A summary of the summer with nightjars (2:2)

 

The nightjar´s plumage lets the bird blend in in the habitat

Last week marked the end of a quiet successful field season with the nightjars in Småland, SE Sweden. We mainly experienced relatively calm, dry, and warm summer weather which boosted the activity of the nightjars as well as provided good trapping conditions throughout the season. As a result, we managed to retrieve eight activity loggers to add to the one mentioned in an earlier blog post.

We did also retrieve five GPS-tags containing migration data with high spatial resolution. We have in an earlier study based on light logger-derived data gained knowledge about the large-scale temporal and spatial migration pattern of our birds. The GPS-tags will allow us to go one step further and look into the birds´ decision making regarding e.g. departure decision, route choice and wind selectivity along the entire migration route.

As the nightjars are about to set out for the journey to their nonbreeding ranges we will stay behind and begin the exiting work analysing the retrieved data.

A nightjar demonstrating its huge gape

/Gabriel