Fantastic winter ringing!

Today, my dad, Bram and I went ringing at Castricum along the coast. Friday and yesterday they had some impressive numbers due to the snowfall and the frost. We figured today would be a bit 'the day after' but still, you never know it with bird ringing, so we decided to give it a go. With result!

The day started slow, with just a few Skylarks and Starlings being trapped. Missing Lapwing, Wigeons and a Mallard on the clapnet, Gadwall and Curlews landing next to the net we thought it would be going to be a dissappointing day. A typical day on which you miss all!

But then... things started to change after noon. And luckily for us then, it didn't feel like the after anymore. The photos below will explain!

First:

Starling, 2cy male

Skylark

And then, excitement:

Dunlin, adult winter

Dunlin, >2cy, because of the grey coloured scapulars/coverts.

Gulls started to come:

5 Black-headed Gulls were being trapped, one bearing a Helsinki-ring!

A spectacular number of 112 Common Gulls was trapped; 1 bearing a Helsinki-ring and 1 with a Moskva-ring (very very rare!).

We ringed 3 Herring Gulls of which one was of the Scandinavian subspecies argentatus (above)

The primaries of the argentatus (lots of white on P10)

We ringed three Fieldfares.On the above photo: upper one 2cy male, lower one >2cy female; note the rufous-brown greater coverts of the adult in contrast to the greyish-brown greater coverts of the juvenile.

Fieldfare, 2cy male

And in the end, finally after a lot of effort, a Curlew! A 2cy bird.

Such cool feet!

 Tammo

Bram

Me

The nets covered in snow.

In conclusion: we had a fantastic (but freeeezing cold) day!