Volunteering at Antikythira

After many days of bad weather today we finally managed to resume our monitoring programme and carry out a full morning of ringing! Nevertheless the wind conditions have been far from optimal and we got only 7 birds of 4 different species. We caught European Robin (Erithacus rubecula, Κοκκινολαίμης), Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus, Κοινός Φοινίκουρος), […]

Today, once again, the wind was too strong to open the nets, but we decided to anyway give it a try later in the morning with just a few of the most sheltered nets. In a few hours we got only two Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata, Σταχτομυγοχάφτης). Nevertheless the ringing operations were carefully recorded by […]

Third day of strong winds, and the ringing team is once again forced to keep the nets closed. We kept our self busy carrying out other duties at the ornithological station and, among all, inputing the ringing data. We keep on hoping that the weather forecast for the next few days is wrong and expect […]

For the second day in a row we were forced to keep our nets closed. The strong winds don’t seem to be dropping and the forecast for the next days is rather disheartening. We hope to be soon be able to start ringing again.

Today the wind was really too much. The ringing team had to surrender to constant 7 Beaufort NE wind which has been sweeping the island from the early hours of this morning. We hope in better conditions for the following days.

Ringing activities proceed regularly in Antikythira as the migration continues and new species pass by the island. Today we caught the first European Robin (Erithacus rubecula, Κοκκινολαίμης), therefore Autumn has arrived. This morning we ringed altogether 21 birds of  8 different species: Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus, Κοινός Φοινίκουρος), Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra, Καστανολαίμης), Garden Warbler (Sylvia […]

Despite the pessimistic weather forecast this morning was not so windy. We spent a pleasant morning ringing 32 birds of  8 different species.  We caught: European Scops Owl (Otus scops, Ευρωπαϊκός Γκιώνης), Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin, Κηποτσιροβάκος), Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla, Μαυροσκούφης), Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina, Κιτρινοστριτσίδα – photo), Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus, Θαμνοφυλλοσκόπος), Spotted Flycatcher […]

Wind, wind and more wind. The wind blew our nets, swept or ringing table and ruffled our hair all morning,  but, regardless, the ringing team was able to catch 18 birds of 9 different species: Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin, Κηποτσιροβάκος), Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla, Μαυροσκούφης), Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina, Κιτρινοστριτσίδα), Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus, Θαμνοφυλλοσκόπος), Spotted […]

This morning the wind died down for a few hours, just enough to let us catch 30 birds of 9 different species. Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin, Κηποτσιροβάκος) and Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla, Μαυροσκούφης) were the most numerous, but we also caught and ringed Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus, Κοινός Φοινίκουρος), Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis, Θαμνοτσιροβάκος), Icterine Warbler […]

The last three days a total 30 storks have passed, both Black and White.