Second-to-last week in Ponza: migration slows down but still brings surprises

Spring migration is starting to show signs of slowing down, but there were still some dynamic days and a few nice surprises. Between May 12th and 18th, around 1,600 birds were ringed, with a clear dominance of Garden warbler (Sylvia borin) and Icterine warbler (Hippolais icterina), species typical for this time of year. Among these Icterine warblers we laso had a retrap from Lithuania!

On May 13th, the first Red-backed shrikes (Lanius collurio) of the season arrived, while the 14th brought the first Tawny pipit (Anthus campestris). May 15th marked a special milestone with the first-ever Icterine warbler ringed in Montenegro retrap at Ponza—a new record for the project.

These days also gave us breathtaking sunsets and a mix of calmer and more active moments.

Although May 16th and 17th were relatively domintawed by the species of this period, the 17th still brought a highlight: a beautiful male Quail (Coturnix coturnix), proof that surprises can still show up. On May 18th, the week ended with over 300 birds ringed, once again dominated by garden warblers, but with the scenic presence of Golden oriole (Oriolus oriolus), including a striking adult male.