Spring just keeps on giving

A beautiful, calm, sunny, hot summer's day produced a typical 11 new birds in the nets through the morning but there was some real quality in the meagre total with the highlight definitely a cracking River Warbler caught at dawn - only the 5th to be ringed here at the station.   The rest of the birds included the first Nuthatch to be caught this year, a Marsh Warbler, a Garden Warbler, a Willow Warbler  and a Robin.

River Warbler

Nuthatch

 

The day's other highlight came at around 07:45 when a 1st summer Pallid Harrier flew east along the coast, pausing occasionally to circle and gain height giving good views from the station and to Louis et al out on the tip.   Other birds recorded from the point included an Osprey south, 4 Marsh Harriers, a Peregrine, a Golden Oriole mooching around and a selection of returning wildfowl with the most noteworthy being 700 Common Scoter.

 

The afternoon was quieter with an increase in Swifts noted over the station - probably birds already thinking of heading south again and some good breeding bird activity for the Atlas project that is running for the next three years with Lesser Whitethroats, Whitethroats, Chiffchaffs, Chaffinches and Yellowhammers all seen feeding chicks/fledglings.

Quietness

The wind had picked up overnight to a very strong South-westerly by dawn but we managed open a good number of nets especially on the leeward side of the garden; that's where the good news ended though as a single Greenfinch was the only reward for the session!

Four Little Gulls flew west along the shore and more fledglings were out and about in the area with young Yellowhammers and White Wagtails and their parents making lots of noise around the garden.

As there were no birds to photograph, here's a record shot of a Hedgehog as it sprinted past me like a rocket this morning; its a terrible picture but enough to clinch the identification!

 

 

 

 

Changing weather

A nice, pleasant start to the day being sunny with a light easterly breeze but through the morning the wind picked up and swung round to the SW bringing with it a short spell of heavy rain just before lunch.   Managed to get a full ringing session in before that arrived though but only caught 10 new birds which included a smart red, male Common Rosefinch, 2 Icterine Warblers, 2 Garden Warblers and a Reed Warbler.

Out of 13 caught so far this spring, this is the second red one

Garden Warbler

 

Louis had the only other really noteworthy bird today as a Little Egret flew east past the tip in the morning - still a very scarce bird here at Gedser with only three previous records I believe.

Latticed Heath at Kroghage today

Breeding birds

A nice morning, calm with a bit of cloud produced a moderate 13 new birds; these included a Redstart, a Marsh Warbler, 2 Whitethroats, 2 Willow Warblers and 2 Icterine Warblers - plus a Swedish control Icky with a nice shiny, new looking ring.

The first juvenile Linnets and Starlings of the year were also caught this morning.   The Starling wasn't impressed!

 

Hans, Louis and myself then spent a very pleasant few hours surveying the breeding birds out on Rødsand where we found good numbers of seabirds with eggs and chicks  - looks like a productive year out there!

 



Quality not quantity

Calm and warm again but with intermittent cloud cover coming and going through the morning which extended the usual couple of hours catching time to at least 09:00; still only managed 22 new birds but the total today did include a cracking Greenish Warbler - only the third to be ringed here after two last spring.
   Other birds caught included 3 Icterine Warblers, 2 Garden Warblers, 2 Blackcaps, a Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Whitethroats, 3 Willow Warblers, 3 Chiffchaffs and the first 2 juvenile Greenfinches of the year.

Greenish Warbler

 

There wasn't too much else to shout about through the day - June is all about quality not quantity after all; although a Caspian Tern did fly west past the station and five singing Common Rosefinches were counted between the station and town and included a smart red one at Frisenfelt.

Summer's day

A real summer's day being calm, warm and sunny throughout which produced a familiar pattern for the morning's ringing with 20 new birds caught, all before 07:30 and after which.....nothing!   The total included a female Red-backed Shrike, 2 Marsh Warblers, a Reed Warbler, 5 Willow Warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Icterine Warblers, 3 Blackcaps and 4 Whitethroats.

Three Hawfinches were in the garden while a Thrush Nightingale bounced out of a net early in the morning.

It was quiet again on the tip through the morning with Louis recording single Hobby and Honey Buzzard with the usual Marsh Harriers, White-tailed Eagles and Buzzards floating around; a Tree Pipit south was slightly unseasonal while drake Eiders and Goldeneye are already heading back south after presumably doing the business up north!

Louis did find the bird of the day however, with an elusive Great Reed Warbler at the sewage works between the station and town in the afternoon.

Black-veined Moth