Aquatic Warblers: Ringing at "Castricum"

Just returned from our birding tour in Eastern Poland we could assist at the ringing station in the dunes of Castricum for a couple of days. In the begining of August they catch at this ringsite the first Aquatic Warblers . In Poland we have seen these Warblers in their habitat: the low sedge marhes of the Biebrza. Here in the dunes of the Netherlands we hope to have a close look on these birds and even hold them in the hand.
On the first day, 5 August, we arrive at 5.15 am at the site. Jan Visser has already opened  the nets. It's a quiet day, no large numbers.

Jan Visser en Fabian

Some fotos of the birds trapped on this day:



green sandpiper



Nightingale, juvenile; You can already see the typical colour of the tail

Nightingale, adult

Next day, 6 August , we arrive at 5.15 at the ringing hut. It's still dark. Jan and Hans are already there. We drink coffee before starting the first round along the nets. Shall we trap an Aquatic Warbler today?
According to the statistics the first birds should be trapped on these days.
At around 8.00 I walk along the nets of the "bridge section". The net close to the water was empty, but on my way back  I pass this net again and then I see a small bird flying into the net. I've a close look on the bird and see a sedge warbler with a yellow median crown-stripe! That must be our first Aquatic warbler! I extract the bird from the net and study all details of the feathers togehther with Fabian. Then we go back to the hut, where the bird is ringed.

Aquatic Warbler, juvenile; the median crown-stripe of this bird isn't that broad

 Birds trapped today: 138  (22 species)
 Some species+ numbers:

green sandpiper 4                           nightingale 14     
reed warbler 31                             grasshopper warbler  14
whit-spotted bluethroat  4              lesser whitethroat  5  
common whitethroat  4                  willow warbler  11


Saterday 7 August: our last day. We are lucky: a second juvenile aquatic warbler is trapped. This bird has a beautiful median crown-stripe and a broad supercilium

 Birds trapped: 101 , 22 species, among them:

 green sandpiper      7                 greenshank  1
 spotted flycatcher   1                 common whitethroat  10

 icterine warbler       1                 reed warbler   17