Our four strong team headed out of the Fuglestation door before the sun had risen to open the nets full of anticipation for a big day at the nets.
With Redwings, Dunnocks, Robins and Song Thrushes calling from within the twilight it was clear we were going to have fun!
Sure enough the 1st net round was a busy one and the same pattern continued throughout regular net rounds until the threat of rain around 11.30 am put a holt to our standardised ringing session.
Nets were reopened in the early afternoon and the number of birds ringed by the end of the day reached
364 birds which is the busiest day we have had in the garden this autumn. These comprised of the following and must have resulted from the late afternoon arrival of birds on the 15th which made land fall as migratory conditions became unfavourable due to prolonged drizzle.
Sparrowhawk 1
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| Anders with a juvenile female Sparrowhawk ready for release and a great smile on his face. Not only was he happy as it was only the second one he had ringed but also because he was wanting to catch one to gain experience in how to measure the species wing formula. Photo by Jack Ashton-Booth |
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| Very Nisus Indeed! A 1K female Sparrowhawk at the smaller end of the spectrum. Note the very pale scapular frill. This is a very variable feature and tends to be a lot more common in juvenile males. Photo by Anders Nielsen | | | | | | |
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Wren 40
Dunnock 5
Robin 92
Blackbird 3
Song Thrush 2
Redwing 1
Chiffchaff 37
Goldcrest 142
Blue Tit 3
Great Tit 19
Treecreeper 2
Chaffinch 1
Greenfinch 3
Siskin 12
Lesser Redpoll 1
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| Always an absolute pleasure to see up close, these birds really take some beating! 1K Lesser Redpoll, Photo by Anders Neilsen |
Before the nets were closed due to encroaching inclement weather the fuglestation was visited by a Group wishing to learn about birds and bird ringing. Hans and Gert arrived to take them through the process of what we do between the point in which the bird is caught and up to the point of its release.
After the nets were furled we returned to Fuglestation to refuel and some of the team independeantly heard what sounded like another Nutcracker. Efforts to lure the bird in the high net were made again but must have fallen on deaf ears!
During the afternoon we all went seperate ways and went birding and although many birds were observed the main talking point at the dinner table had to be the vast number of Wrens in around the Fuglestation with the low vegetation literally exploding with these underrated little birds!
Given that around 95% of the birds we have caught are 1K birds it would appear their arrival is just a sudden surge driven by post juvenile dispersal maybe resulting from a great breeding year. I guess only time will tell and if the nets suddenly become festooned with adult birds then there is clearly something more behind this movement.
The following birding highlights and noteworthy sightings were also recorded between the Fuglestation and the Tip during the day:
SV-South West
SØ-South East
TR-Migrating then Resting
BR-Female Type
FU- Foraging
S-South
TF-Migrating then Foraging
N-North
Ø-East
OF-Overhead
NØ-North East
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Red-throated Diver 10 SV
Black-throated Diver 7 SV
Great Crested Grebe 1 SV
Red-necked Grebe 1 FU
Red-necked Grebe 1 SV
Slavonian Grebe 3 SV
Mute Swan 2 V
Mute Swan 101 Ø
Wooper Swan 3 V
Wooper Swan 3 V
Bean Goose 5 N
Bean Goose 11 S
Greylag Goose 8 S
Greylag Goose 1 N
Barnacle Goose 260 OF
Barnacle Goose 109 V
Brent Goose 5 V
Wigeon 220 SV
Gadwall 4 SV
Teal 4 SV
Mallard 101 SV
Mallard 1 FU
Pintail 24 SV
Shoveler 4 SV
Common Pochard 6 SV
Tufted Duck 7 SV
Greater Scaup 4 SV
Eider 25 FU
Eider (Females) 3070 BR/SV
Eider (Males) 4810 SV
Long-tailed Duck 5 FU
Long-tailed Duck 3 SV
Common Scoter 101 SV
Velvet Scoter 9 SV
Red-breasted Merganser 96 SV
Red Kite 15 S
Hen Harrier 1 S
Sparrowhawk 66 S
Common Buzzard 218 S
Common Buzzard 40 TF
Rough-legged Buzzard 42 S
Rough-legged Buzzard 3 FU
Kestrel 2 S
Crane 14 SØ
Ringed Plover 1 SV
Golden Plover 6 S
Golden Plover 5 OF
Northern Lapwing 5 S
Sanderling 5 FU
Snipe 1 V
Little Gull 1 FU
Little Gull 62 SV
Kittiwake 1 SV
Sandwich Tern 2 NØ FU
Sandwich Tern 2 SV
Stock Dove 32 S
Stock Dove 7 TF
Wood Pigeon 715 S
Short-eared Owl 1 FU
Woodlark 1 S
Skylark 45 S
Barn Swallow 16 V
Barn Swallow 17 S
Meadow Pipit 5 FU
Meadow Pipit 28 S
Rock Pipit 2 SV
Grey Wagtail 2 S
White Wagtail (alba) 24 S
White Wagtail (alba) 3 FU
Wren 25 + a very conservative 75 FU (Tip/Fuglestation)
Dunnock 20 S
Redwing 1 S
Mistle Thrush 2 S
Chiffchaff 1 FU
Goldcrest 25 S
Blue Tit 9 N
Blue Tit 12 S
Magpie 4 FU
Starling 205 S
Chaffinch&Bramling 960 S
Greenfich 51 S
Goldfinch 18 S
Goldfinch 15 FU
Siskin 145 S
Linnet 70 S
Twite 15 FU
Twite 11 S
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| Twite along the southern beach at Gedser. Photo by Jack Ashton-Booth |
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Redpoll 34 S
Two-barred Crossbill 1 T
Common Crossbill
4
TF
Common Crossbill
14
S
Parrot Crossbill 48 S
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| Crossbills are almost a daily event at Gedser in the autumn with birds streaming south at times. With this recent influx of Parrot Crossbills we have been taking advantage of the mixed flocks to learn the various vocalisations given by these birds in order to isolate the Parrots.With practice they do sound rather different and then its just a case of pin pointing the MORTARS in the flock. These three were part of a flock of around 9 birds seen feeding in a belt of coniferous trees just in Gedser town. Poor record shots by Jack Ashton-Booth |
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| Male Parrot Crossbill record shot by Jack Ashton-Booth. Note how Mortar esq this bird real is with heavy front end (70% of the body about the same depth and 30% tapering quickly off towards the tail tip). Even at distance the head appears blunt and never acute but this is very subjective based on the angle in which the bird is observed. |
Snow Bunting 1 V
Yellowhammer 10 S
Reed Bunting 39 S
Thanks for taking the time to read through the blog! We very much value your viewing and we always welcome your thoughts and comments.
Very best wishes, Team GFU
