June - Month of Warblers

Busy season ended, migrating birds flew away to the South, Siberia is covered by snow. It's time to write about our results. Start from June as information about May was the last. 

In June we caught 491 birds, most numerous were Radde's Warbler (Phylloscopus schwarzi), Thick-billed Reed Warbler (Phragmaticola aedon) and Dusky Warbler (Phylloscopus fuscatus). New for our station was Grey Tit (Parus Cinctus). 

Thick-billed Reed Warbler (Phragmaticola aedon)

Summary for May

For May we ringed 1118 birds of 63 species. Most numerous were Little Bunting – 191 birds. Most busy days were 18^th and 24^st of May when we caught 309 and 114 birds. In the list of ringed species now are 127 species with 7 new one added: Common Buzzard, Black Woodpecker, Rook, Isabelline Shrike, Beringian Yellow Wagtail,  Pale Martin and Paddyfield Warbler. 

Pale Martin (Riparia diluta)

New species

On the 29th of May we caught Paddyfield Warbler (Acrocephalus agricola) – first registration for our station and for Baikalsky Biosphere Reserve.

New species for our station

Yesterday we caught Eastern Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla tschutschensis), look here).
Today Isabelline Shrike (Lanius isabellinus) was caught in Big Trap. 

The best ringing day for five years

First half of May was extremely poor on ringed birds. Maybe because of bad weather: sun-shining, no wind, one day it was more than 20°C even (note: we have good catches in spring mostly when it's cloudy and windy)!!! Three times it was too much wind with snow so we had to close mist nets, put down Ribachinskaya trap and observing lots of birds flying by. 

Finally today, 18th of May, the weather is improved: nice wind, temperature about 5 degrees, all sky closed by heavy clouds!

First spring encounters

Spring for Red-breasted Mergansers (Mergus serrator)

Continuing first observation list of birds in spring. Beginning look here and here.

April

27th                Emberiza pusilla    

Summary for April

For April we ringed 892 birds of 38 species. Most numerous were Red-flanked Bluetails – 384 birds. Most busy days were 17^th and 21^st of April when we caught 93 and 95 birds. In the list of ringed species now are 120 species with two new one added: Great Grey Shrike and Mistle Trush.

Pallas's Reed Bunting, female (Emberiza pallasi)

Thrash with thrushes

Yesterday and today few hundreds of thrushes were migrating and feeding on the field in front of the Ribachinskaya trap. We caught 52 of them for these two days: 26 Red-throated (Turdus ruficollis), 19 Naumann’s (Turdus naumanni), 5 Dusky (Turdus eunomus) and by one Black-throated (Turdus atrogularis) and Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) . 

New birds coming

First encounters of migrating birds on the station and surrounding area (beginning look here). 

                                  

                           Oenanthe isabellina                                     Turdus pilaris

                             Alauda arvensis                                      Calcarius lapponicus

April

4^th :  Corvus frugilegus, Mergus merganser;

5^th : Oenanthe oenanthe, Oenanthe isabellina;

6^th : Falco tinnunculus;

7^th : Milvus migrans, Tarsiger cyanurus;

8^th : Alauda arvensis, Emberiza pallasi;

9^th : Oenanthe pleschanka;

10^th : Vanellus vanellus;

11^th : Circus cyaneus;

12^th : Ardea cinerea, Calcarius lapponicus, Turdus pilaris;

13^th : Streptopelia orientalis;

16^th : Emberiza schoeniclus;

17^th : Anthus hodgsoni;

18^th : Fringilla montifringilla;

21^st : Phylloscopus collybita;

23^rd: Turdus viscivorus, Motacilla citreola;

24^th : Turdus philomelos, Phoenicurus auroreus;

26^th : Anas penelope, Anas acuta, Anas querquedula, Zoothera dauma, Scolopax rusticola

20 days of April

On the 15^th of April open water between ice cover on Baikal appeared.  Since this day we have been observing ice-breaking process which is remind us that spring is here in spite of snowdrifts around and minus 10°C at some nights.

Ticks appeared – One was found on my leg. People say that they are here for a week already – discovered on cats.

On the 20^th of April after some snow digging and great driving of Baikalsky reserve driver Alexander Turin we moved our living wagon from Rechka Mishicha village to the ringing station. 

And yesterday we installed Big Ribachinskaya Trap.

To 22^nd of April 529 birds of 23 species were ringed. Most numerous species are Red-flanked Bluetail (Tarsiger cyanurus) – 234 birds, Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus) – 86 birds, Siberian Accentor (Prunella montanella) – 74 birds, Rustic Bunting (Emberiza rustica) – 56 birds.

On the 18^th of April in the list of ringed species new one appeared – Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor). We rarely see him in winter at our place.

Great Grey Shrike 

 Red-flanked Bluetail - most numerous bird on migration and in the nets now

First ringing day in 2016 season

On the the first of April we arrived at the ringing station and found snow still lying on the place of nets. So next day was battle with snow. Finally we installed 5 nets. And on the 3rd of April started to catch. First catching day presented us sunny and windless weather. So, 23 bird of 6 species were caught: 1 very rear Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), 2nd time for four years; 1 Long-tailed Tit, by two Coal Tit (Parus ater) and Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes), 6 Willow Tits (Parus montanus) and 11 common migrants in April Siberian Accentor (Prunella montanella).

On the second of April first volunteer in this season Dmitry Golishev came and on the third of April saw first Pine Bunting (Embiriza leucocephala) this spring.

First meeting of migrating birds in the area this spring:

March 22:     Siberian Accentor (Prunella montanella)
March 24:     Daurian Jackdow (Corvus dauuricus)
March 29:     Rustic Bunting (Emberiza rustica)
March 30:     White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)
April 3:         Pine Bunting (Embiriza leucocephala); catches: Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs).

Getting water from Baikal

                          Catching in the snow 

                          

First bird of the season. Willow Tit

    Very rare Chaffinch

 Very common in April Siberian Accentor

Volunteers welcomed for working on Baikal bird ringing station in 2016 ringing season.

Station is situated on the Southern-Western coast of Baikal Lake: http://wikimapia.org/22188218/Big-Trap-for-catching-birds. We planning bird ringing on the station from the 1^st of April till 31^st of October.

WE need people who have an experience in ringing passerine birds. If you are interested – please contact us by this e-mail: janisimov@gmail.com to Yury Anisimov.