The quietness continues with the migrating birds both in the garden and at the point.  Today's total of thirty-seven birds captured was only marginally better than yesterdays.  But in a way that is okay as it illustrates what bird ringing and observatory work is about.  It is a misconception to think that there will always be high numbers of birds at a bird observatory.  

Spætmejse, foto: Joakim Matthiesen og Anne R. Hermanns

Yes, observatories are typically located at migration hot-spots but even they have their cool times.  Migration is not a continuous, frantic movement of birds, migration has its highs, and its lows too.  Readers, followers of various observatory blogs may well have noticed that the numbers are not always high, and that is an integral part of the monitoring process.

And low numbers does not mean low quality.  Today we had several bird that are noteworthy.  The eighteenth thrush nightingale of the season - this is a bird that many bird watchers don't easily see.  The fifteenth red-backed shrike of the season, fourteen of which have been juveniles and are probably from local breeders - a most encouraging number!  And a wood warbler brought some colour to the nets with its bold eye-stripe and bright yellow throat - gorgeous.

Sammenligning af løvsanger (venstre) og skovsanger (højre). Foto: Joakim Matthiesen

Those of ringing at the station would like busier days - afterall that is what we are here for.  But the quieter days give us some down time too, a time to just sit back and enjoy the place*s serenity.  It also gave two of us the time to go and explore some other bird areas nearby - where we saw a good variety of waders, autumn is coming. 

  Folk på stationen: Anne Hermanns, Adam Søderdahl, Chris Sharp, Joakim Matthiesen, Ole Friis Larsen.