Og dagens fugl er: . . . .

Kernebideren! Den blev snuppet i N5 få minutter i 10, lige inden standardperioden udløb. En fed hun med rugeplet, så vi venter snart familieforøgelse!

Længe troede jeg ellers det skulle være Gærdesangeren!

Det gule under næbbet og på undersiden skyldes sikkert, at den har fourageret i pileraklerne!

Det så yderst tyndt ud i morges, ikke en eneste fugl på de første to netrunder, bortset fra en rødhals genfangst. Men så kom der lidt gang i gærdesangerne, der bevægede sig rundt i haven og somme tider gav den som ”den lille møller”.

Ud af dagens fangst på 19 nymærkede fugle udgjorde gærdesangerne næsten halvdelen.

  På lukkerunden gav det en fin husrødstjert.

Dagens liste/The day’s ringing:

Jernspurv/Dunnock 1

Husrødstjert/Black Redstart 1

Løvsanger/Willow Warbler 1

Gransanger/Chiffchaff 2

Gærdesanger/Lesser Whitethroat 8

Broget fluesnapper/Pied Flycatcher1

Skovspurv/Treesparrow 2

Grønirisk/Greenfinch 1

Kernebider/Hawfinch 1

Gulspurv/Yellowhammer1

Total 19

Blog/Hans

En stille dag ved frisk vind . . . og et par lyspunkter

Ok, det holdt tørt, og heller ikke rim i græsset, og solen skinnede klart J

Så er osse det meste sagt! Der var ikke mange fugle at gøre godt med, selvom endnu en Rødtoppet fuglekonge kunne kommes i bogen på første netrunde, hvilket er nummer 43 i dette forår.

  Et andet af lyspunkterne var en ny årsart, der blev mærket: To gråsiskener.

Vibeke har været  her nogle timer de sidste tre dage og klippet brombær og taget brændenælder op -   -   - tusind tak for det!

Dagens liste ser sådan ud:

Rødhals/Robin 3

Løvsanger/Willow Warbler 1

Gransanger/Chiffchaff 3

Rødtoppet fuglekonge/Firecrest 1

Munk/Blackcap 1

Gærdesanger/Lesser Whitethroat 1

Grønirisk/Greenfinch 3

Gråsisken/Redpoll 2

Tornirisk/Linnet 1

Total 16

Blog/Hans

I gang igen efter et par dages pause.

Søndag måtte jeg hellige mig familiekomsammen ved Hornbæk, så ingen mærkning den dag, selvom det holdt nogenlunde tørvejr sydpå, Mandag var til gengæld ret så våd hele morgenen - resultat heller ingen fuglefangst denne dag.
   Morgenvejret var klart og næsten stille, og sk... koldt for fingrene! Ved 7-tiden var der rim i græsset. Jeg sendte lige en ængstelig tanke hjem til haven, hvor de første kartofler og georginer netop er ved at sætte spirerne over jorden!
   Ikke en særlig travl morgen, men dog noget at lave de første godt to timer, hvorpå aktiviteten ebbede ud. Derpå næsten udelukkende genfangster. Få gran- og løvsangere blandet med munk, gærdesanger og tornsanger og et par tornirisker.
   Lyspunktet var en hvid vipstjert, dem får vi ikke mange af inde i haven.

   Bo Kayser dukkede op og var med på en runde med efterfølgende kaffe i haven, hvorpå han prøvede lykken på Odden. Gert og Benny kom lidt efter, hvorpå vi gik i gang med trimning af græsarealer og netbaner, så der er klar til åbent hus på søndag.

Hvid vipstjert/White Wagtail 1
Gærdesmutte/Wren 2
Jernspurv/Dunnock 4
Rødhals/Robin 13
Rødstjert/Redstart 6
Sangdrossel/Song Thrush 3
Gærdesanger/Lesser Whitethroat 2
Tornsanger(Common Whitethroat 1
Munk/Blackcap 6
Gransanger/Chiffchaff 5
Løvsanger/Willow Warbler 3
Fuglekonge/Goldcrest 1
Tornirisk/Linnet 1
Total 48

Så er vi nede på jorden igen!

Ved netopsætning skyede det til, og vinden var en smule svagere end i går, men der var ikke meget, der rørte sig i stationshaven. Det endte med at blive en dag, der ramte forårsgennemsnittet meget godt: 29 nymærkninger på små seks timer.

Der ankom lidt flere gærdesangere, bl.a. en som Henrik Jørgensen mærkede i juli sidste sommer som 1k, så den er kommet vel tilbage fra Afrika!

Lidt tornirisker fløj rundt, og tre kunne mærkes: Pæne er de da!

Ellers var dagens highlight to rødtopppede fuglekonger, så forårs-totalen i Gedser lige nu er på 42.
Ta' den, Blåvand!

Dagens liste/theday's ringing

Gærdesmutte/Wren 1
Jernspurv/Dunnock 4
Rødhals/Robin 5
Rødstjert/Redstart 3
Solsort/Blackbird 1
Gærdesanger/Lesser Whitethroat 2
Munk/Blackcap 3
Gransanger/Chiffchaff 2
Løvsanger/Willow Worbler 1
Rødtoppet fuglekonge/Firecrest 2
Bogfinke/Chaffinch 1
Tornirisk/Linnet 3
Rørspurv/Reed Bunting 1
Total 29

En vild dag på stationen

Lizzy havde sin sidste ringmærkningsdag i går, og nu er hun rejst på ferie i Thailand. Hun har gjort et virkelig godt stykke arbejde, og de siger vi hende tusind tak for!

I de næste par uger overtager undertegnede tjansen med ringmærkningen, desværre nok ikke hver dag, men når tiden tillader det, og i dag åbnede jeg håbefuldt godt halvdelen af nettene i det disede vejr. Det viste sig hurtigt, at det skulle blive en uforglemmelig dag: Rødhalse og løvsangere tonsede igennem haven, fulgt af gransangere, jernspurve og rødstjerter.

Allerede på anden runde var der en munk med ring: MADRID stod der på den, så dagen var reddet, inden den var ret gammel. Dis og tåge vekslede frem og tilbage, og det gjorde, at fuglene bare blev ved med at slå sig ned. Det blev til flere nye ringmærkningsarter for året: Tornsanger, gærdesanger og broget fluesnapper og den ventede vendehals, som Lizzy så gerne ville have haft i hænderne.

Midt på eftermiddagen nærmede jeg mig Ø6, hvor jeg kunne se, at den liv og glade dage: tre solsorte (troede jeg) var gået i nettet, men da jeg kom helt derhen, víste det sig, at det var ringdrosler! Vi har aldrig nogen sinde før mærket flere af dem på én dag. Det var til at blive helt euforisk over!

De sidste mange dage har trækket gået dødt et par timer op af formiddagen, men ikke i dag, så jeg fortsatte helt til kl. 18, hvor totalen nåede op på 199 nymærkninger!

Dagens mærkninger/ today's ringing
Gransanger/Chiffchaff 31
Løvsanger/Willow Warbler 48
Fuglekonge/Goldcrest 2
Broget Fluesnapper/Pied Flycatcher 3
Rødhals(Robin 82
Jernspurv/Dunnock 6
Rødstjert/Redstart 3
Gærdesanger/Lesser Whitethroat 1
Tornsanger(Common Whitethroat 1
Tornirisk/Linnet 2
Gærdesmutte/Wren 1
Sangdrossel/Sung Thrush 7
Vendehals/Wryneck 1
Munk/Blackcap 7
Bogfinke/Chaffinch 1
Ringdrossel/Ring Ouzel 3
Total 199

Hans

First Common Redstart for the year

Today was a good day of ringing despite windy conditions. A total of 33 new birds were ringed and 8 retraps were caught - much better than yesterday considering I only had the nets open for the standard 5 hours! Good species diversity too today with 11 species ringed, of which Robins (15) and Willow Warblers (5) were the most common. Also in with the usual species were Linnets, Blackcaps, a Yellowhammer and the first Common Redstart of the year. Great to have the chance to see this guy in the hand before I leave.

That officially concludes my time at Gedser Fuglestation - like I said in yesterday's blog post I can't believe how fast the time has gone and I wish I had longer. Ringing in Gedser every morning for the past month has been bliss! I've been so impressed by the terrific setup and scientific program at the station, and will be stealing a few ideas to take back to Australia. It's been a pleasure to meet many of those involved with the station and those who read the blog and came down to say hi - thanks for making me feel so welcome. The community involvement at the station and appreciation for birds that I've witnessed in Gedser is something very special and heartening for the future of bird research and conservation here. I would especially like to thank Hans and Gert for their time, effort, support, expertise and excellent company over the past month - you guys are the best and have made my time here so enjoyable. And I'll have to come back to ring that Wryneck!

Breakdown 23/04/2015:
Dunnock (Jernspurv) - 3
Robin (Rødhals) - 15
Common Redstart (Rødstjert) - 1
Song Thrush (Sangdrossel) - 1
Blackcap (Munk) - 2
Chiffchaff (Gransanger) - 2
Willow Warbler (Løvsanger) - 5
Goldcrest (Fuglekonge) - 1
Greenfinch (Grønirisk) - 1
Linnet (Tornirisk) - 1
Yellowhammer (Gulspurv) - 1
TOTAL = 33



Lizzy Joyce

Very slow morning

Well although a month has passed it seems I am no better at predicting how the day of ringing will turn out. Opening the nets this morning the weather was cloudy and there was absolutely no wind - I thought that this would have been a good morning for a big day of ringing - but I was wrong. It was in fact a very slow day, with relatively few birds singing in the garden, and only 24 birds were ringed and 13 retraps measured. There were many net rounds which yielded no birds or only retraps from the earlier in the morning - bizarre considering the great conditions continued for the whole 8 hours.

No wind but no birds!

The new birds ringed were all the regular species from the past few weeks; Wrens, Chiffchaffs, Blackbirds, Dunnocks and one Goldcrest, Great Tit and Willow Warbler. Other than that a Tree Sparrow, Blackcap and two Linnets also featured.

The Tree Sparrow ringed this afternoon

I'm sad to say there's only one more day of ringing left for me at Gedser Fuglestation - I can't believe how quickly the month has gone! That gives me one more day to catch the European species I would love to ring more than anything - a Wryneck (Vendehals). I've got a good feeling tomorrow is the day I'm going to catch one. Then again, I couldn't even guess the outcome of today...

Here's to wishful thinking!

Breakdown 22/04/2015:
Wren (Gærdesmutte) - 2
Dunnock (Jernspurv) - 1
Robin (Rødhals) - 6
Blackbird (Solsort) - 2
Blackcap (Munk) - 1
Chiffchaff (Gransanger) - 6
Willow Warbler (Løvsanger) - 1
Goldcrest (Fuglekonge) - 1
Great Tit (Musvit) - 1
Tree Sparrow (Skovspurv) - 1
Linnet (Tornirisk) - 2
TOTAL = 24


Lizzy Joyce

Having a field day with a Fieldfare

More great weather resulted in another great day of ringing. This morning 67 new birds were ringed and 7 retraps were measured. There were 12 species ringed today, and unlike previous mornings Robins did not dominate the catch - they were the second-most common species (14 ringed) after Willow Warblers (18 ringed). Chiffchaffs were the third most abundant, with 10 ringed.

Chiffchaff (left) and Willow Warbler (right) had their share of the spotlight today along with Robins

There were also many Linnets in the garden today, and 4 were ringed along with 2 Goldfinches, 3 Blackcaps and the usual species of Dunnocks, Wrens, Greenfinches, Chaffinches and Song Thrush. But the highlight of the morning was ringing a Fieldfare - the first for the year and another new species for me before I leave.

The gorgeous first Fieldfare ringed for the year

Once again I spent the afternoon birdwatching around Maribo with Gert. Other than an Osprey (Fiskeørn) and a very late Smew (Lille Skallesluger), there was nothing too noteworthy to report. But what better way to enjoy this glorious weather.

Breakdown 21/04/2015:
Wren (Gærdesmutte) - 2
Dunnock (Jernspurv) - 6
Robin (Rødhals) - 14
Fieldfare (Sjagger) - 1
Song Thrush (Sangdrossel) - 2
Blackcap (Munk) - 3
Chiffchaff (Gransanger) - 10
Willow Warbler (Løvsanger) - 18
Chaffinch (Bogfinke) - 3
Greenfinch (Grønirisk) - 2
Goldfinch (Stillits) - 2
Linnet (Tornirisk) - 4
TOTAL = 67


Lizzy Joyce

Willow Warblers and a Woodpecker

Awesome day of Spring ringing today! Perfect weather (I took both my jackets off this morning so it must be getting warm) and a great catch. Again I was busy early on this morning and then everything slowed to about 3 birds per net round after that.

A total of 94 birds were ringed this morning from 15 species, and 15 retraps were caught. Excitingly, the Willow Warblers have arrived in the garden! They've been around Gedser for a while now but I haven't seen any sign of them in the garden until this morning when they were singing beautifully just after sunrise. Six were ringed early on this morning.

Something else a bit different this morning was that I ringed a Great Spotted Woodpecker - my first Woodpecker and a real treat in my final days at the station. Such great birds! It took me longer than I expected to extract the net from its fantastically strong, gripping feet and it made such a racket. It also had a decent peck at my hands but I loved every second of it - it's a Woodpecker after all!

The Great Spotted Woodpecker ringed today

Also of note is that I recorded the first brood patch of this season on a Greenfinch this morning. Looks like Spring is really starting to get into full swing now and the birds are officially getting ready to breed.

Greenfinch showing the development of a brood patch when feathers blown away from the body

Close up of brood patch, which is a highly vasculated bare area that birds develop in the nesting season to keep their eggs warm during incubation

A Goldfinch, Reed Bunting, Blackcap, Black Redstart and a couple of Bramblings were also caught in with the usual suspects of Robins, Wrens, Dunnocks, Chiffchaffs, Goldcrests, Great Tits and Greenfinches. Again Robins were the most common species ringed and comprised 58 % of the catch.

The weather for tomorrow looks like a repeat of today - I'd be happy with a repeat of today's catch too.

Breakdown 20/04/2015:
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Stor Flagspætte) - 1
Wren (Gærdesmutte) - 1
Dunnock (Jernspurv) - 6
Robin (Rødhals) - 53
Black Redstart (Husrødstjert) - 1
Song Thrush (Sangdrossel) - 1
Blackcap (Munk) - 1
Chiffchaff (Gransanger) - 12
Willow Warbler (Løvsanger) - 6
Goldcrest (Fuglekonge) - 1
Great Tit (Musvit) - 4
Brambling (Kvækerfinke) - 2
Greenfinch (Grønirisk) - 3
Goldfinch (Stillits) - 1
Reed Bunting (Rørspurv) - 1
TOTAL = 94


Lizzy Joyce

Mostly Robins and a hungry Hawfinch

Another day of fine weather accompanied another good Spring day of ringing. It was a busy start to the morning, but after 8 am the busy burst of birds slowed considerably to 2-3 birds per net round. A total of 55 new birds were ringed this morning and 13 retraps were caught.  Though numbers were similar to yesterday, the species diversity was not quite as high with 10 species ringed. Robins dominated the day, but a Linnet, Hawfinch (that decided to see how I taste and take a slice out of my finger) and Yellowhammer also featured.

The Yellowhammer ringed today

The great weather looks like it will continue for the next couple of days, so hopefully the good mornings of ringing will too.

Breakdown 19/04/2015:
Wren (Gærdesmutte) - 5
Dunnock (Jernspurv) - 4
Robin (Rødhals) - 33
Blackcap (Munk) - 3
Chiffchaff (Gransanger) - 1
Linnet (Tornirisk) - 1
Hawfinch (Kernebider) - 1
Yellowhammer (Gulspurv) - 1
TOTAL = 55


Lizzy Joyce

Sunshine and birds

Blue skies and sunshine at Gedser Fuglestation today

A great Spring day of ringing. It was beautiful weather for the whole day - sunny with no wind - and the birds seemed to enjoy it just as much as I did. I ringed 51 birds of 14 species, and caught 22 retraps. It was a real mixed bag of species, with a Brambling, Linnet, Hawfinch, Yellowhammer, Firecrest and a couple of Goldfinches among the standard species for this time of year. The Firecrest means Gedser Fuglestation has cracked 40 ringed birds for 2015!

The Greenfinch - a common, but nonetheless super bird

On top of a good day of ringing and glorious weather I found amber on the beach this evening so I am one happy chappy - Gedser is such a great place to be. Looks like the nice weather will continue for tomorrow (or at least the wind is forecast to be light) so hopefully it will be another good day.

Breakdown 18/04/2015:
Wren (Gærdesmutte) - 2
Dunnock (Jernspurv) - 9
Robin (Rødhals) - 2
Blackbird (Solsort) - 2
Chiffchaff (Gransanger) - 13
Firecrest (Rødtoppet Fuglekonge) - 1
Great Tit (Musvit) - 1
Brambling (Kvækerfinke) - 1
Greenfinch (Grønirisk) - 2
Goldfinch (Stilits) - 2
Linnet (Tornirisk) - 1
Hawfinch (Kernebider) - 1
Yellowhammer (Gulspurv) - 1
TOTAL = 51


Lizzy Joyce

Great ringing weather

It has definitely been four seasons in one day today; early this morning it was overcast and cold, turning into warm and sunny weather later in the morning, and just as I write this now it has started to hail. The main thing is that it was great weather for ringing this morning with the wind finally subsiding for the first day in a while, and so I opened all the nets.

Sunny Spring at Gedser Fuglestation

It was a slow and steady Spring day, with 31 new birds ringed and 23 retraps caught. One Bullfinch was ringed, which is something different for the past three weeks, but other than that the composition of the catch was much the same as the past couple of days with 11 species ringed.

The Bullfinch ringed today

Breakdown 17/04/2015:
Dunnock (Jernspurv) - 8
Robin (Rødhals) - 4
Black Redstart (Husrødstjert) - 1
Blackbird (Solsort) - 2
Chiffchaff (Gransanger) - 4
Blue Tit (Blåmejse) - 1
Chaffinch (Bogfinke) - 4
Greenfinch (Grønirisk) - 3
Linnet (Tornirisk) - 1
Bullfinch (Dompap) - 1
Reed Bunting (Rørspurv) - 2
TOTAL = 31


Lizzy Joyce

Another retrap day

The weather was much the same as yesterday, and so was the resulting catch for this morning. I ringed 27 birds in 9 hours and 18 retraps - a very slow day. A total of 11 species were ringed, including another Black Redstart, a couple of Linnets and a couple of Reed Buntings among the usual suspects. Still haven't seen or heard Willow Warblers around the station so expecting them any day now.

The beautiful markings of the Linnet ringed today

A Black Redstart showing off its brilliant tail

It looks like the wind is starting to lessen over the next couple of days so perhaps birds will start to move again!

This Great Tit was first ringed in autumn 2010 at Gedser Fuglestation and retrapped today

Breakdown 16/04/2015:
Wren (Gærdesmutte) - 1
Dunnock (Jernspurv) - 6
Robin (Rødhals) - 4
Black Redstart (Husrødstjert) - 1
Chiffchaff (Gransanger) - 2
Blue Tit (Blåmejse) - 3
Great Tit (Musvit) - 2
Greenfinch (Grønirisk) - 3
Siskin (Grønsisken) - 1
Linnet (Tornirisk) - 2
Reed Bunting (Rørspurv) - 2
TOTAL = 27


Lizzy Joyce

Hvornår er der sort glente i Gedser?

Sort glente er blevet langt mere talrig i den nordlige del af Europa – hvorvidt dette skyldes en bestandsforøgelse med tilhørende spredning eller en flugt fra sydligere egne er vidst ikke belyst helt.

I Gedser ses flere og flere individer dels som en følge af den stærkt øget ornitologiske aktivitet men også som følge af at flere individer kommer forbi Gedser.

Sort glente (Black kite) Copyright © Louis A. Hansen

Copyright © Louis A. Hansen

Skal du have maximum ud af dine besøg i Gedser er dof basen og vejr meldinger de mest sikre kilder.

Her en lille oversigt over de indrapporterede sorte glenter i Gedser (der er mindst 50 andre individer der ikke er indskrevet!).

Vær at notere at der flere gange er set over fem individer pr. dag og mindst tre gange set otte eller derover. Men husk at nedstående tal er en sum på datoen fra alle år!

En forsigtig konklusion er at der er sort glente garanti fra ultimo april til primo juni i Gedser.

Om efteråret er der stort set sort glente garenti (men færre individer pr. dag) fra ultimo august til omkring primo oktober.

Louis A. Hansen/Gedser Fuglestation

(udtræk fra dof-basen foretaget vinteren 2014-2015)

A slow retrap day

Though the sun was shining for the later part of the morning, the wind persisted throughout the ringing session this morning and affected the catch. More retraps were caught than new birds ringed, with 26 retraps (mostly from the last 3-4 days), and only 20 new birds ringed in 8 hours. More notable birds ringed this morning include the first Black Redstart of the year, 2 Linnets, and we managed to catch a new Firecrest for Johanne to ring on her last day at the station.

The first Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) of the year caught on the first net round of the morning

It looks like it will take a break in this windy weather for the birds to start moving again. The weather looks much the same tomorrow so it may not come so soon, but we'll see.

Breakdown 15/04/2015:
Dunnock (Jernspurv) - 3
Robin (Rødhals) - 7
Black Redstart (Husrødstjert) - 1
Chiffchaff (Gransanger) - 3
Firecrest (Rødtoppet Fuglekonge) - 1
Chaffinch (Bogfinke) - 2
Greenfinch (Grønirisk) - 1
Linnet (Tornirisk) - 2
TOTAL = 20


Lizzy Joyce

New species for the year

Well, I said I thought that Ring Ouzel was just waiting around for this morning to be ringed, and it turned out I was right. This morning we caught and ringed a beautiful male - definitely the highlight of the day! Ring Ouzels are not a common bird at the station, with only 17 individuals ringed at Gedser Fuglestation since 1994. So exciting stuff for the station!

The male Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus) ringed this morning at Gedser Fuglestation

Also of note is that we caught the first Blackcap for the year. The Blackcap and Ring Ouzel made a brilliant morning out of what would have otherwise been an average catch. The morning got off to a steady start, but then a cold and windy change later in the morning saw the flow of birds slow to a mere trickle. In total, 40 new birds were ringed and 25 retraps were measured.

The first Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) of the year was a great little male

We also were pleased to see some of the first birds in the new pond at the station which was only just established in the winter, including a Brent Goose (Knortegås). This is a promising sign for the pond attracting many birds and exciting sightings in the future, especially once some vegetation is established.

A Brent Goose enjoying the new pond at Gedser Fuglestation

Johanne and I spent the cold and windy afternoon with Gert bird-watching around the island. Highlights included seeing a Little Ringed Plover (Lille Præstekrave) and Ruff (Brushane), and seeing a few of the first Barn Swallows (Landsvale) and Greenshanks (Hvidklire) of the year.

All up a terrific day at Gedser Fuglestation!

Breakdown 14/04/2015:
Wren (Gaerdesmutte) - 7
Dunnock (Jernspurv) - 13
Robin (Rødhals) - 9
Ring Ouzel (Ringdrossel)- 1
Song Thrush (Sangdrossel)- 2
Blackcap (Munk) - 1
Chiffchaff (Gransanger) - 1
Great Tit (Musvit) - 1
Treecreeper (Træløber)- 1
Tree Sparrow (Skovspurv) - 1
Chaffinch (Bogfinke) - 3
TOTAL = 40


Lizzy Joyce

Når toget (desværre) kommer til tiden

Nu er det efterhånden længe siden jeg har taget længere perioder med ringmærkning ved Gedser Fuglestation, og dermed er der også længere tid imellem, at jeg får genfund på de fugle, jeg har mærket dernede.
I går kom der dog et fra museet, og det var et af de mere specielle. I 2013 var jeg i Gedser i nogle få dage i november for at hilse på det engelske team, der mærkede dernede i den periode. Ud over den standardiserede mærkning om dagen prøvede vi også at fange ugler om natten. Jeg var heldig at mærke 2 skovhornugler på de få dage - blandt andet en ung hun den 11/11-13.

Den 25/1-2015 bliver den så fundet på en jernbanestrækning ved Maffle i Belgien efter desværre at være blevet ramt af et tog. Det er ikke så ualmindeligt at ugler og rovfugle rammes af tog desværre. Det er til gengæld kun 3. gang at en dansk-mærket skovhornugle genmeldes fra Belgien. Der er dog også to fund fra Frankrig, så det er nok ikke så ualmindeligt, at de trækker langt mod syd.

Det er så vidt jeg ved 2. genfund af skovhornugle ringmærket ved Gedser Fuglestation, da en fugl tidligere er genmeldt fra Tyskland.
Nu er det bare at vente til oktober, hvor vi igen kan bruge nætterne på uglefangst.
Jesper Brinkmann

Making the most of the bad weather

Unfortunately the weather today was very windy and prevented us from putting the nets up again this morning. However, there were a couple of hours outside of the standardised ringing period later in the morning where the wind calmed down slightly, giving us an opportunity to put a few of the more sheltered nets up. Despite our efforts the wind was against us and so only 3 new birds were ringed, and 8 retraps were processed. Not a total flop though because the Brambling caught was a new species to ring for me, and one of the retraps was a Firecrest, giving Johanne the opportunity to take a look at this species in the hand for the first time. Hopefully we can get her a new Firecrest to ring tomorrow though.

The beautiful markings on the mantle and back of the female Brambling  (Fringilla montifringilla)

With rain putting a stop to this brief ringing session, Hans, Johanne and I headed over to Kroghage and Vesterhave in Gedser to bird-watch. The highlights included spotting a Jack Snipe (Enkeltbekkasin), Goosander (Stor Skallesluger), Red-breasted Merganser (Toppet Skallesluger), and - Johanne's favourite - Long-tailed Duck (Havlit).

Hans and Johanne seeing what they can find at Kroghage, Gedser

In the afternoon we put some sheltered nets up for another couple of hours, but only caught one new Robin and a retrap. It was still worth the effort though, because on one of our net rounds we spotted a very handsome male Ring Ouzel (Ringdrossel) in the garden - I think he's just waiting around for tomorrow morning so we can put a ring on him (now wouldn't that be awesome!?).

The forecast tomorrow is looking much more ringing-friendly, so hopefully we will be in for a good morning.

Breakdown 13/04/2015:

Robin (Rødhals) - 1

Wren (Gærdesmutte) - 1

Brambling (Kvækerfinke) - 1

Blackbird (Solsort) - 1

TOTAL = 4

Lizzy Joyce

No ringing today

I stepped outside into a windy morning today. I had a go at opening a few nets in more sheltered positions around the garden but they were still getting hit by the wind and so closed everything up again. As such, no birds today.

Johanne has arrived at the station and will be ringing with myself and Hans for the next couple of days. Fingers crossed conditions will improve so she can ring some birds but the forecast for tomorrow is not looking so promising. Hopefully in the morning we find we can open some nets.

A grey and windy day at Gedser Fuglestation

Lizzy Joyce

Sunny Spring day

Clear skies as the sun rises over the nets

Conditions were great for ringing again this morning, with hardly any wind and warm temperatures for Spring. Though I didn't come near to the total of yesterday's catch, it was still a good morning with 66 new birds ringed and 3 retraps. The spread of species was much more even today, but again the most common species ringed were Robins (16), Goldcrests (12) and Firecrests (8). This makes it three days in a row now that I've ringed 8 Firecrests, and brings the total number for the year so far to a massive 38. Let's hope this trend continues!

I spent the afternoon with Hans and Gert at Bøtø Nor preparing nest boxes for the coming breeding season where they hope to see Wrynecks nesting. I wasn't lucky enough to spy a Wryneck but you never know maybe I'll get to ring one in the next couple of weeks (wishful thinking perhaps???)... Hans then introduced me to the wildflowers in bloom in some nearby forest. It's exciting to see Spring springing and everything start to green up after the European winter - such an extreme seasonal change I don't get to witness in Australia.

Gert and Hans checking a nest box at Bøtø Nor

The forest floor in full bloom before the trees get their leaves

It looks like we're due for a cold change at Gedser with windy conditions forecast for tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to put nets up, but I'll check it out in the morning.

Breakdown 11/04/2015:
White Wagtail (Hvid Vipstjert) - 1
Wren (Gærdesmutte) - 4
Dunnock (Jernspurv) - 4
Robin (Rødhals) - 16
Blackbird (Solsort) - 1
Song Thrush (Sangdrossel) - 5
Redwing (Vindrossel) - 2
Chiffchaff (Gransanger) - 7
Goldcrest (Fuglekonge) - 12
Firecrest (Rødtoppet Fuglekonge) - 8
Chaffinch (Bogfinke) - 5
Greenfinch (Grønorisk) - 1
TOTAL = 66


Lizzy Joyce

Best day of the year yet

Brilliant conditions for ringing today with no wind and warmer temperatures, and this was reflected in numbers. The morning started off so busily that I had to call Hans for backup at one point, and the conditions were so good that I kept the nets up well beyond the standardised ringing period. A total of 224 birds were ringed today, and 10 retraps were caught - so far the best day of the year.

Robins dominated the catch again with 179 ringed. The next most abundant species were Goldcrests (10), and, matching yesterday's record, Firecrests (8). The highlights of the morning include the first White Wagtail for the year, and a beautiful Goldfinch which I was thrilled to get to see in the hand. Also thrown into the mix was a Linnet, a Reed Bunting and a couple of Redwings. In total 15 species were ringed.

The brilliant adult male Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) ringed today

First White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) for the year

What a day!! Time for a glass of red I think.

Breakdown 10/04/2015:
White Wagtail (Hvid Vipstjert) - 1
Wren (Gærdesmutte) - 6
Dunnock (Jernspurv) - 2
Robin (Rødhals) - 179
Song Thrush (Sangdrossel) - 2
Redwing (Vindrossel) - 2
Chiffchaff (Gransanger) - 4
Goldcrest (Fuglekonge) - 10
Firecrest (Rødtoppet Fuglekonge) - 8
Blue Tit (Blåmejse) - 1
Chaffinch (Bogfinke) - 1
Greenfinch (Grønirisk) - 5
Goldfinch (Stilits) - 1
Linnet (Tornirisk) - 1
Reed Bunting (Rørspurv) - 1
TOTAL = 224


Lizzy Joyce

New kids on the block

Well what a brilliant morning of ringing!

Birds were on the move again with the change of conditions today - the birds of the past week have gone and new flocks have moved in. A total of 77 birds were caught today, with only 6 retraps and 71 new birds ringed. 38 of these new birds were Robins, most of which were born last year.

Forget Batman - today was all about Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

On top of the good April total a couple of records were broken today. I think some Firecrests must have read my post yesterday and planned to get together today, because 8 new Firecrests were ringed this morning - the most ever in one day! This also brings the total for this Spring up to 22, making it the best Spring ever for the species at Gedser Fuglestation (and we're not even half-way through)! In addition, 2 Hawfinches were ringed today bringing the total for the year up to 6 - that makes this Spring the best year yet for Hawfinches too (the record for Spring was 4 in 2010). Good to see the numbers of these species increasing, and it's interesting to think what factors might be underlying these patterns.

They look grumpy but they've had a great year - Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla)

Ready to do it all again tomorrow - can't wait to see what the morning brings.

Breakdown 09/04/2015:
Wren (Gærdesmutte) - 3
Dunnock (Jernspurv) - 5
Robin (Rødhals) - 38
Blackbird (Solsort) - 1
Chiffchaff (Gransanger) - 1
Goldcrest (Fuglekonge) - 9
Firecrest (Rødtoppet Fuglekonge) - 8
Chaffinch (Bogfinke) - 2
Greenfinch (Grønirisk) - 2
Hawfinch (Kernebider) - 2
TOTAL = 71


Lizzy Joyce

Waiting for their next move

It seems that the same birds have been remaining in the garden for the past few days and are waiting for conditions to change before moving on - this morning I caught almost as many retraps as new birds. Or maybe they just like hanging out with me every morning. A total of 47 birds were caught today, comprising 21 retraps (all from earlier this week) and 26 new birds. Thirteen different species were ringed, with Chaffinches making up most of the catch (6), and another Firecrest. This brings Gedser Fuglestation up to 14 Firecrests for Spring already - at this rate it looks like 2015 could get close to Spring 2011's record Firecrest catch of 21.

The total number of Firecrests ringed in Spring (March, April, May) each year. Note that the numbers have not been adjusted for catch effort.

Breakdown 08/04/2015:
Wren (Gærdesmutte) - 1
Dunnock (Jernspurv) - 2
Robin (Rødhals) - 2
Blackbird (Solsort) - 1
Song Thrush (Sangdrossel) - 1
Chiffchaff (Gransanger) - 3
Goldcrest (Fuglekonge) - 2
Firecrest (Rødtoppet Fuglekonge) - 1
Blue Tit (Blåmejse) - 2
Great Tit (Musvit) - 2
Chaffinch (Bogfinke) - 6
Greenfinch (Grønirisk) - 1
Sisken (Grønsisken) - 2
TOTAL = 26


Lizzy Joyce

50 bird day

The wind was stronger than the last couple of days and so this limited the number of nets that I could put up. Despite this, the flow of birds was steady throughout the morning, giving me a total of 42 new birds and 8 retraps. A good diversity of species too, with 12 different species ringed, including a new species for April - a Linnet. I had the pleasure of having the company of Benny and Hans for some of the morning - how Benny walks around in this temperature with open-toed sandals I have no idea - I'm still rugged up in all my winter gear. But I guess this just proves I'm Australian and not Danish!

The Linnet (Carduelis cannabina) ringed this morning

Breakdown 07/04/2015:
Wren (Gærdesmutte) - 1
Dunnock (Jernspurv) - 7
Robin (Rødhals) - 5
Blackbird (Solsort) - 4
Song Thrush (Sangdrossel) - 1
Goldcrest (Fuglekonge) - 14
Firecrest (Rødtoppet Fuglekonge) - 1
Blue Tit (Blåmejse) - 3
Starling (Stær) - 1
Chaffinch (Bogfinke) - 3
Greenfinch (Grønirisk) - 1
Linnet (Tornirisk) - 1
TOTAL = 42


Lizzy Joyce

Treecreeping and bird-watching

It was another solid morning of ringing at Gedser Fuglestation today with a total of 44 birds caught - 32 new birds ringed and 12 retraps. Following the trend of the past couple of weeks, the catch mainly comprised Dunnocks and Goldcrests; however I also ringed a Treecreeper, which is a new species for April (and me!). Again, the morning started off busily, but petered off later as the wind picked up and I mostly re-caught Goldcrests from earlier in the morning.

Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris) ringed today

Love the long hind claw on Treecreepers - what cool little birds

I spent the afternoon having a great birdwatch with Gert around Majbølle and Maribo on Lolland Island. Among a tonne of new species for me, we spotted a Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina) - one of the first for the season - and a Smew (Mergellus albellus) - one of the last for the season. Looks like I arrived just at the right time.

Breakdown 06/04/2015:
Goldcrest (Fuglekonge) - 12
Chiffchaff (Gransanger) - 3
Firecrest (Rødtoppet Fuglekonge) - 1
Treecreeper (Træløber) - 1
Robin (Rødhals) - 1
Wren (Gærdesmutte) - 3
Dunnock (Jernspurv) - 6
Chaffinch (Bogfinke) - 1
Greenfinch (Grønirisk) - 1
Blackbird (Solsort) - 1
Song Thrush (Sangdrossel) - 2
TOTAL = 32


Lizzy Joyce

Easter done Gedser-style

The moon setting over the ocean this morning

No chocolate eggs for me today - instead the Easter bunny brought me a solid morning of ringing. Despite conditions being pretty much identical to yesterday I didn't catch as many birds, however the result was still not bad for an April morning. I ringed 27 birds this morning, again, mostly Dunnocks. Two new Firecrests were ringed as well. I also re-caught lots of birds from yesterday morning, with a total of 10 retraps.

 

Determining the sex of birds is not always easy - but in the case of 
Firecrests it is. The left bird in these photos [above] is male, and 
the right bird is a female. Males have a bright orange streak in their 
crown, while females only have yellow.

A proud looking Chaffinch ringed today

I went for a walk along the beach later this afternoon to collect belemnites and hunt for amber - no luck on the amber, but I'll keep trying. All up a great way to spend my Easter Sunday!

Breakdown 05/04/2015:
Dunnock (Jernspurv) - 7
Robin (Rødhals) - 3
Blackbird (Solsort) - 2
Song Thrush (Sangdrossel) - 2
Chiffchaff (Gransanger) - 1
Goldcrest (Fuglekonge) - 2
Firecrest (Rødtoppet Fuglekonge) - 2
Great Tit (Musvit) - 3
Chaffinch (Bogfinke) - 3
Greenfinch (Grønirisk) - 2
TOTAL = 27


Lizzy Joyce