We continue with standard ringing until the last date of the season so just two more days to go until we can use tape lures during the morning. Numbers are dropping, but this morning we managed to catch a Fieldfare.

Male Fieldfare

The stragglers are still coming through, with singles of Robin and Goldcrest ringed today.  The leading species at present is Mealy Redpoll as we have been managing to tape small numbers after standard ringing is completed. The males are so smart with their 'raspberry ripple' good looks.

Mealy Redpoll 2k+ male

Ringing Totals: 32 (7)

Rødhals / Robin – 1 (3)
Sjagger / Fieldfare - 1
Solsort / Blackbird – 0 (1)
Fuglekonge / Goldcrest– 1 (1)
Blåmejse / Blue Tit - 2
Musvit / Great Tit – 0
Stor Gråsisken / Mealy Redpoll – 26
Lille Gråsisken / Lesser Redpoll – 1
Lille Dompap / Western Bullfinch – 0 (1)

In the afternoon we tried for Mute Swans around the harbour and marina areas again, catching one bird bringing our total to three. It was in need of food and had a superficial wound on the neck. The bird was relocated to the harbour where it was more sheltered and could feed on grass and spinach that we left for it.

In the early evening we made a short check at Birkamose beach for waders. Again, there were none (not surprising as beaches are regularly walked by dog walkers and people searching for Baltic amber, even after dark and birds are probably on the sand bar). We resorted to looking for amber and fossils along the tide line.

A selection of our beach combing finds including a fossilised echinoid and belemnites. The amber is a gift from Hans, from his personal collection ( as it seems that finding Baltic amber is no easier than catching rarities!)

We tried, yet again, for owls with no luck

Sule fiskede ved odden.

I dag var jeg vikar for Preben Berg mht. træktælling. Der var hverken de store udfordringer med artbestemmelse eller de store antal, så resultaterne er forhåbentlig rimeligt præcise. Du kan se den samlede liste på DOFbasen.

Gråsæl.

A Twite was ringed this morning. Records show that the last time that Twite were ringed at the station were the three that we did during autumn 2015.

1k male Twite

Ringing Totals:  50 (11)

 Engpiber / Meadow Pipit - 23
Jernspurv / Dunnock - 2 (1)
Rødhals / Robin – 3 (4)
Solsort / Blackbird – 4 (2)
Fuglekonge / Goldcrest–  1 (1)
Blåmejse / Blue Tit - 8 (1)
Musvit / Great Tit – 1
Nordlig Træløber / Northern Treecreeper – 1
Skovspurv / Tree Sparrow - 1 (1)
Grønirisk / Greenfinch - 1
Bjergirisk / Twite - 1
Stor Gråsisken / Mealy Redpoll – 1
Lille Gråsisken / Lesser Redpoll - 2
Stor Dompap / Northern Bullfinch – 1
Lille Dompap / Western Bullfinch - 0 (1)

Fewer birds around today although the Goldcrests needed a lot of attention to avoid becoming chilled in the nets and rounds every 30 minutes was increased to each 20 minutes. They, and some Redpoll gave us something to do in the morning although a mist that developed after mid-day put a stop to catching through the afternoon.

Highlight of the day, a Northern Long-tailed Tit bearing ring VP65608 (MOSKVA).

 

The first two rounds revealed a fresh crop of crests. There was a great deal of calling from Chaffinch and Brambling but as usual we watched them disappear towards the tip. There was also success with Redpolls as a tape lure was played in the afternoon, but the thrushes that were on site yesterday were mostly long gone. Later in the day a Kestrel was captured.

Mealy Redpoll

We were pleased to catch Blue Tit DB43031 and Mealy Redpoll DB81947, both carrying rings issued by the Riksmuseum, Stockholm scheme.

We were treated to a glimpse of one of the garden’s smaller mammalian residents. I think it is a vole but I am happy to be corrected if that’s wrong.

Vole

We have seen Roe Deer and Hare in the garden, also a Polecat one night in the field by the lighthouse but this is our first small rodent.

Details of the migration counts and everything we missed while ringing in the garden are available on DofBase.

Ringing Totals: 150 (33)

Tårnfalk / Kestrel – 1
Engpiber / Meadow Pipit - 5
Gærdesmutte / Wren – 4
Rødhals / Robin – 0 (6)
Solsort / Blackbird – 2
Vindrossel / Redwing – 1 (1)
Sangdrossel / Song Thrush – 0 (1)
Fuglekonge / Goldcrest– 52 (19)
Halemejse / Long-tailed Tit - 8
Blåmejse / Blue Tit – 9 ( 2 + 1 control Sweden/1 Danish ring 9CB9132, pulli 31/05/2018 at
Musvit / Great Tit – 4                                                                                     Virket Golbane)                            Nordlig Træløber / Treecreeper – 0 (1)                                                                                                         
Skovspurv / Tree Sparrow – 3
Bogfinke / Chaffinch - 1
Lille Gråsisken / Lesser Redpoll – 4
Gråsisken / Mealy Redpoll – 55 ( 1 control Sweden)
Gulspurv / Yellowhammer - 1

Today was a little windier and colder than the last few days. The morning was a slow but as cloud built up, birds began coming through in the late morning. After standard ringing we were able to play audio lures and attracted in quite a lot of Redpoll. One bird was a good candidate for Arctic Redpoll, although the first year female was only confirmed via photographs sent to Hugh Harrap who we know has experience of the species in the hand.

Hvidsisken / Arctic Redpoll 1K hun

Other highlights of the day, more Northern Long-tailed Tits and some Northern Bullfinch. Also a Swedish ringed Blue Tit.

The weather forecasts a few days of low wind and we'll see whether that encourages birds here or sends them straight overhead on to Germany.

 Ringing Totals: 205 (14)

Spurvhøge / Sparrowhawk - 1
Engpiber / Meadow Pipit - 3
Gærdesmutte / Wren – 0 (1)
Jernspurv / Dunnock - 1
Rødhals / Robin –  2 (3)
Solsort / Blackbird – 2 (2)
Vindrossel / Redwing - 1
Gransanger / Chiffchaff - 1
Fuglekonge / Goldcrest–  4 (4)
Halemejse / Northern Long-tailed Tit - 5
Blåmejse / Blue Tit - 8 (3)
Musvit / Great Tit – 1
Nordlig Træløber / Treecreeper – 0 (1)
Kværkefinke / Brambling - 4
Grønsisken / Siskin - 4
Hvidsisken / Arctic Redpoll - 1
Gråsisken / Mealy Redpoll – 129
Lille Gråsisken / Lesser Redpoll – 28
Stor Dompap / Northern Bullfinch - 5
Dompap / Western Bullfinch - 4
Gulspurv / Yellowhammer - 1

 Another good day! Goldcrests are arriving late this year and there were another hundred or so today. We caught Siskins and Meadow Pipits in decent numbers, and our fourth Great Grey Shrike of the autumn.

                                                                                 Fieldfare

Ringing Totals: 207 (20)

Engpiber / Meadow Pipit - 24
Gærdesmutte / Wren – 4
Jernspurv / Dunnock - 1 (1)
Rødhals / Robin –  1 (3)
Solsort / Blackbird – 3 (2)
Sjagger / Fieldfare - 2
Fuglekonge / Goldcrest–  106 (5)
Blåmejse / Blue Tit - 7 (1)
Musvit / Great Tit – 14 (4)
Nordlig Træløber / Treecreeper – 1 (1)
Stor Tornskade / Great Grey Shrike - 1
Skovspurv / Tree Sparrow - 2 (1)
Grønirisk / Greenfinch – 5
Stilits / Goldfinch - 1
Grønsisken / Siskin - 27
Gråsisken / Mealy Redpoll – 4
Lille Gråsisken / Lesser Redpoll – 3
Stor Dompap / Northern Bullfinch - 1 (2)

At last, some decent weather for netting birds. The gales of recent days has blocked small migrants from travelling to their wintering grounds and the let up in the weather today allowed them to get moving again. We knew we had a decent number of birds from calls heard while setting the nets, Goldcrests featuring heavily.

Ringing Totals: 262 (16)

Engpiber / Meadow Pipit – 6
Gærdesmutte / Wren – 5
Rødhals / Robin – 8 (6)
Solsort / Blackbird – 0 (3)
Vindrossel / Redwing – 0 (1)
Gransanger / Chiffchaff – 1
Fuglekonge / Goldcrest– 195
Blåmejse / Blue Tit – 6 (2)
Musvit / Great Tit – 3 (2)
Nordlig Træløber / Treecreeper – 2
Bogfinke / Chaffinch – 4
Grønirisk / Greenfinch – 2
Stilits / Goldfinch – 2
Grønsisken / Siskin – 1
Gråsisken / Mealy Redpoll – 11
Lille Gråsisken / Lesser Redpoll – 9
Stor Dompap / Northern Bullfinch – 2
Dompap / Western Bullfinch – 1 (2)
Gulspurv / Yellowhammer – 3
Rørspurv / Reed Bunting - 1

The wind speed was too high for ringing this morning and a short session at the end of the day produced very little.

Since our arrival we have spent many, many evenings attempting to capture owls. This now runs into a great deal of net hours but despite our best efforts, and having seen one on site, we have still not managed to catch any. Other observatories also appear to be having low success with owls too. I think we can say with some certainty that there will be no October owls, this being the evening of the 31^st  although nets are still open.

So I shall just post the image of the jack o’ lantern that I made and still wish you all a Happy Owl’o’een and hope for better luck in November.

Ringing Totals: 1 (3)

Gærdesmutte/ Wren - 0 (1)
Fuglekonge / Goldcrest - 1 (2)

Nets in use were very much limited by the changed wind direction, now from the South East. It was a slow morning and the total reached just 33, even with extra time after standard netting and five Meadow Pipits again from non standard nets.

The beach at Birkamose

In the afternoon we decided to look at the beaches, beaches that have been completely covered in water over the last couple of days due to the terrible weather conditions allowing no chance to lamp waders at night. There is now a thick covering of weed in many areas with no sign of the Sanderling that we've been seeing. There were around 40 or so Little Gulls feeding just offshore.

 First year Little Gull

Little Gull adult

As we drove back to the observatory a flock of 49 Whooper Swans landed in the fields between Birkamose and the lighthouse.

Whooper Swans

Ringing Totals: 33 (18)

Engpiber / Meadow Pipit - 5
Gærdesmutte / Wren – 0 (1)
Rødhals / Robin –  4 (5)
Solsort / Blackbird – 5 (4)
Sangdrossel / Song Thrush - 1
Gransanger / Chiffchaff - 1
Fuglekonge / Goldcrest–  11 (2)
Blåmejse / Blue Tit – 1 (2)
Musvit / Great Tit – 0 (1)
Bogfinke / Chaffinch – 0 (1)
Grønsisken / Siskin - 2
Lille Gråsisken / Lesser Redpoll - 1
Stor Dompap / Northern Bullfinch – 1
Dompap / Western Bullfinch - 1 (1)