Ringmærkningen: This morning we were greeted with calm and clear conditions, and no wind. That meant we could get down to ringing. These calm conditions were likely ideal for many to migrate this morning. We ringed a modest 37 birds, representing 9 species. 

The majority of this number were Gærdesmutte/Wren, with 17 ringed today. We also had 7 new Solsort/Blackbird. I ringed another very pretty and nibbly Blåmejse/Blue Tit today. I still really enjoy ringing this species (though perhaps I would not have such a fondness if I was ringing the day of the Blåmejse Invasion...)

Migration Count at Gedser Odde

by Lara W

A great day at the point, with far better weather and way more birds than recent counts! Incredible skies greeted us, painting the horizon with blues and peaches, greys and oranges, pinks and yellows, silhouetting the many birds on the move. Lots of gulls were about, quite a number on migration, but also many simply taking the calm weather break to forage, exercise, and socialise (or, scream at each other at any rate). 

Migration during standard time gave a total of 10,399 birds of 41 species, with a two hour follow-up count directly after producing a further 3,110 birds. During standard, we had good numbers of Common Eider/Ederfugl, at 7,866, and Barnacle Goose/Bramgås at 1,816. We were very happy to spot a few less common species too, including 5 Whooper Swan/Sangsvane, 2 Gannet/Sule, and a single Snow Bunting/Snespurv! This last bird did not pass south today, preferring to remain in the area around the point, but it was lovely to hear and catch a glimpse of! 

This afternoon LAH had a wonderful surprise, when a small flock of Greylag Goose/Grågås passed overhead, including a Lesser White-fronted Goose/Dværggås! This is only the second sighting of this species at Gedser on record. Sadly no photos to confirm, but two others at the point got to see the bird too; good spot Louis! 

Se alle dagens observationer fra Gedser Odde i DOFbasen.

Folk på stationen: Lara Winsloe, Larissa Britton, Ole Friis Larsen, Anne Hermanns, Henrik Jørgensen

Ringmærkning:

Da vinden lå på næsten 14 m/s i middelvind kom der ingen net op, så Larissa og mig tog ud til Lara og gjorde hende selvskab.

Om aftenen var Anne først ude og prøve fangst med termisk på marken uden held, og bagefter tog jeg med Anne og Larissa på stranden, men vi nåede kun ud til spidsen af odden hvor vi blev mødt af blåt lys(ravsamlere) så vi vidste at der ikke ville være nogen fugle så vi måtte gå retur uden nogle fugle.

Vinden falder meget i nat og den går i nord så i morgen kunne der godt komme lidt fart på.

Ringmærkningen: Det har været en vild dag – ikke så meget på grund af fuglene, men vinden var ret vild, så vi måtte lade en hel del af nettene være lukkede.
Vi måtte stille os til takke med 4 ringmærkede fugle. Dertil en enkelt aflæsning af en gammel kending i haven. Den aflæste Fuglekonge blev nemlig ringmærket den 25. oktober og er siden blevet aflæst 4 gange.

Første runde bød på denne unge (1K) Kvækerfinke han.  Foto: Susanne Primdahl

Senere på formiddagen fik Larissa lejlighed til at ringmærke sin anden Spurvehøg. Denne gang var det en 2K han fra sidste år.  Foto: Susanne Primdahl

Dagens ringmærkede (RI) og aflæste (RC) fugle:

Migration at Gedser Odde

by Lara W

3,193 individuals of 38 species were counted on migration today. A steady flow of Common Eider/Ederfugl (Somateria mollissima) passed throughout standard time this morning, with 1,393 counted. 580 of these were identified as Female/Juvenile/Hun-farvet, compared to 285 Males, a much better ratio considering the male-dominated migration up until recently. Red-breasted Merganser/ Toppet Skallesluger (Mergus serrator) came by in much higher numbers than previously, totalling 344 migrating south, mostly in groups of 3-4 but occasionally in larger flocks of up to 16. Their flight pattern is patently recognisable – the long neck and rapidly-fluttering wings with their obvious white wing bar making identification easy. I was happy to spot a single Goosander/Stor Skallesluger (Mergus merganser), a cousin to the Red-breasted Merganser, later on in the morning, with its pale creamy-yellow neck and strongly demarcated dark head. A very smart bird!

Goldeneye/Hvinand and Long-tailed Duck/Havlit are gradually becoming more numerous, with 63 and 11 counted respectively. 37 Red-throated Diver/Rødstrubet Lom were spotted too, often flying past in twos and threes. Observing this genus fly always affords me an internal chuckle (alright, a slightly mean-spirited snigger, I will admit): on the water, divers are stunningly elegant, their sinuous and slender necks poised in an attitude of permanent grace, their plumage perfectly coiffed. In the air, however, they morph into hump-backed, awkward-looking, ill-proportioned, and simply weird-in-general creatures. There is a balance in most things is the moral here, it seems.

Many birds came close to shore as they passed south today, in numbers that enabled me to view them properly, allowing appreciation for the many forms, and colours, and movement, that the long process of evolution has created. Number- and rarity-chasing are hobbies for some, but sometimes it is just as special to sit and watch nature as it is: fluid, vivid, transient, built to stand the test of time and the pressures of the world through the constant and consistent transmogrification from one form to another. Our presence, as a species, on this planet, is a miracle in itself, despite the negative effects we have on the environment, but one thing is for sure: nothing we do will stop nature. It will continue on without us when we are long gone, all we can do now is appreciate it in all its splendour, and try to protect it.

Take a breath, pause, and look out the window. What can you see that does not demand admiration? We are surrounded by beauty, you really don’t have to look far to see it.

People at the station: Lara Winsloe, Larissa Britton, Ole Friis Larsen, Anne Hermanns, Susanne Primdahl, Henrik Jørgensen

Ringmærkningen: A total of 34 new birds today, with a couple of Redwing/Vindrossel (pictured below) and a cute female Bullfinch/Dompap comprising my personal highlights. On the closing round, I noticed some Candlesnuff Fungus/Slank Stødsvamp (Xylaria hypoxylon) peeking through the bed of moss below one of the nets. A spooky looking fungi with a well-suited name, I feel.
Tomorrow, it is Halloween, and we hope that there are some more treats in store for us. Traditionally, the 31st of October marks the beginning of Samhain celebrations. Samhain, meaning "November" in the Irish language, is a Gaelic festival on the 1st of November that notes the beginning of Winter.

The fruit bodies of Candlesnuff Fungus/Slank Stødsvamp (Xylaria hypoxylon). These fungi are bioluminescent and emit a very weak light, foto: Larissa Britton

Redwing/Vindrossel and its namesake rufous flank, foto: Susanne Primdahl

Se alle dagens observationer fra Gedser Odde i DOFbasen.

Folk på stationen: Lara Winsloe, Larissa Britton, Ole Friis Larsen, Anne Hermanns, Jakob Barkholt, Susanne Primdahl

Ringmærkningen: Med en let regn i morges var det simpelthen for vådt til, at vi kunne tillade os at fange de små Fuglekonger, så vi åbnede nettene 45 minutter senere end planlagt. Det var stadig så vådt i starten, at vi kunne ryste en hel del vand af nettene, selvom vi kun havde et kvarter mellem hver runde.

Efter hvert kvarter var nettene fyldt med vanddråber, så med det meget lille antal fugle følte vi os mere som dråbefangere end fuglefangere. Lidt blev der dog for Jakob og Birgit at øve sig på.

Dagens talrigeste fugl var endnu en gang Fuglekongen. Her er det en ung han fra i år, selvom man ikke kan se noget orange i striben på hovedet. Det ses først, når han rejser issefjerene lidt, så for at kønsbestemme Fuglekongerne i forbindelse med ringmærkning purrer vi lidt op i issefjerene for at se, om der kun er gule fjer, eller om der gemmer sig nogle orange fjer i skjul af de gule.   Foto: Susanne Primdahl

Her er det en anden 1k Fuglekonge, hvor man heller ikke umiddelbart kan se, at det faktisk er en han.   Foto: Susanne Primdahl

Dagens sidste fugl blev denne Gærdesmutte med vind i kindskægget.   Foto: Susanne Primdahl

Dagens ringmærkede (RI) og aflæste (RC) fugle:

Træktællingen:

by Lara W

Despite hopes for another strong thrush migration, heavy fog obscured much of the land and sea around the point this morning. Total birds counted migrating was 1,176 of 23 species, not a huge number, but enough to keep us just about occupied throughout standard time. The fog drove a good amount of birds much closer to the coast though, so we were granted good views of Goldeneye/Hvinand (Bucephala clangula), Long-tailed Duck/Havlit (Clangula hyemalis) and two small flocks of Dunlin/Almindelig Ryle (Calidris alpina) as they flew past. A couple of Black-throated Diver/Sortstrubet Lom (Gavia arctica) were spotted foraging near some resting Common Eider/Ederfugl (Somateria mollissima), and I watched with some amusement as a female Eider chomped down on (what I presume to be) a mussel/musling that seemed far too big for her for several minutes.

Our Kestrel/Tårnfalk (Falco tinnunculus) friend kept us company for most of the morning, perching under the rafters of the old building out on the point to hide from the drizzle, and occasionally fluttering down to snatch up an earthworm – often within about 2m of where I was standing. Ole managed to capture a few photos of her, in an attempt to read the metal ring she had on her right leg. A couple of digits were legible, and we realised the ring was from Stockholm! A message has been sent to the ringing group there, in the hopes that we can obtain some information on the bird, watch this space for updates!

Folk på stationen: Lara Winsloe, Larissa Britton, Ole Friis Larsen, Anne Hermanns, Birgit Barkholt, Jakob Barkholt, Susanne Primdahl

Ringmærkningen: Today, a grand total of... 10 birds! Plus 5 recaptures. Vindrossel/Redwing (Turdus iliacus) teased us today, with a flock flitting through the garden's berry-laden bushes, but just missing our mist nets. We did have two gorgeous male Bogfinke/Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) today - one 1K bird and one 2K+ bird. This lead to an educational comparison, with the moult contrast distinctly present in the wing of the 1K bird, and the adult not showing this contrast but instead possessing uniform plumage. It was nice to visualise the differences when ageing this species. I really enjoy handling Chaffinches, as they have a special place in my heart.

Bogfinke 2K+ han and 1K han, foto: Susanne Primdahl 

Trækket på Odden: 

by Lara W

A total of 7,109 birds of 52 species were counted on migration this morning. The morning started with reports from Gedser of large flocks of thrushes passing over the town, so we were hopeful of spotting at least several hundred of these birds migrating past the point. We were not disappointed! Mistle Thrush/Misteldrossel, Redwing/Vindrossel, Fieldfare/Sjagger, and Song Thrush/Sangdrossel were all seen on migration, with a total of 1,337 individuals counted, in both single and mixed-species flocks. Passerine and near-passerine migration in general was good for at least a couple hours of standard time, with 20 species seen, the most abundant of which were Chaffinch/Bogfinke and Brambling/Kvækefinke at 1,235 birds. Several medium-sized flocks of Twite/Bjergirisk were spotted much to our delight, with 63 individuals counted, up by several orders of magnitude from previous days. In addition, 825 Siskin/Grønsisken, 281 Linnet/Tornirisk, and a single late Barn Swallow/Landsvale were counted, among others. Thanks to Benjamin Lisse for keeping his eyes and ears peeled for all the small peep-peeps, as well as doing his level-best to teach me how to identify birds by their flight patterns, grouping, and general movement. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ben for being a fantastic teacher, birder, and good companion throughout the long hours on the point. If you are reading this Ben, thank you, and good luck with your upcoming university exams!

Raptor migration was much slower than earlier on in the week, with just 19 Sparrowhawk/Spurvehøg and a single Rough-Legged Buzzard/Fjeldvåge making the crossing, although a couple of buzzards were seen hunting around the Fuglestation throughout the course of the morning. The Kestrel/Tårnfalk which has been hunting in the area around the point over much of the last week continued to keep us company, often coming down to earth within 15m of our position. The delicate features and colouring of this bird have always given me pause, the tear-shaped markings, reminiscent of a Cheetah/Gepard, running down from the inner eye corner on either side of the bill; the bill itself – sharply curved, and much more petite than the similar-sized Sparrowhawk’s; the warm reds and browns of the upperparts, paler belly and pantaloons (yes, they are pantaloons, do not try to convince me otherwise!) with their delicate barring, and deep browns and blacks of the primaries all combine to make a truly beautiful looking bird.

Common Kestrel on Gedser Odde, photo credit: Lara Winsloe

The large flocks of Barnacle Goose/Bramgås which are currently taking up residence in the area periodically swept above our heads, venturing a little out to sea before returning inland. We counted 50 of these embarking on migration, although several other geese were also noted flying south: 35 White-fronted Goose/Blisgås, 4 Tundra Bean Goose/Sædgås ssp.rossicus, and 6 Dark-bellied Brent Goose/Knortegås ssp.bernicla. Action on the sea was mainly confined to a couple of hours around the midway point of standard, with 2,318 Common Eider/Ederfugl, 176 Common Scoter/Sortand, and 86 Red-breasted Merganser/Toppet Skallesluger making up the majority. The last few Sandwich Tern/Splitterne appear to be passing, with 4 recorded, although gull migration appears to be picking up in volume, with 29 Common Gull/Stormmåge, 8 Herring Gull/Sølvmåge, 6 Black-headed Gull/Hættemåge, and 7 Little Gull/Dværgmåge recorded. 24 Red-throated Diver/Rødstrubet Lom, 5 Red-necked Grebe/Gråstrubbet Lappedykker, 10 Long-tailed Duck/Havlit and a surprising 13 Razorbill/Alk were also counted, although the appearance on the scene of two adult Gannet/Sule provoked particular interest. One individual remained within sight foraging, for a good half hour, gliding around 25m above the waves before abruptly folding in his wings to plunge downwards like a stone – crashing almost vertically through the waves to emerge, occasionally up to 30 seconds later, with a dramatic breaking of the dark waters around his shockingly white body. Being such a large bird, he was easily visible with the naked eye even several hundred metres out – a real pleasure to witness in his natural environment simply behaving like the wild creature he is.

***
Se alle dagens observationer fra Gedser Odde i DOFbasen.

Folk på stationen: Lara Winsloe, Larissa Britton, Ole Friis Larsen, Anne Hermanns, Birgit Barkholt, Jakob Barkholt, Hans Lind, Susanne Primdahl

Fuglemæssigt var det en stille dag med blot 16 ringmærkninger, men til gengæld var vi flere ringmærkere end sædvanligt. Der var nemlig hele 3 ret nye X-mærkere med på holdet i dag. En X-licens er den første licens, man får tildelt, når man starter som ringmærker.

Hvis vi tæller Hans med, som lige hjalp med et par fugle ved den ene X-mærker, var der hele 6 ringmærkere i gang i dag, så der var rigtig god tid til at snakke om håndtering og bestemmelse af fuglene.

Og så håber vi, at Anne fanger en ugle eller to i aften til at pynte på dagens ringmærkningsresultat.

Dagens ringmærkede (RI) og aflæste (RC) fugle:

Se alle dagens observationer fra Gedser Odde i DOFbasen.

Folk på stationen: Lara Winsloe, Larissa Britton, Ole Friis Larsen, Anne Hermanns, Birgit Barkholt, Jakob Barkholt, Hans Lind, Susanne Primdahl

Ringing:

by Lara W

65 birds of 12 species were ringed today, with Goldcrest/Fuglekonge making up the majority at 40 individuals. Several thrushes came through too: 1 Blackbird/Solsort, 2 Song Thrush/Sangdrossel, and 3 Redwing/Vindrossel. 

I had a lovely second calendar year (2K) male Sparrowhawk/Spurvehøg around midmorning, who as you can see from the photograph below, was almost completely slate-grey on the upperparts aside from a touch of rufous fringing to the lesser coverts along the scapulars, and a couple of brownish feathers over the rump. We also had a recaptured Sparrowhawk, the same male we ringed a couple of days ago, who is clearly still hunting around the station area before embarking on migration.

Male 2k Sparrowhawk/Spurvehøg, note slate-grey upperparts with rufous edges on Lesser covers on the leading edge of the wing (scapulars). Photo credit: Lara Winsloe

Redwing. Photo credit: Lara Winsloe

People at the station: Larissa Britton, Lara Winsloe, Ole Friis Larsen, Anne Hermanns, Susanne Primdahl

Ovenpå gårsdagens altomsluttende tåge var det skønt med en flot solskinsdag, og lunt var det også på grund af den svage vind. Der var ikke det store rykind af fugle, men helt tomt var det heldigvis ikke.

Vi ringmærkede 45 fugle, og det var de mindste ringe, der var brug for. Det var nemlig Gransangerne og Fuglekongerne, som tilsammen udgjorde over halvdelen af dagens ringmærkninger. Især Gransangerne var godt rustet til det fortsatte træk med fedtscorer over middel.

Der blev fanget yderligere 7 arter, hvoraf nogle fremgår af de følgende billeder.

Den første fugl, der blev ramt af kameraet, var denne smukke Solsort han. Det er en ung fugl fra i år, så den har endnu ikke fået sit gule næb og ring om øjet.   Foto: Susanne Primdahl

Her ses den udfoldede vinge på samme Solsort, hvor man tydeligt kan se forskellen mellem de brune ungfuglefjer fra fuglens første fjerdragt og de sorte fjer, som er blevet fældet og har den sorte farve, som vi kender fra den voksne Solsort.   Foto: Susanne Primdahl

 
Der var også en enkelt Dompap forbi nettene. Det er en ung hun fra i år, og den havde følgeskab af en anden hun, som lige nåede at vende om ved nettet, da jeg kom hen til det. Der var sandsynligvis også en han sammen med dem, for på næste runde havde Spurvehøgen været forbi, og en stor del af hans fjerdragt lå efterladt ikke langt fra nettet.   Foto: Susanne Primdahl

To unge Grønsisken hanner kiggede forbi sidst på formiddagen.   Foto: Susanne Primdahl

På lukkerunden sad en ung Spurvehøg i et af nettene. Det gav Larissa mulighed for at ringmærke den art for allerførste gang, og hun klarede det i fin stil.

Jeg ved ikke, om Spurvehøgen havde hørt noget om, at man skal kigge ind i kameraet, eller om den bare forsøgte at se mig den anden vej igennem. Ret nysgerring ser den i hvert fald ud.   Foto: Susanne Primdahl

Anne Hermanns er ankommet til stationen i dag, og i skrivende stund er hun allerede i gang med at forsøge at fange ugler, så det bliver spændende at se, om der bliver nogle natfangster at berette om de kommende dage.

Dagens ringmærkede (RI) og aflæste (RC) fugle:


Folk på stationen: Lara Winsloe, Larissa Britton, Ole Friis Larsen, Anne Hermanns, Susanne Primdahl