Rings read

The weather forecasters are really having problems at the moment. A day of constant, heavy rain was forecast but never really materialised although there was the odd shower. I turned down a trip to Hedmark with Rune because of this forecast (although it doesn’t look I need to regret that decision...) and instead planned to get some writing done. When I saw that it wasn’t as bad as forecast though I did allow myself a short trip to Fornebu.

The birds are the same as earlier in the week and there are no early migrants yet (although it won’t be long before a Wood Pigeon (ringdue), Stock Dove (skogdue), Skylark (sanglerke) or Starling (stær) turns up. The Bearded Tits were in EXACTLY the same area as usual but this time there were only four birds (although I may have heard some additional birds). They showed exceptionally well with two frequently hopping the fence and we could see that all four of these were ringed whereas in the group of six I have only noticed one male and one female ringed. This would suggest strongly that there are actually two groups of birds in the reedbed. I took many pictures in the hope of being able to read something from a ring but expected that, as has always previously been the case, it just wouldn’t be possible as the script is so small but this time I have succeeded! The letters I can see come from the words Stavanger Norway but I can make out only two numbers so doubt the specific identity of this bird can be determined. The high (100%) incidence of ringed versus non ringed birds does strongly suggest that they are from Øra where the ringer estimates that he managed to capture over 90% of the birds there. 

here one can see a R and a Y. The last two letters of respectively StavangeR and NorwaY.

the ring is upside down but we se "AVA" and "RW" plus part of a number "8x"

slightly different angle. I struggle to see what the second number is, a 9?

Add caption

"..ER" and "WAY"

The Great Grey Shrike (varsler) was also sitting high. I have written before how it wasn’t easy to get close to the bird but today it was perched up by the main path and was allowing dog walkers to go right under it (if it is going to hang around here then it does have to get used to human disturbance). However it was still weary of camera toting birders – I obviously need to get myself a dog if I am to become a successful photographer.

Great Grey Shrike (varsler). Dog walkers came an awful lot closer than the birders!