GOT International

Sparrow Pond Serendipity 

      Appeased somewhat after its violent  attack on the fingers of Furquet, our catch glares at the camera - Picture: Abul Fazil

IT  was a serendipitous discovery, no less.  We were on the lookout for Robins, Tits, Blackcaps, Goldfinches and such like. The last thing we expected to find was a Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) – and the mist nets of GOT’s Carles Furquet threw up two of them. The venue: Bassa de Pardaler (Sparrow Pond), a five-hectare expanse of farmland  with a large grove of mainly poplars, Holm oak  and walnut trees around a little lake, in the urbanised municipality of Lliça d’Amunt (pop. 13,500). The mist-net haul of the Hawfinches and  seven other species kicked off a busy morning of bird-ringing, nestbox construction and their ceremonial hoisting high up strategically selected trees in the grove. About 40 parents and their children defied the freezing temperatures on Sunday (February 13) to participate in Project Nestbox, a study of avian activity  carried out under GOT auspices by ornithologist and veteran ringer Furquet.

Few passerines could arouse as much excitement among birders as the enigmatic Hawfinch, at 17cm in length and 55g in weight one of the largest members of the finch family. With its bulky bull-head and a massive bill powerful enough to crush an olive seed in one go, it is awesome at close quarters. The head is a magnificent metallic brown with a black eye stripe and a bib. It is extremely difficult to spot, and its numbers appear to have declined over the years. Hawfinches perch high in trees, but also feed on the ground inconspicuously among the foliage. Neither of the two hawfinches caught in the net took too kindly to their entrapment, and both furiously tried to sink their beaks into Furquet’s fingers as he extricated them. The violent attacks left painful contusions on the fingers, but the ringer took it all in his stride as he carefully ringed and quickly released them.     

Harbinger of spring drops by

Also caught in the nets were a Cirl Bunting (Emberiza cirlus), Cetti's Warbler (Cettia cetti), Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos), Robin (Erithacus rubecula), a pair of Blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) and a Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelsi). The Song Thrush, a harbinger of spring, was another unexpected visitor --  the bird is generally associated with mature and well-wooded landscape and Sparrow Pond is not considered a mature habitat. Indeed, one reason why Project Nestbox was launched is to find out whether such environments could support a stable avian population.

The Cetti’s warbler (pronounced /ˈtʃɛti/ ) was also a rare sight. A rather nondescript, sulking bird, it is always heard but hardly ever seen as it hides out among reed beds – its favourite haunt. In Catalonia it is known as Rossinyol bord (Bastard Nightingale) because its song – which rings out in loud bursts – is frequently mistaken for that of a Rufous Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos).

After the ringing, the business of building nestboxes -- always a high point of GOT's Mornings with Nature -- began in earnest. This time, however, the boxes would end up on the trees around -- the first stage of Project Nestbox. 

     Left: Carles Furquet explains to Jan,6, why a bat nestbox looks so different. Right: Lluis leads the way to the nestbox sites.

Eight boxes were put up and over the next couple of months they are expected to be occupied by a variety of nesting birds. Furquet expects to see results as early as the middle of March.

A birding session rounded up the morning, with Carles and bird-ringing assistant Ferran Pasqual identifying the sightings. Twelve species apart from those caught in the mist nets were seen, a modest but encouraging total for a highly urbanised zone.

The List, compiled by Ferran Pascual, includes the ringed species in red:

[English, Latin, Spanish, Catalan,German, french]

Blackcap, Sylvia atricapilla, Curruca Capirotada, Tallarol de casquet, Bergeronnette grise,Fauvette à tête noire

Cetti's Warbler, Cettia cetti, Ruiseñor Bastardo, Rossinyol bord, Seidensänger, Bouscarle de Cetti

Cirl Bunting, Emberiza cirlus, Escribano Soteño, Gratapalles, Zaunammer, Bruant zizi

Common Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs,  Pinzón Vulgar, Pinsà comú, Buchfink, Pinson des arbres 

Common Starling, Sturnus vulgaris, Estornino Pinto, Estornell vulgar, Star, Étourneau sansonnet

Common Woodpigeon, Columba palumbus, Paloma Torcaz, Tudó, Ringeltaube, Pigeon ramier

Crested Lark, Galerida cristata, Cogujada Común, Cogullada vulgar, Haubenlerche, Cochevis huppé

Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis, Jilguero, Cadernera, Stieglitz, Chardonneret élégant

Great Tit, Parus major, Carbonero Común, Mallerenga carbonera, Kohlmeise, Mésange charbonnière

Green Woodpecker, Picus viridis, Pito Real, Picot verd,            Grünspecht, Pic verd

Greenfinch, Carduelis chloris, Verderón Común, Verdum, Grünling, verdier d'Europe

Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea, Garza Real, Bernat pescaire, Graureiher, Héron cendré

Hawfinch, Coccothraustes coccothraustes, Picogordo, Durbec, Kernbeisser, Gros-bec

Magpie, Pica pica, Urraca, Garsa, Blauelster, Pie bleue

Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus, Gallineta Común, Polla d'aigua, Teichrallen,Gallinule poule d'eau

Robin,  Erithacus rubecula, Petirrojo Europeo, Pit-roig, Rotkehlchen, Rougegorge

Rock Dove, Columba livia, Paloma Bravía, Colom roquer, Felsentaube, Pigeon biset

Short-toed Eagle, Circaetus gallicu,s Culebrera Europea, Àguila marcenca, Schlangenadler, Circaète Jean-le-blanc

Siskin, Carduelis spinus, Lúgano, Lluer, Erlenzeisig, Tarin des aulnes

Song Thrush, Turdus philomelos, Zorzal Común, Tord comú, Singdrossel, Griv musicienne

What we didn't find was a single sparrow!                                                 Words & Pictures: Abul Fazil