Autumn Owl ringing
We have autumn tradition for ringing migrating Owls. Our ringing site is more pleasant than usually. You can spend time before it gets dark enough in lake side sauna where you can see Black-throated Divers swimming near shore teaching their young to fish. Mist-nets and cd-player are in garden between apple trees. Between net checking rounds it is possible to sleep well indoors. We usually make rounds in shifts so one can sleep well half of the night. We know that in other locations it would be possible to get more owls, but then we might have to stay in car overnight and we would need lots of batteries for the player.
There seems to be small owls migrating right now. First night we caught a Pygmy Owl almost right away. Pygmy Owls are most active just after dusk and before dawn. When it gets completely dark, its time to chance “song” to Tengmalm´s Owl. They like darkness. First night we heard at least one Tengmalm´s Owl but it didn’t fly to mist-net. During second night there were 3-4 Tengmalm´s around and two of them were caught by mistnet. After measuring and ringing we released these owls a bit further away where they landed to spruce staring angrily to us.
- Hanna