Trækket på Odden: Today's migration count team was great. We started with Mads, Anna, Benoit and me. Benjamin joined us at around 7:30, and then Gert arrived in the late morning. The first three hours were full of Ederfugl (Eider), with around 5,000 birds, with around double the number of males than females. Interestingly, the birds were coming from two different directions: one group was following the coast from the north, and another group was arriving from the north-east, arriving from the sea.

Almost all of the Hættemåge (black-headed gulls) passed really close to the coast, and we had the pleasure of seeing a few Dværgmåge (little gulls) with them, which allowed us to appreciate the black undercover of the adults and the characteristic black W on the wings of the young birds.

Dværgmåge (little gulls), adult left and young right Foto Théophile Fontaine

Shortly before 10 am, Benjamin announced a Høg (Harrier) flying over the field. As everyone got it in their binoculars, the bird turned, allowing us to appreciate the warm, reddish-brown tones on its underparts, the pale collar surrounding its head, and its general shape, a Steppehøg (Pallid harrier). It seems that this bird was trying to migrate, without success, as we saw it one hour later over the sea, flying west and disappearing.

Steppehøg (Pallid harrier) flying over the sea Foto : Benjamin Bechgaard Lisse

The last few hours of the survey were much less exciting, with just a few gulls and not much else. Nevertheless, we had counted 8,430 birds of 40 species. It was a lovely (cold) morning and I added two new species to my Denmark list: the Steppehøg (Pallid harrier) and the Islom (Great Nothern Diver) !

On the way back to the house, we stopped briefly to observe the large groups of gulls feeding in the waves near the coast. There were lots of Hættemåge (black-headed gulls) and Dværgmåge (little gulls), but we were pleasantly surprised to find a late Havtern (arctic tern) foraging, my first here in Gedser !

 Havtern (Arctic tern) Foto : Théophile Fontaine

The weather is finally on our side for ringing tomorrow, so we are really happy to be ringing again with a new team for the week, with Anna and Signe. The tits can come !

Ringmærkningen: Strong wind, no ringing

Folk på stationen: Anna Beluga Gade-Jørgensen, Signe Agermose, Théophile, Benoît og Noémie Fontaine, Mads Elley og Gert Juul Jeppesen