Vi stod op til fint vejr med stille vestenvind og da vi gik rundt og åbnede nettene, kunne vi overalt hører fugle, der puslede i buskene og bare ventede på, at vi skulle blive færdige, så de kunne hoppe i nettene - og det var lige hvad de gjorde!
Masser af løvsangere en hel del havesangere, rødstjerter og brogede fluesnappere, så vi havde travlt de næste par timer. Heldigvis havde vi spist morgenmad inden starten, så der var ikke andet for end at klø på og få skik på ringmærkningerne og de mange aflæsninger, mens det stod på.
Hans kom herud og hjalp til, så al ting magede sig.
Ved middagstid stilnede det af og vi fik ro til at få en god frokost og Vagn fik tid til at bage lækre brombærmuffins - måske får vi smagt på dem inden sengetid !

 Rødstjert han 2k+

Dagens highlights har været én græshoppesanger og nok en vendehals, som igen underholdt os med slangedans. En nattergal er også værd at nævne.

Græshoppesanger

Dagen i dag startede med lidt rigelig vind fra vest og det har hele dagen påvirket mængden af fugle. Vi har endvidere været nødt til at holde 1½ times pause på grund af regnvejr.

Men ellers har den nye besætning, Vagn og Lars haft en pragtfuld dag med i alt 41 nymærkede og 15 aflæsninger.

Dagens bedste fangst var vel denne smukke Vendehals.

Her kommer listen over:

Vejret så fra morgenstunden lidt bedre ud til ringmærkning end de foregående dage med alt for godt vejr. Det havde desværre været stjerneklart i løbet af natten, så en del småfugle er nok strøget direkte ud over havet i stedet for at gå ned på Odden. Det blev dog en ganske OK dag med i alt 54 nymærkninger og 13 aflæsninger, så vi havde i løbet af dagen fornøjelsen af i alt 67 fugle.
Dagen så længe ud til at blive ganske ordinær mht. fuglene. Robert og jeg havde ganske god tid til kaffepauser og lidt oprydning inden brombærfestivalen og de mange gæster. Det var igen Sylvia-sangerne: havesanger, munk, gærdesanger og tornsanger, som var klart i overtal.
Som Robert annoncerede på bloggen i går, så var der i dag mulighed for at gærdesangeren - omend nok kun for en stund - overtog den gule førertrøje for flest antal mærkninger på GFU i år. I går var forskellen på Rødhals og gærdesanger nede på tre mærkninger. Rødhals med 626 og gærdesanger med 623. Klokken 7.15 i morges blev dagens fjerde gærdesanger så ringmærket, og gærdesangeren er nu indtil videre den mest ringmærkede fugl på GFU i år og er nu foran med 13. Rødhalsene er ikke rigtig begyndt at komme i gang med efterårs-trækket, så det er helt sikkert kun for en stund, men der er ingen tvivl om, at gærdesangerne har haft et godt og produktivt år.

Robert skulle også hjem i dag og så muligheden for at nå en tidlig bus fra Gedser, så han drog afsted efter standardmærkningen var afsluttet. Han nåede dog at pille to unge spurvehøge, hunner ud af nettene, hvilket ikke altid er helt uden problemer eller udfordringer, da de jo har ‘søm i handsken’ og er sindsygt hurtige til at sætte kløerne i hænder og fingre, hvis man er bare det mindste uopmærksom i et splitsekund. Det lykkedes dog at få sat ring på dem og målt og vejet begge, inden de blev sluppet ud i friheden - nu med nyt ‘personnummer’ om benet.

Da vi var i gang med at lukke nettene i den del af haven, hvor gæsterne i dag kunne plukke brombær, så Gert pludselig en stor sanger gå i nettet i Ø6, og han skyndte sig hen og sikrede, at fuglen ikke undslap netmaskerne. Og med så stor en sanger er der kun to muligheder: Enten en havesanger på mega-steroider eller juvelen blandt sylvia-sangerne - Høgesanger. Og heldigvis for os og de allerede fremmødte gæster, så var det ganske rigtig en ung høgesanger. Høgesangeren har desværre ikke været forbi Gedser Fuglestation i de sidste to år, men har før det (og Anton) været årlig med en enkelt fugl hvert år. Os der har været så heldige at have vores gang på Gedser Fuglestation har dagligt hørt Anton fabulere om og se frem til at fange høgesanger, men desværre for Anton, så lykkedes det aldrig. Men Anton er på Ottenby Fuglestation i øjeblikket, så i dag skete det endelig, og det var da også en stor oplevelse for de fremmødte.
Det var en ganske god måde at kickstarte brombærfestivalen, som i dag var besøgt af mellem 30-40 gæster, som plukkede brombær på livet løs. Haven bugner dog stadig af brombær, så der er ikke nogen fugle, som kommer til at gå sultne i seng af den grund. Det var en hyggelig dag med også lidt formidling af de fugle, som blev ringmærket i løbet af eftermiddagen. Tak til alle, der mødte op og gjorde dagen hyggelig.

Dagens ringmærkninger fordelte sig som nedenstående (genaflæsninger i parentes).

Skovpiber 1
Jernspurv 1
Rørsanger 1
Høgesanger 1
Gærdesanger 16
Tornsanger 10 (3)
Havesanger 6 (2)
Munk 11 (1)
Løvsanger 2 (1)
Stillits 1
Spurvehøg 2
Tornirisk 2 (1)
Nattergal (2)
Sivsanger (1)
Gulbug (1)
Skovspurv (1)
I alt 54 nymærknhnger og 13 genaflæsninger

Vagn Lind og Lars Ulrich ankom midt på eftermiddagen og er klar til at stå for ringmærkningen i de kommende dage.

 


  Høgesangerens stribede underhale er et godt tegn!







  / Clausjannic

A nice day together with Claus-Jannic and Nina: no special events. Again a lot of sylvidae: Blackcaps, Garden Warblers and the two different Whitethroats. The Lesser Whitethroat is now almost the most caught bird this year at the station. The Robin is still a few birds in front of the Lesser Whitethroat, but will be in second place tomorrow (it is 623 versus 626).

At the lake we had this day 4 Yellow Wagtails, one Linnet and one Tree Sparrow. In total 19 species and 121 captured birds of which 116 new and 5 recaptures. 

So a  completely normal summer day with no special highlights, but a nice dinner prepared by Nina with a nice glass of wine. Live is not so bad sitting outside in the late sun. Tomorrow will be my last day and we have an open garden day for people that want to pick brambles (there are many), but please come after 11 o'clock. Because we will do the standard programme of the day and that is catching birds.

Photo gallery (the species of the day)

Catches of the day

With kind regards

Robert

I started the day with a good first round and thought that I could manage it today, but the second round was a bit too much for one person. So I called Hans and he was very quickly at the station to help. I did the ringing and he was getting the birds out. There were many Sylvidae: Lesser Whitethroats (Gærdesanger), Common Whitethroats (Tornsanger), Blackcaps (Munk) and Garden Warblers (Havesanger). After the third round it became a bit more quiet and we could get the birds out with the two of us. And we had a little surprise two new Wrynecks (Vendehals), so one for each. After this Hans went home, but his wife had said to him: I do not want to see you back without a lot of brambles. So he had to pick them for half an hour. But we had a good day together. A the lake we had a White and a Yellow Wagtail (Hvid og Gul Vipstjert) and later in the evening a Wheatear. The wheatear is rather dark in the front and measures 101 mm, it is a 1K (could be a more nordic one, we have collected some little feathers for DNA research).

In total we had 137 birds and 23 different species (131 new ones and 6 recaptures).

Coming back to the open debate on the thunbergi. From Denmark nobody reacted. I also asked some birders and ringers in the Netherlands what they thought about the subspecies. And they all agreed that it could be a thunbergi. 

Today only two pictures, one of the two Wrynecks and one of the Wheatear.

Todays catches:

With kind regards Robert

Today was, what I would say, a kind of standard day. It was hot and the birds decided not to move anymore after 11.00 o'clock, so I closed the garden at 12.00 o'clock. Highlights of the morning were a new Vendehals / Wryneck (the second of this year) and a new Rødrygget Tornskade / Red-backed shrike. After showing some vistors, together with Hans, some birds I decided to take a nap.

Later in the afternoon I opened the nets at the little lake and it was a really exciting evening. Caught a Mudderklire (Common sandpiper) and at the same time a digesvale (Sand Martin) and half an hour later a bysvale (House Martin) and an additional Gul Vipstjert (Yellow Wagtail). There was no wind at all and the nets were not moving at all. I think this is the reason that I caught the martins in a relative open biotope.

The House Martin is an interesting species. It has feathers on his feet and tarsus (see picture). As far as I know the only little bird that has it (maybe there are more in the world). I once asked people what the reason could be that they have those feathers. There was one answer that made sense for me. The species is orginally a mountain species, maybe protecting from the cold??

Photo gallery

Today catches

In total 69 birds (61 new and 8 recaptures) and 18 different species.

With kind regards Robert

The day was strange. First round 5 birds and I thought this will be the worst day of the week, but luckily more birds in the second round. Third round again only 5 birds and thereafter again better rounds. In total I have caught 79 birds (17 species). 70 new ones and 9 recaptures.

I also tried to catch near the lake and was today very lucky. Four new Yellow Wagtails (Gul Vipstjert). One has a very dark head, according to me it could be the subspecies thunbergi, but Hans is not convinced. So open for debate. And one less common species for the station, a Common Snipe (Dobbeltbakkasin).

The Wryneck was still there (what a strange bird).

I would say: overall a good day.

Photo gallery

Is this a thunbergi or not?

Catches of the day:

With kind regards

Robert (Robert.Luttik@gmail.com)

Today was the day that most people were leaving. At this moment I am the only one. Anton and Ana have helped during the morning (the standard catching period). In between, we cleaned the house and did the dishes and washes. Not much to mention this day. We had less birds but still in total 47 (29 new and 18 recaptures). !4 species of which the Rødrygget Tornskade/Red backed Shrike probably was the least common one. It was also the last bird ringed by Ana (see picture).

A pity that they are gone, will be a few days alone and in case I will catch a lot of birds Hans Lind is available for helping out. So lets hope tomorrow is a more crowded day.

Picture gallery

  A bit afraid to get dirty

Todays catches

With kind regards Robert

Today it has been a good day of ringing! Still not the big day we have been hoping for, but we got a decent amount of birds with some new species for the season: Eurasian Wryneck, Yellow Wagtail and European Goldfinch. I got to ring 4 new species, the formers plus a Grasshopper Warbler (3 ^rd for the season!).

Vendehals / Wryneck

The morning was not very busy, we got more birds than yesterday during the standard period and we decided to keep the nets open. We had them open until 16:30 and I’m glad we did it because all the new bird species came after 10:00! 

We were Anton, Robert and me in charge of the ringing. Anders went to the tip and joined us for the ringing after the standard period. He got the Wryneck from the net and didn’t say anything to anyone. When I opened the bag at the lab it was such a surprise! What an amazing bird! Gert was also with us and we couldn’t stop watching it, it is the most incredible bird I’ve ever had in my hand!

The day was saved, new species and a really good one (Wryneck)! After this one, came the Gold Finch, the Grasshopper Warbler and also a couple of Yellow Wagtails that Robert caught in his nets by the lake in front of the sea.

Stillits / Goldfinch

Gul Vipstjert / Yellow Wagtail

Today’s ringing:

Vendehals / Wryneck - 1
Gul Vipstjert / Yellow Wagtail - 2
Nattergal / Thrush Nightingale - 4
Rødstjert / Common Redstart - 6
Græshoppesanger / Grasshoppe Warbler - 1
Sivsanger / Sedge Warbler - 1
Kærsanger / Marsh Warbler - 4
Gulbug / Icterine Warbler - 7
Gærdesanger / Lesser Whitethroat - 17
Tornsanger / Common Whitethroat - 12
Havesanger / Garden Warbler - 2
Munk / Blackcap - 2
Løvsanger / Willow Warbler - 1
Skovspurv / Tree Sparrow - 1
Stillits / Goldfinch - 1

Total: 62

We also got a lot of recaptures: 41 in total, being most of them Common Whitethroats.

Ander’s parents left today and now we are 4 at the station. Anton and me went in the afternoon to Gedser to buy some food, Anders was in the tip and Robert at home while checking his nets.

Now we are going to prepare pizza and enjoy the last hours of the day!

Cheers!

Ana

Another day is soon gone and we have enjoyed like every other day. No matter if the sun is shining or it’s cloudy and raining, every day at Gedser Fuglestation is just a wonderful gift.

The ringing was slow today, we only got a total of 27 birds ringed and 11 recaptures. We had a new species for the season, Reed Bunting, along with a nice Sedge Warbler. I got my first recapture from Sweden, a sweet Willow warbler! So even though we didn’t have the big day we were expecting with the the change in the wind direction, I enjoyed a lot in the lab with the ringing. Robert and Anton let me ring all the birds and I got to learn some tips for ageing  from them.

Rørspurv / Reed Bunting (1k - Female)

Sivsanger / Sedge Warbler (2k ⁺)

Today’s ringing:

Rødstjert / Common Redstart - 3
Sivsanger / Sedge Warbler - 1
Gulbug / Icterine Warbler - 3
Gærdesanger / Lesser Whitethroat -4
Tornsanger / Common Whitethroat - 8
Havesanger / Garden Warbler - 1
Munk / Blackcap - 1
Løvsanger / Willow Warbler - 3
Broget Fluesnapper / Pied Flycatcher - 1
Rødrygget Tornskade / Red-backed Shrike - 1
Rørspurv / Reed Bunting - 1

Total: 27

Anders went to the tip like every morning but the migration was slow and he came back to the station and went to explore around with his parents.

At home life is beautiful. After Robert came yesterday, we also got the visit from Anders’s parents and now being 6 people at the house it really feels like being a big family.  

With this stormy weather we are spending the afternoon indoors, chilling at home while Anders and her mum are cooking lasagne for dinner. I bet is going to be yummy because it smells delicious from the kitchen.

Have a nice Sunday evening!

Ana