Friday 20 September 2013

Lagoa de St Andre, Portugal - 2 to 12 September 2013


The 2nd saw the start of a 10 day ringing session at Lagoa de St Andre on the Atlantic coast of Portugal about 140km south of Lisbon. Ringing sessions have been undertaken in the area for over 20 years and most years a group of UK ringers associated with the Maple Cross ringing group have assisted during part of the autumn migration. As Denise is still working she remained alas back in the UK.
 
No ringing was done on the first day, just some additional net erection, with ringing beginning in earnest on the Wednesday, together with some more net erection.

A couple of sections of nets were erected for waders, but the lagoon is not tidal, although  spring high tides allow a little seepage in at high water but no more than the odd inch or so of water, so there are no high tide wader movements and catches are just reliant to random catch of birds moving around to feed or where disturbed by raptors or the local farmer/cattle.

The second day was the busiest with 114 birds, but after this the passage dropped and the remaining days were moderate in respect of the days totals, especially if you extract the Swallow or Yellow Wagtail roost totals. Also on the 11th the bulk of the wader totals was due to the fact one of the group spent the night out with the nets, on the first night after they were erected on the 7th, where as most day they were only dropped around 4.30am

Evening roosts remained low, with the only catch of any reasonable numbers were 36 Swallows on night of the 4th and 17 Yellow Wagtails on the night of 4th and 9th, all processed the next day.

There was an absence of Tree Sparrows the usually roost in the reed bed and boats catch numbers.  Reed Warblers dominated most daily catches, with Willow Warbler numbers building up on the last 3 days.

 
Savi's Warbler

Redstart

  Nightingale 

  Wryneck

 Red Advant 

  Melodious Warbler 

 
Short-toed Treecreeper 

 
Lang's Short-tailed Blue

 
Scarce Swallowtail

Totals (new birds only, excluded re-traps) for the period were:
3/9
4/9
5/9
6/9
7/9
8/9
9/9
10/9
11/9
Ringed Plover





1



Dunlin





11
2
2
1
Little Stint





1



Redshank





2



Green Sandpiper





1



Common Sandpiper





3
6

1
Barn Owl






1


Nightjar

1






1
Kingfisher

1






1
Hoopoe


1






Wryneck

1



1



Great Spotted Woodpecker







1

Swallow

3
36
6

1

7

Tree Pipit


2
1
2

3


Yellow Wagtail


17
5
9
6
2
17

Fan-tailed Warbler









Wren

2







Robin



1

1



Bluethroat

1




1


Nightingale
1
1

1

2
2

1
Redstart
1








Whinchat
1
1
1
1





Stonechat
1

1
2
1




Blackbird

2
2
5
1
1

1
1
Cetti’s Warbler
11
6
5
4
3
2
3
1

Fan-tailed Warbler

1
1

1



2
Savi’s Warbler
2
3

1
1
1

1

Grasshopper Warbler
1
3
1
2
1

4
1
3
Sedge Warbler
2
2
2
3
3
3
1

3
Reed Warbler
25
35
9
15
15
12
15
21
22
Melodious Warbler
1
1

2
3
2
1
1

Sardinian Warbler
1
5
1

3
1
1
1

Whitethroat
2
2

1
1

3
3
3
Garden Warbler
6
1
4
9
6

2
3
3
Blackcap
2
9
1
6
4
2
3
1
1
Chiff-chaff

5

3
2
1
3
3
2
Willow Warbler
14
15
9
4
11
11
23
25
27
Pied Flycatcher
2
4
1
1
2
2
3
1

Spotted Flycatcher






2
1

Blue Tit

4
2
3
1
1

5
2
Great Tit

1
1


2
1


Jay




1




Southern Grey Shrike





1



Greenfinch









Hoopoe









Short-toed Treecreeper







1
1
House Sparrow


2


4

1

Greenfinch
1
1
2
1
2
5
3


Goldfinch


1
1



3
2
Common Waxbill

2
1



2


Red Advant

1







Bluethroat










74
114
103
78
73
81
87
97
72