Gull-ringing and other fun stuff

Now I am almost ready to start this seasons ringing, and I have to say I am very excited over the prospect of handling huge gulls, and small buntings. This season I have got three main projects going. As soon as I have got the rings which are now sendt from the mainland I will start trying to catch Glaucous Gulls (Polarmåke), and if I am lucky I might be as lucky as to get hold of one or two of the Iceland Gulls (Grønlandsmåke) that have frequented the area. There is also a good chance of catching a Herring Gull (Gråmåke), and Greater Black-backed (Svartbak), Lesser Black-backed (Sildemåke) , Common (Fiskemåke), Black-headed (Hettemåke) and Ivory Gulls (Ismåke) are all possible as well, although they are visiting in smaller numbers. I will be fitting the gulls with both metal- and color-rings so that there might be a possibility to resight the gulls and to see how they move around.



The second project will be to ring Anow Buntings (Snøspurv), this I will do by putting up a feeding-station outside my livingroom window, and I will be using a walk-in-trap. MAybe there will be a bird that has been ringed in UK or Norway amongst them?



The third project will be the ringing of small waders, where we this year will focus on two species, Dunlin (Myrsnipe) and Purple Sandpiper (Fjæreplytt). But of course all other waders or other birds that want to walk into the traps are more than welcome. I have got a ring for all the birds that visit.



Other than this I will again be trying to find as many as possible chicks to be ringed around Longyearbyen. Espescially Dunlin and Red/Grey Phalarope (Polarsvømmesnipe) will be my main target species, and I will try to find nests and chicks of Purple Sandpipers for future research-oportunities.



I am posting some of the pictures that I have posted earlier this year again so that my target species can be shown again. All I need now is the weather to get a bit better.

Red/Grey Phalarope is a bird I will be trying to find even more broods of this year.

Glaucous Gull will be one of my target species while ringing this year.

Ivory Gull is one of the famous birds of Longyearbyen.

Golden Plover is a rare breeding bird on Svalbard, and I hope to find more chicks to ring this year.

Iceland Gull is one of the species that I really hope that I can get my hands on this season.