Well it was much the same as yesterday with only 8 new birds and 5 retraps.

A sideways on Chaffinch. I can't get the software to rotate the image.

The same Chaffinch showing contrast between the primary coverts and the greater coverts indicating that it is a 2k (age3)

So, there we are. It was a bit slow this morning so I held a competition. I am pleased to announce that the male Chaffinch was this mornings winner of the "Most Beautiful Bird" compeition. Remember, it's not the winning but the taking part.

Here are todays humble totals.

Icterine Warbler     3   (1)

Lesser Whitethroat   1  (3)

Whitethroat          1

Blackcap               2

Chaffinch              1

Chiffchaff                     (1)

Hilsen

Nigel

Today started with anticipation. Birders had told me "it would be a good day". Nice weather to start with a light breeze. This soon grew stronger for a short time. Then it died down and we were left with calm and warm (hot by 09:00) conditions. 

But no birds, two in the last 3 hours. Waiting for that one migrant that would change everything.

So no pictures today unless you want to see an empty net, or a selfie of a bored Englishman drinking coffee.

Here are the totals:- (sorry I really tried to catch something)

White Wagtail        1

Icterine Warbler     2   (1)

Lesser Whitethroat  1  (2)

Garden Warbler       2

Chiffchaff                 1   (2)

Redstart                        (1)

Total                        7    (6)

Enjoy the sunshine, I know I will.

Hilsen

Nigel

Even the first net round seemed different with the first bird from the net being a Spotted Flycatcher. The second round is often thought more productive than the first with the birds having got up and done what birds do when they first get up. This time a nice male Red-backed Shrike had jumped into the nets.

The rest of the morning was brisk with with time to look at the birds in details. The retrap Greenfinch that I caught was still carrying a piece of moss when it got caught in the net. At this time of year a resident bird may be on it's second brood, while summer visitors will still be on eggs or have young chicks. The Redstart in the garden is on eggs. I'll let you know when they hatch.

Most females of passerines develop a brood patch (rugeplet) when nesting. They lose belly feathers and the blood vessels become closer to the surface. This enables the eggs to stay warm. The brood patch remains until the chicks are able to control their own body temperature. Examining the birds today shows that most of the warblers are at the egg/small young stage.

I've photographed a brood patch on a Lesser Whitethroat. A bit of out of focus rubbish, but difficult trying to blow a birds belly and photograph the evidence is not easy. You get the idea.

Lesser Whitethroat brood patch (rugeplet)

Sometimes you can't aways anticipate what you are going to get in the nets. There are things that you want:-

Things you don't want:-

And things you definitely don't want:-

A big hornet (gedehams). I found a new use for my ringing pliers.

Here are today's totals:-

Redstart                1

Marsh Warbler      2

Reed Warbler        1

Icterine Warbler      6

Lesser Whitethroat  1    (2)

Garden Warbler       3     (1)

Blackcap                 1

Chiffchaff                  2

Willow Warbler         5

Spotted Flycatcher    1

Pied Flycatcher        1

Red-backed Shrike   2

Common Rosefinch   1

Greenfinch                  0       (1)

Totals                          27       (4)

Have a good evening and don't let the stingers sting.

Hilsen

Nigel

Well, what can I say? it was all very quiet. No Thriush Nightingale singing this morning. All the nets wre open by 4.00am as usual. The first two nets rounds drawing a blank.

But you never know what is lutking in the bushes. This time it was a female Red-breasted Flycatcher (Lille fluesnapper). I am yet to ring an adult male at Gedser - perhaps in the next couple of weeks.

After another walk round the garden with no birds I found a female Red-backed Shrike (Rødrygget Tornskade) in the net next to the field. They have a remarkably fierce bite.

Female Red-backed Shrike, Gedser Fuglestation 3.06.2019

What big eyes you've got 

Here are today's attempt at ringing:-

Garden Warbler    1

Chiffchaff               1

Red-breasted Flycatcher  1

Red-backed Shrike     1

Chaffinch         2

Icterine Warbler   (1)

Wren         (1)

Lesser Whitethroat (1)

That's all for today, unless I open the nets again.

Have a good rest of the day.

Nigel

We were expecting good weather first thing and our expectations were justified. The nets were open at 04:15 as usual and first light saw clear skies and calm conditions. Along with myself, Adam and Clausjannic were ringing with Johanne helping before her "Operation Overshoot" duties called her away.

Operation Overshoot delegates, but all the telescopes are pointing in different directions

As we were opening the nets the song of the Thrush Nightingale filled the garden. Neither myself or Clausjannic said a word as we walked as if not wanting to interrupt such a beautiful song. A rare and unforgettable experience.

Nice few birds in the early rounds until just after 05:00 when I found a Paddyfield Warbler (Lille Rørsanger) in one of the nets. A bird that normally breeds in India and Pakistan, but has a small population on the Black Sea in Romania and Bulgaria. A true overshooter. Biometrics were taken to confirm identification to the rarities committee and a sample feather for DNA analysis. Luckily, because of "Operation Overshoot" there were plenty of birders around that could see a once in a lifetime bird. There was also a handfull of the normal sized reed warblers and marsh warblers to compare these two difficult species.

Paddyfield Warbler, Acrocephalus agricola 2/06/2019

Somewhere in there is the Paddyfield Warbler, 

Here is the list of the remaining ringed birds;-

Robin     2

Thrush Nightingale 1

Paddyfield Warbler   1

Marsh Warbler   2

Reed Warbler     2

Icterine Warbler          5   (1)

Whitethroat    4    (1)

Garden Warbler   4    (2)

Blackcap       3

Chiffchaff      2

Linnet        1

Yellowhammer          (1)

Total          27        (5)

Today also saw some of the team leaving as work committments beckoned. Adam to Copenhagen and Johanne had to return to her "day job" after coordinating the overshoot weekend. Talking to some of the weekend participants, it seems that they fully enjoyed themselves and appreciated the warm welcome and social side that Gedser has to offer. Both Johanne and Adam will be missed - especially Adams knot tying.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

Nigel

Blå himmel over Gedser og endnu en god dag på fuglestationen går på hæld.
Operation Overshooter har bragt en masse gode folk til fuglestationen dagen igennem, og vi fejrede med stor middag i haven - da det også bliver den sidste aften hvor vi er samlet i denne omgang.
Mens Operation Overshooter folkene var på Odden, blev der ledt efter fugleunger i vores redekasser, og en rødrygget tornskade dukkede op   ..   ..   så var det kun et spørgsmål om tid før vi ku' få dén ringmærket 

   
                                        Rødrygget han                                                                      og ringmærkerne i fælles front i gennemgang af reder i haven

Læringsprocessen kørte derudaf igen i dag for x-licensindehaveren her på GFU; ny viden og ny metode til at forbedre ringmærkeren. Ildsjælene og fugleeksperterne har formået at skabe et arbejdsmiljø, hvor man kan hive nye folk ind udefra - Tak for det og for det faktum at I driver stationen med klar sammenhængen i værdier, handling og metode. (og så er faciliteterne altså også virkelig i top .. !)

Det ta'r sin tid at mærke og bestemme, visse fugle overrasker - og tak skæbne for at der er så gode folk at samarbejde med.    To acrocephalus'er røg i nettet senere - og trods deres umiddelbare forskellige facon (den venstre kærsangeragtig i visse mål), var det ikke nemt at bestemme ..                  

vi endte med en kærsanger (v) og en rørsanger (h). Det var tredje gang på kort tid at vi havde de to arter sammen, i samme eller nærliggende net.
Vi glæder os til at se hvad der dukker op i nettene i morgen (søndag) - og hvad Operation Overshooter finder på sydhavsøerne!

Dagsrapport:   (genfangster i parentes)
Gærdesmutte                     1
Rørsanger                          2
Gulbug                                8      (1)
Gærdesanger                    1
Havesanger                       3      (1)
Gransanger                       1
Løvsanger                         1 
Rødrygget tornskade     1
Bogfinke                            1
Grønirisk                            2
Tornsanger                                (1)

Vi måtte midlertidigt lukke nettene ved 05-tiden i morges da dagens eneste reelle regnskyld dukkede op på radarbilledet.
Da havde vi allerede haft de første aflæsninger af fugle i nettene - blandt andet en fin landsvale fra 2017.

Hen af morgenen fik vi besøg af en familie fra hovedstaden, som fulgte ringmærkningsrunderne frem til formiddagen - med de to yngste besøgende imponerende hurtige og skarpe til at artbestemme tornsangere og gærdesangere så snart de ramte nettene 

Fra i morgen af er der Operation Overshooter på de tre store sydhavsøer her i Storstrøm !   

Dagsrapport - (genfangster i parentes)
Gulbug                          1
Tornsanger                 3                     (2)

Landsvale                                           (1)
Solsort                                                 (1)
Musvit                                                  (1)
Karmindompap                                 (1)
Gransanger                                         (1)
Havesanger                                         (1)
Gærdesanger                                     (3)

Hen af formiddagen kom en tung vejrfront mod os fra havet, og vi lukkede nettene med få fangster på dagen.
Vejrforholdene syntes ikke at have bragt fugle med sig - fra Odden sås en knaldgul pirol og en gulirsk flyve syd ud over østersøen tidligt på morgenen.

Morgenvejr over Gedser

Nogle af fuglefolkene fra Operation Overshooter (som løber af stablen lørdag-søndag), tog forbi Bøtø Nor for at se lokale havørne, traneunge, stor præstekrave-kyllinger, atlingand og en række andre andefugle.

Nu fejrer vi vores UK-recident fødselar med tung chokoladebagværk 



Dagrapport:    (genfangster i parentes)

Rødstjert                    1    
Gulbug                        1
Tornsanger                 2                    (2)
Havesanger                1
Bogfinke                     2
Jernspurv                                         (1)
Gransanger                                       (1)

Gulbug udgjorde den største del af trafikken onsdag, og kronen på juvelen var genfangst af en flot gulbug fra juni 2012, ringmærket af Jesper Brinkmann her i Gedser.
En gærdesanger fra august 2015 var også retur til en aflæsning (mærket af Lydia Soler), og i det hele taget kunne det mærkes at vejret var bedre, med skiftende vindretning og lidt svagere blæst.

 
To nye han-rødstjerter dukkede op, og udfordrede vores lokale ynglende han - mens havens vipstjert endelig også skulle genaflæses.

 

Efter vi lukkede nettene omkring middag, var der også tid til lidt hårdt slid med studie og fordybning i litteraturen for x-licensindhaveren her på stationen. Selvfølgelig altid med Svensson's grønne som opslagsværk, men også med dagens noter og tegninger ved sin side for at få gulbugene helt på plads. Det er ik' kun fis og ballade her på stationen!

Allerede i aften er vi så heldige at tage imod de første som ankommer til Operation Overshooter 2019.

Det hele løber af stablen 1.+2. juni, her på Lolland-Falster + Møn. Læs mere på linket ovenfor!

Dagens fugle:             (genfangst med parentes)

Rødhals           1
Nattergal         1
Rødstjert         2
Gulbug             8                (1) 
Tornsanger     3
Havesanger    4                (1)
Munk                5
Gransanger     2
Løvsanger       3
Grå fluesnap   2
Bogfinke          1
Grønirisk          1
Hvid vip                              (1)
Jernspurv                          (1)
Gærdesanger                    (3)

This is my first time staying at Denmark's southernmost point in the spring, so it will be interesting to see what will fall into those precious nets.

Since I arrived at the weekend we have managed, each day, to open all 24 nets in the garden. A total of 284 metres. As you have read in the blog over the last few days the weather has been breezy and with some drizzle. But today when we ventured out to open the nets at 03:30 it was calm and no rain was either in the air or forecast on DMI/YR. There was a fair amount of activity in the garden with Blackbirds and Robins singing and being joined by Lesser Whitethoats, Common Whitethroats as the light grew. The local Icterine Warbler was chattering away in the corner by the road.

The first few roads bought in the usual suspects of Sylvia warblers, mainly Whitethroats and Garden Warblers. There have been a few retraps from the previous week, but most have moved on, presumably further north.

At around 06:00 I found a yellow/green bird high in one of the nets. Looking initially like a siskin, it's short stumpy beak gave it away as a female Serin a bird associated to many with hot Mediterranean squares with a glass of something cool. They do, however, breed nearer to Denmark and occasionally overshoot their normal summer haunts.

Female Serin with tick of unspecified species.

Gedser Fuglestation 28/05/2019

As the day normally pans out, things slowed down towards 09:00. My good friend Bo Kayser called on us and we had a good chat and put the world in order. Adam had been round the nets and we were just thinking about furling for the day when he returned beaming like the Cheshire Cat. He was carrying two bird bags with a Common Rosefinch in each. (I prefer the Danish name of Karmindompap). They were birds (male and female) That had been ringed at the beginning of May. Additionally they were in a net where we had not previously heard a male singing. Perhaps there are three pairs in the garden.

Male and female Common Rosefinch

Gedser Fuglestation 28/05/2019

Here are today's results:-