ABP 2014: Week 5

many Eurasian Wrynecks have been trapped throughout the last week © Friedrich Eidam

While I visited the 26th International Ornithological Congress in Tokyo, my team continued the work at Muraviovka Park. But they had to struggle with unusual high numbers of aggressive wasps and biting bats at the mist-nets - problems we never had in the years before. Nevertheless, they made some good efforts - the impressive nocturnal migration of the Siberian Rubythroat hast started and they trapped the very first adult male Siberian Blue Robin.
Duck migration has also started, and more than 500 individuals are gathering now on Kapustikha lake in front of the headquarters. Among them have been up to 6 Eastern Spot-billed Ducks (most likely a family), 22 Baikal Teal and an early Common Goldeneye.

a young Common Cuckoo - rarely trapped © Julia Schröder

1Y Pied Harrier © Friedrich Eidam

a family of Spot-billed Ducks © Friedrich Eidam

the first Hooded Cranes are on their way © Friedrich Eidam

seasons first Pale Thrush, a first-year bird © Julia Schröder

a thunderstorm is coming... © Julia Schröder

already the second Japanese Quail in 2014 © Julia Schröder

young visitors at the ringing station © Julia Schröder

My week was also succesfull - I gave a presentation about the impact of fire on bird migration based on our data from the last three years at Muraviovka Park. Furthermore, a lot of new contacts and collaborations have been established, which will allow us to go the next step with the Amur Bird Project. Together with scientists from Russia, Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan and new bird tracking techniques we are hopefully going to explore the almost unknown migration routes of Passerine birds in East Asia.

26th International Ornithological Congress in Tokyo - closing ceremony © Wieland Heim

together with Olga Valchuk (Vladivostok), Pavel Ktitorov (Sachalin) and Andrey Mukhin (Rybachy) © Wieland Heim

//Wieland

18.08.-24.08.2014, Total traps: 737 birds out of 45 species

Rubinkehlchen	Siberian Rubythroat	Соловей-красношейка	192
Dickschnabel-Rohrsänger	Thick-billed Warbler	Толстоклювая камышевка	103
Streifenschwirl	Pallas´s Grasshopper-warbler	Певчий сверчок	61
Dunkellaubsänger	Dusky Warbler	Бурая пеночка	54
Brauenrohrsänger	Black-browed Reed-warbler	Чернобровая камышевка	37
Gelbbrauen-Laubsänger	Yellow-browed Warbler	Пеночка-зарничка	34
Wanderlaubsänger	Arctic Warbler	Пеночка-таловка	31
Braunwürger	Brown Shrike	Сибирский жулан	29
Zwergschnäpper	Red-breasted Flycatcher	Восточная малая мухоловка	21
Middendorff-Laubsänger	Two-barred Warbler	Двупоясковая пеночка	17
Maskenammer	Black-faced Bunting	Седоголовая овсянка	15
Feldsperling	Eurasian Tree Sparrow	Полевой воробей	15
Schwarzkehlchen	Common Stonechat	Черноголовый чекан	11
Mandschurenammmer	Ochre-rumped Bunting	Рыжешейная овсянка	11
Karmingimpel	Common Rosefinch	Обыкновенная чечевица	10
Strichelschwirl	Lanceolated Warbler	Пятнистый сверчок	10
Wendehals	Eurasian Wryneck	Вертишейка	9
Rötelammer	Chestnut Bunting	Рыжая овсянка	7
Chinarohrsänger	Oriental Reed-warbler	Восточная дроздовидная камышевка	6
Kohlmeise	Northern Great Tit	Большая синица	5
Spießbekassine	Pintail Snipe	Азиатский бекас	5
Gelbbrauenammer	Yellow-browed Bunting	Желтобровая овсянка	5
Gebirgsstelze	Grey Wagtail	Горная трясогузка	5
Lasurmeise	Azure Tit	Князек	4
Braunschnäpper	Asian Brown Flycatcher	Ширококлювая мухоловка	4
Goldschnäpper	Yellow-rumped Flycatcher	Желтоспинная мухоловка	3
Mandschurendommel	Schrenck´s Bittern	Амурский волчок	3
Pallasammer	Pallas´s Bunting	Полярная овсянка	3
Amurdrossel	Grey-backed Thrush	Сизый дрозд	3
Dschungelnachtschwalbe	Jungle Nightjar	Большой козодой	3
Ussurilaubsänger	Pale-legged Leaf-warbler	Бледноногая пеночка	2
Rauchschwalbe	Barn Swallow	Деревенская ласточка	2
Azurelster	Asian Azure-winged Magpie	Голубая сорока	2
Orientturteltaube	Oriental Turtle-dove	Большая горлица	2
Bergfink	Brambling	Юрок	2
Blaunachtigall	Siberian Blue Robin	Синий соловей	2
Eisvogel	Common Kingfisher	Обыкновенный зимородок	1
Sumpfmeise	Marsh Tit	Черноголовая гаичка	1
Meisengimpel	Long-tailed Rosefinch	Урагус	1
Spornpieper	Richard´s Pipit	Степной конек	1
Rohrammer	Reed Bunting	Камышовая овсянка	1
Japanwachtel	Japanese Quail	Японский перепел	1
Bartlaubsänger	Radde´s Warbler	Толстоклювая пеночка	1
Kuckuck	Common Cuckoo	Обыкновенная кукушка	1
Fahldrossel	Pale Thrush	Бледный дрозд	1

ABP 2014: Week 4

watching birds with the participants of our Bird Ecology Summer School © Julia Schröder

What a week! Even if its still mid-August, we already trapped the seasons 1000th bird. Migration at its best, and almost no rain or wind throughout the week! Perfect conditions also for our Bird Ecology Summer School. On Tuesday, 21 children between 8 and 15 years from different parts of the Amur region came to us in the Park. During five days they learned about bird ecology, migration, identification and nature conservation. All of them were highly motivated, and so they came usually already before breakfast to the ringing station, to see what is new. It was great to work with them. Big thanks to the Park´s interim director Svetlana Yakovenko for the organisation, the Russian teachers Natalia Andreeva, Tatiana Evgenina and Natalia Alexandrovna and all the helpers which made all this possible. Special thanks to Juliana Nefjodowa, who was busy in translating to Russian, English and German all day long. On the last morning the summer school ended with a birdrace, when the children had to identify as much bird species as possible within one hour around Muraviovka Park´s headquarter. Together with one us the three teams recognized 39 species - a good sign, that the participants learned a lot about the threatened diversity in the Amur region. For most of them this week was also the first contact with foreigners, and so we had the feeling that these days contributed also to intercutural understanding and tolerance. If we will find financial support, we will organize such a summer school again next year.

group pic with our 1000th bird - a spectacular Baillon´s Crake © Wieland Heim

the face-to-face contact with the birds in our ringing station was most impressing for the children © Julia Schröder

drawing bird pictures from the field guide © Julia Schröder

Susi´s self-made bird memory game: you should not only remember where the right card was hidden... © Julia Schröder

...but also which tail and wing fits to which bird! © Julia Schröder

a view abroad: Laszlo is telling about birds and nature in his homecountry Hungary, while Juliana is translating © Wieland Heim

at the end every participant received a certificate signed by Svetlana Yakovenko as the Park´s director and me as the ABP´s coordinator © Julia Schröder

a great week with a great group © Julia Schröder

But the children were not the only visitors during these days: on Wednesday many people came to the Park, together with General Muravyov-Amurskys descendant. Nikolay Nikolayevich Muravyov-Amursky played a major role in the expansion of the Russian empire along the Amur river, and the village Muraviovka and so also the Park was named after him. 

One of the visitors brought us an unlucky Amur Falcon - just fledged, the bird was hitten by a car and all wing-feathers are broken. We will feed this bird until we will find somebody who could take care of it until are feathers are renewed. If you have any ideas who could help, please write us!

some of the visitors that came with Muravyov-Amurskys descendant © Wieland Heim

the migration of the Amur Falcon and the threats along that way was one central topic in our summer school © Friedrich Eidam

Julia is feeding the Amur Falcon chick with insects © Wieland Heim

During all these activities we were still busy with checking our mist-nets every hour all day and night. The nocturnal migration of the Siberian Rubythroats starts slowly, while Thick-billed Warblers and Pallas´s Grasshopper-warblers are still the most common species. The species diversity is extremely high now, since we trapped already many migrants from the far north like the Arctic Warbler but also observed still several of the summer birds, like Black-naped Oriole, White-throated Needletail and Gray´s Warbler. Nice was also a family of Azure Tits - this species was only a winter visitor during the last years but has bred at the Park in 2014.

this years first Grey Nightjar © Julia Schröder

and the first Baillon´s Crake, a juvenile © Friedrich Eidam

migration of the wagtails has started, here a juvenile Eastern Yellow Wagtail - probably taivana © Friedrich Eidam

juvenile Asian Brown Flycatcher © Julia Schröder

a beautiful misty morning © Julia Schröder

a juvenile Siberian Bush-warbler davidi - 4th record for Muraviovka Park © Wieland Heim

while the local breeders were not seen since the end of July, some Yellow-breasted Buntings are now migrating through © Wieland Heim

an aberrant Pallas´s Grasshopper-warbler with complete yellow bill and legs (r) with a normal colored bird (l) © Wieland Heim

busy with birds © Wieland Heim

While writing this, I´m already in Japan to take part at the International Ornithological Congress, where I will be talking about some of the ABP´s results, while my team will continue the field work. I left the Park with the children on Saturday - but my bus from Blago to Khabarovsk was cancelled after hours of waiting. Once again, all you need in Russia are good contacts. And so I called a friend, who called a friend, who called a friend who was ready to drive me all the way to the Khabarovsk airport. After a non-stop over-night 11-hours-drive I reached my plane to Tokyo - thank you, Vitja!

Tokyo Narita Airport, southern part © Wieland Heim

//Wieland

11.08.-17.08.2014, Total traps: 674 birds out of 50 species

Dickschnabel-Rohrsänger	Thick-billed Warbler	Толстоклювая камышевка	198
Streifenschwirl	Pallas´s Grasshopper-warbler	Певчий сверчок	63
Brauenrohrsänger	Black-browed Reed-warbler	Чернобровая камышевка	55
Gelbbrauen-Laubsänger	Yellow-browed Warbler	Пеночка-зарничка	42
Braunwürger	Brown Shrike	Сибирский жулан	33
Dunkellaubsänger	Dusky Warbler	Бурая пеночка	33
Rubinkehlchen	Siberian Rubythroat	Соловей-красношейка	22
Wanderlaubsänger	Arctic Warbler	Пеночка-таловка	22
Maskenammer	Black-faced Bunting	Седоголовая овсянка	19
Feldsperling	Eurasian Tree Sparrow	Полевой воробей	17
Kohlmeise	Northern Great Tit	Большая синица	16
Spießbekassine	Pintail Snipe	Азиатский бекас	13
Eisvogel	Common Kingfisher	Обыкновенный зимородок	10
Karmingimpel	Common Rosefinch	Обыкновенная чечевица	10
Ussurilaubsänger	Pale-legged Leaf-warbler	Бледноногая пеночка	10
Lasurmeise	Azure Tit	Князек	8
Schwarzkehlchen	Common Stonechat	Черноголовый чекан	8
Sumpfmeise	Marsh Tit	Черноголовая гаичка	8
Middendorff-Laubsänger	Two-barred Warbler	Двупоясковая пеночка	7
Zwergschnäpper	Red-breasted Flycatcher	Восточная малая мухоловка	7
Goldschnäpper	Yellow-rumped Flycatcher	Желтоспинная мухоловка	6
Mandschurenammmer	Ochre-rumped Bunting	Рыжешейная овсянка	6
Braunschnäpper	Asian Brown Flycatcher	Ширококлювая мухоловка	5
Chinarohrsänger	Oriental Reed-warbler	Восточная дроздовидная камышевка	5
Rauchschwalbe	Barn Swallow	Деревенская ласточка	5
Rötelammer	Chestnut Bunting	Рыжая овсянка	4
Wendehals	Eurasian Wryneck	Вертишейка	4
Gelbbrauenammer	Yellow-browed Bunting	Желтобровая овсянка	3
Mandschurendommel	Schrenck´s Bittern	Амурский волчок	3
Meisengimpel	Long-tailed Rosefinch	Урагус	3
Strichelschwirl	Lanceolated Warbler	Пятнистый сверчок	3
Waldohreule	Northern Long-eared Owl	Ушастая сова	3
Azurelster	Asian Azure-winged Magpie	Голубая сорока	2
Feldlerche	Eurasian Skylark	Полевой жаворонок	2
Gebirgsstelze	Grey Wagtail	Горная трясогузка	2
Pallasammer	Pallas´s Bunting	Полярная овсянка	2
Weidenammer	Yellow-breasted Bunting	Дубровник	2
Amurdrossel	Grey-backed Thrush	Сизый дрозд	1
Amurfalke	Amur Falcon	Амурский кобчик	1
Davidbuschsänger	Siberian Bush-warbler	Малая пестрогрудка	1
Dschungelnachtschwalbe	Jungle Nightjar	Большой козодой	1
Flussuferläufer	Common Sandpiper	Перевозчик	1
Habicht	Northern Goshawk	Тетеревятник	1
Orient-Zwergohreule	Oriental Scops-owl	Восточная совка	1
Orientturteltaube	Oriental Turtle-dove	Большая горлица	1
Riesenschwirl	Gray´s Warbler	Таежный сверчок	1
Schafstelze	Yellow Wagtail	Жёлтая трясогузка	1
Sperber	Eurasian Sparrowhawk	Перепелятник	1
Spornpieper	Richard´s Pipit	Степной конек	1
Zwergsumpfhuhn	Baillon´s Crake	Погоныш-крошка	1