Ringmærkningen: Fuglene sang blidt i haven fra morgenstunden, men første runde med ret få fugle, tydede på en noget roligere dag i nettene. Vi fik skrabet 21 nye ringe sammen, og blandt genfangsterne var vores stamgæst - en sød gammel Jernspurv (Dunnock) med sit 66. check-in siden den blev ringmærket her af Henrik i 2021.

Blandt de nye fik vi en rigtig fin voksen Grønirisk (European Greenfinch), som kun er sæsonens tredje af arten i nettet. De giver også mere og mere lyd fra sig i haven, og har en markant sang, man hurtigt kan komme til at genkende, hvis man er ny til fuglestemmer. Den beskrives meget forskelligt, men jeg synes den lyder lidt som en fugl der skiftevis imiterer et automatvåben og en arrig kat.

Dagens Grønirisk (European Greenfinch) - en fin voksen herre, med mere spræl i farverne end hunnen. Foto: Mathilde Sif Eiby / GFU

Derudover bød dagen på sæsonens anden Store Flagspætte (Great Spotted Woodpecker), som kræver en ring lavet af stål frem for aluminium, hvilket kræver lidt mere erfaring at montere, hvorfor den stadig ikke er kommet på min ringmærkerliste.

Dagens Store Flagspætte (Great Spotted Woodpecker) - en ung dame, uden rødt på hovedet som hannen, og med et lag brune dækfjer (de små øverst på vingen), der på de voksne alle udskiftes med sorte. Foto: Mathilde Sif Eiby / GFU

Endelig er der også blevet taget ordentlig hul (bogstaveligt talt) på kadaveret på engen, så selv småfuglene kan komme til (et større dyr må bryde det tykke lag hud først).

Et dødt rådyr, nu med hul i, og resterne af en død ræv, der har ligget på engen de sidste mange uger. Foto: Mathilde Sif Eiby / GFU

Trækket på Odden: The wind has shifted direction this morning and is now coming from the East. That was the only notable difference in the weather, as it was still sunny, still a bit cold, and as quiet as yesterday. The first hour was the only (almost) busy one, with a lot of different groups flying by quite fast. As I was the only one at the tip, I didn't know which way to turn. Thankfully, it didn’t last too long so it was not too overwhelming. Almost as soon as the count started, a group of around 20 curlews appeared so fast that I wasn’t able to distinguish them between Curlew (Storspove) and Whimbrel (Småspove). Luckily, I was able to see properly the next flocks, with more time to count and get the clues I needed to tell the two species apart.

I am not the only one enjoying the sunrise, the hares are keeping me company in the first long hours of the morning. Picture by Cyann Ménard/GFU.

I was once again pleased by the diversity of species, with a lot of ducks, and a few pleasant surprises among the passerines such as a Grey Wagtail (Bjergvipstjert) greeting me with its delicate call, a local Great Spotted Woodpecker (Stor flagspætte) as well as a Nuthatch (Spætmejse) flying towards the last bit of bushes. The icing on the cake might have been the sighting of my first Black-throated Diver (Sortstrubet lom) in full breeding plumage, a sight that left me in awe for most of the morning.

Only 10 minutes before the end of the standard time, a dense fog started moving forward on the sea, pushed by the wind. In a few minutes the tip was completely surrounded by the bright white, just in time to prompt us to head back to the station.

The fog is on its way. Picture by Cyann Ménard/GFU.

Se alle dagens observationer ved Gedser Odde i DOFbasen.

Folk på stationen: Cyann Ménard, Mathilde Sif Eiby, Sjoerd van Baal, Henrik Jørgensen, Théophile Fontaine