Leif Rydell

Travel, birding and taking photos as the main purpose.

Utklippan Ringing Station late October 2020.

It has been 4 years since I last visited this hidden paradise. I used to come here every year during the 90s and first decade 0f 2000. I have so many great moments, both when it comes to birds and friendship. I have spent more than 160 nights here at this rustic but well preserved old lighthouse. Back in time the staff and their families lived here as they had to take care of the permanent light. Nowadays, this has naturally changed and it's all automatic. This year I again had the opportunity and my daughter, now 19, wanted to come along as she also has great memories being here when she was younger. My close friend Nick (you have seen him on pictures from other trips) also came along for the first time and also first time being part of the ringing activity.

The weather this week was quite windy but still not so bad that we couldn't have the nets up. The first 5 days we ringed about 50-150 birds each day. At this time different types of finches dominate, like Redpoll, Twite, Linnet and a few Bramblings and Siskins. The last days were really good and we made a new recored of 430 Redpolls in one day!! A great surprise among these was an Arctic Redpoll (unfortunately now lumped with the Redpoll).

Being on this great island also includes looking for migrating birds like Geese, Ducks and Gulls. A previous group banded this juvenile Greater White-fronted Goose. Quite uncommon in the Baltic Sea is the Black-legged Kittiwake but this year a few passed one day (distant photo).

Having Shorebirds as my favorite group of birds, some close encounters with a bunch of Purple Sandpipers was a big highlight of the trip. The pic with water splashing is not sharp (if it had been it would have been a great photo, I guess) but never the less a bird not very easy to come up close to.

A few warblers were ringed, mostly Chiff Chaffs and among them an easter Sub-species of Tristis. See the difference in color of the back, greenish in Colybita and Grey in Tristis.

One day, in the middle of the day, an owl just crossed my eyes around the corner of one of the houses. What was it, wasn't that a Barn Owl? Yes it was!! It flew in to one of the windows sections to the light house where we later found it again and took this photo. The first record for a living one ever on this island (one found dead by the lighthouse many years ago). This one of the eastern sub-species Guttata. WE tried to put up some extra nets but never succeeded. The next morning it was gone.

Otherwise when it comes to owls, many migrate through this island at this time of the year. Most of them are Long-eared Owls but a few of them are Short-eared Owls. They differs in behavior, Long-eard likes to seek shelter in trees and bushes where the nets are and Short-ears seek for shelter between rocks or more open placed "holes". Therefor Short-ears are seldom captured.

Here some nice pics of these great birds.

The last day, just before leaving we discovered this White Wagtail. Looks very much like a female Yarelli but could perhaps be a hybrid.

Finally some pics showing the beauty of this island. It's possible to go here during summer as a tourist as there are boat taxis and a café here at this time. For now.