left, we are 3 ringers from now on. Sedat, Richard and James. Not only the number but also the number of the species increasd today and today we ringed 5 new species at Aras Station for this season. We ringed 43 birds out of 14 species.

Today's birds are:

Bluethroat
Swallow
Night heron
Chiffchaff
Thrush nightingale
Kingfisher
Rock dove
Great snipe
Redstart
Tree pipit
Cetti's warbler
Black-eared wheatear
Moustached warbler
Savi's warbler

We stuck in the mud and Jukka's last day (19 April 2009)

We had a surprise when we were going to the station this morning. Since it has been rainy for almost a week, it was very muddy and our van stuck in the mud this morning. We could take it out by the help of a tractor coming from the village. However it was cloudy and cold in the morning, it became sunny in the afternoon. We spent the afternoon by washing our van. Sedat flushed a purple heron to the nets and caught it by hands. It was also a good day for migration including a short-toed eagle, an epgyptian vulture, a golden eagle, a short-eared owl and a red-throated pipit. We ringed 17 birds out of 9 species. Two of them were new species to this season.

Today was also Jukka's last day and we are very thankful to him for his contribution to our ringing station. He is again very welcome to Aras next year.

Today's birds are:

Song thrush
Great reed warbler
Purple heron
House saparrow
Bluethroat
Blackcap
Willow warbler
Semi-colored flycatcher
Swallow

Very few birds including a brambling (18 April 2009)

Today we had very few birds due to bad weather of clouds and rain at 8 degrees al day. We observed a short-toed eagle migrating, bearded tits right behind our trailer, an osprey hunting in the pond and little crake. Today we ringed 11 birds out of 10 species.

Today's birds are:

Water pipit
Swallow
Starling
Willow warbler
Yellow wagtail
Redstart
Cetti's warbler
Wryneck
Great reed warbler
Brambling

Bad weather goes on (17 April 2009)

With respect to last year, the weather goes cold this spring. It has been cold and cloudy for almost a week. Today it was agan raint, cloudy and cold around 8 degrees. The dog carcass has been eaten by vultures and only bones left. We observed 1 black kite, 3 black vultures, 6 griffon vultures, 1 egyptian vulture and 1 red-footed falcon. Today we ringed 16 birds out of 9 species.

Today's birds are:

Chiffchaff
Bluethroat
Water pipit
Willow warbler
Cetti's warbler
Yellow wagtail
Savi's warbler
Grasshopper warbler
Spotted crake