Starting with calm conditions and a light breeze from the north west. We knew that the wind was due to change over night and thought that  any increase in catches would be slight.

The first visits to the nets at about 7.00am brought in good numbers of Robins, with a few retraps from yesterday. The day carried on peacefully with some good birds to examine. Like this first year female Siskin showing unmoulted greater coverts and juvenile tertials.

Siskin (Spinus spinus). Gedser 28th September 2018

Another species of which we have been having regular numbers is the Blackcap. Juveniles have brown caps and during the post juvenile moult this is replaced by a black cap in the males or a slightly different shade of brown for the females. Some juvenile males do not change to black completely and the cap is admixed with juvenile brown feathers as shown in the image below.

Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) Gedser 28th September 2018

We were aware that there was a large migration of 5000  Blue Tits at Falsterbo during the previous days. It usually takes a few days for them to arrive at Gedser, so we thought the weekend would about the time they would visit us. The next net round and the reconnaissance party had arrived. Small groups of birds clearly looking for a weakness in our defenses. Obviously I have no images of blue tits as my family would be in danger from gangs of marauding tits if  any were found.

While we were processing the catch of Blue Tits, I able to walk another net round. To my surprise we had caught a Nutcracker in the bottom shelf of a net in the north garden. Below is an image that I took holding the bird in my left hand and the camera in my right hand,

Thick-billed Nutcracker, (Nucifraga caryoctactes) Gedser 28th September 2018

If you want to see better images (and you should) look at the GFU Facebook page where Bo has uploaded some excellent photos.

On migration at Gedser Odde the day brought a nice number of Common Eiders (Ederfugle). Of the around 10.000, nearly all were males, the females to mix in later. A handful of Parasitic Jaegers (Almindelige Kjover) were nice to see over the sea too. Some 40 Red Kites (Røde Glenter) headed for Germany, accompanied by at least two Black Kites (Sorte Glenter) and some Common Buzzards (Musvåger). A single Common Swift (Mursejler) was hunting insects in the air so close to our observations post, that it was quite easy to identify as a first year juvenile. They are interesting with plumage details reminding of Pallid Swift (Gråsejler) – pale forehead and lores, big white throat patch and a scaly look with white-edged wing-coverts.

Here are todays results:-

Hilsen.

N