Last week (19-23/09) produced some great ringing in Tzor'a Valley Ringing Station. The climax of this week surely came in form of a control of a Barn Swallow with a ring SAFRING UNIV CAPETOWN SA AP-96986. I am very eager to get the ringing details as soon as possible, but anyway this is very rare event. After 75 years of ringing in Israel, only five times Israeli ringers held a live bird ringed from Africa: one from Tunisia, two from Egypt and two from Kenya.
The South African bird was caught together with another 305 birds in a swallow roost session; several thousand Barn Swallows and Sand Martins came down to roost near my nets - definitely an impressive sight.
I get an answer from Hungary about their Reed Warbler I controlled on August 26 in Tzor'a Valley Ringing Station. The bird was ringed in Kenderes, Telekhalmi-halastavak on 23 July 2011 (2112 km). It's not very surprising but another nice piece data added to our database.
The total of the week is 612 birds ringed and another 86 retraps from 25 species. Most were 378 Barn Swallows, 83 Reed Warblers, 58 Willow Warblers and 41 Sand Martins. Other birds worth noting were a first Hoopoe ringed at Tzor'a Valley Ringing Station, first Bluethroat of this season, nice adult Bee-eater with a suspended moult and adult male Little Bittern with active primary moult.
 |
| Bee-eater - suspended moult |
 |
| Little Bittern - active moult |