Ja, det blev så en hurtig sæson, både for mine engelske blogge - men også for fuglene. Et fint regnvejr hele natten bød på vådt græs og en total død have lige fra solopgang. Vi genfangede en masse med ring på, og måtte nøjes med blot 15 nymærkninger. Vi lukkede efter standard, og fik lige klaret lidt havearbejde inden den stod på frokost. Der var nemlig grene på netrunden, som hang ind og ramte selve nettet - hvilket ikke er særlig fedt for en ringmærker ;)

Today’s ringing:
Landsvale / Barn Swallow - 2
Hvid Vipstjert / White Wagtail - 2
Rødstjert / Common Redstart - 0 / and 2 recaptures
Jernspurv / Dunnock - 1
Gulbug / Icterine Warbler - 3 / and 6 recaptures
Gærdesanger / Lesser Whitethroat - 0 / and 1 recapture
Tornsanger / Common Whitethroat - 2 / and 2 recaptures
Munk / Eurasian Blackcap - 0 / and 1 recapture
Gransanger / Common Chiffchaff - 2
Skovspurv / Eurasian Tree Sparrow - 1
Tornirisk / Linnet - 2

Total: 15 (12 recaptures)

Dagens smukkeste fugl - Tornirisk 

Hans kiggede ud hen på eftermiddagen, og det samme gjorde de så søde velkendte GFU sy-piger - og de bragte endda skønne jordbær med sig, som blev dagens eftermiddags nydelse, før vi ville en tur på odden. Solen skinnede, og nu skulle den fuglemæssige del af 21. juli lige peppes lidt op. Det gav da også lidt ternetræk, og som højdepunkt en lille kobbersneppe der strøg syd på sammen med en storspove. 

Data er klaret, aftensmad er klaret og nu er blog også klaret. Så nu vil vi sige godnat, og krydse fingre for i morgen bliver mere fugle rigt i haven end i morges.

De gladeste hilsner, Anton

Autumn season 2019 started for real this morning when 2 excited men stepped outside of the observatory's door. No wind at all and a beautiful fog was covering the fields around us. Skylarks were singing while we opened nets giving us a good boost for this special day. 

A bit more quiet in the garden today but still okay numbers of chiffchaff’s and sylvia warblers around. The netrounds gave us 10 birds here, 5 birds there and 5 birds there - enough to keep us entertained and getting into the season in a good way. And of course GFU had some surprises for us! For Ramón extracted on the second last round the 14th Marsh Tit in the history of Gedser and surprised me with this for me new ringing species. Really not what I expected to get here on the first season day - so muchas gracias dulce Ramón. Te debo una.

Marsh Tit

 Today’s ringing:

Jernspurv / Dunnock - 3 / and 2 recaptures
Sangdrossel / Song Thrush - 1
Kærsanger / Marsh Warbler - 4
Rørsanger / Euraisan Reed Warbler - 1
Gulbug / Icterine Warbler - 5 / and 2 recaptures
Gærdesanger / Lesser Whitethroat - 1
Tornsanger / Common Whitethroat - 4 / and 2 recaptures
Havesanger / Garden Warbler - 1 / and 2 recaptures
Munk / Eurasian Blackcap - 1
Gransanger / Common Chiffchaff - 3
Løvsanger / Willow Warbler - 1
Sumpmejse / Marsh Tit - 1
Korttået Træløber - 0 / and 1 recapture
Gråspurv / House Sparrow - 1

Total: 27 (9 recaptures)

The afternoon was spend for me starting studying about what species to expect in Mongolia, and for Ramón to get his ebird profile up to date! Later on we watched the tour de france stage were Jakob Fuglesang again lost time - so my hope for a dane in the yellow shirt is starting to die slowly!

To deal with my (a combination of a little bit of sadness and a little bit of disappointment) mood I went out to do some gardening. So while I was cutting down branches there have annoyed us hitting Ø11 all the time, Ramón went for a run to Birkemose to explore the near area! 

We are now both back in the station with rain hitting the window. We are super tired after some long days and getting back into the daily routine of a ringer so even though it is only 19:30 - I think we are on our way to bed.

Something else is the weather forecast for tomorrow looks rainy! Let’s hope that isn’t something reliable!!! ---- The alarm is sat to 3:50 anyway!

Best regards -- Anton

Once again! I’m back... - couldn’t resist not going to the best birding location in Denmark for this time of the year. And it isn’t really summer before you are here! So yeah…. summer time in Gedser! The place to be without any doubts. Left everything behind me in Jutland yesterday, picked up Ramón in Kastrup and went directly to Gedser. Once again lovely welcoming when we arrived - and as an extra bonus, some grill leftovers from all the hard garden workers was found in the kitchen --- Life is good - thank you all. 

The garden looked amazing, the nets looked almost amazing, we looked amazing - so pretty much everything at the southern tip of Denmark is at the moment amazing. So with a lot of energy Ramón and I went out of bed this morning. We wanted to get a preseason day today having time to start everything up and getting Ramón into the daily routine here at Gedser Bird Observatory. And already before 6:30 AM the day was saved with 26 birds on first round and 23 on the second! Which is good here in mid july. Normally when I have been here in July I have ringed on good days around 30 but it seems this year wants it differently. It was mainly silvia warblers but also chiffchaff was playing very good along. Probably some youngsters from the near area but still I was surprised with this amount of chiffchaff’s. Normally I only get like one here and one there in july and august but a lot of willow warblers but it seems that Chiffchaffs are doing good this year!!! 

Today’s high count and big winner - a Common Chiffcaff 1cy.

And as a little welcoming present a common rosefinch. There gave Ramón a new ring species. 

Todaýs Common Rosefinch.

A german family with friends came for visit in the late morning and went on some netrounds with us. Luckily the birds didn’t stop showing well so there were plenty of space for Hans using his German and us showing how we are doing ringing. Everything in perfect conditions. 

We closed the nets around noon after a round with only 3 new ringed birds and just to mention that we were pretty happy with today’s result. Look at it here below:

Today’s ringing:

Landsvale / Barn Swallow - 3
Hvid Vipstjert / White Wagtail - 1
Jernspurv / Dunnock - 2
Rødstjert / Common Redstart - 3
Kærsanger / Marsh Warbler - 1
Gulbug / Icterine Warbler - 13
Gærdesanger / Lesser Whitethroat - 4 / and 2 recaptures
Tornsanger / Common Whitethroat - 12 / and 2 recaptures
Havesanger / Garden Warbler - 8
Munk / Eurasian Blackcap
Gransanger / Common Chiffchaff - 14 / and 1 recapture
Løvsanger / Willow Warbler - 2
Blåmejse / Eurasian Blue Tit - 3
Musvit / Great Tit - 1
Korttået Træløber / Short-toedTreecreeper - 1
Tornirisk / Common Linnet - 2
Karmindompap / Common Rosefinch - 1

Total: 81 (+ 5 recaptures)

Gert also came for some garden work around noon and to say hello. And he timed it well because both Ramón and me were very tired after lunch so even though we wanted to do a lot this afternoon we ended up resting after our traveling the whole day yesterday and our waking up at 3.50 today. 

We did a little walk to the tip though before sunset and got a little bit of birds over the water. It was great feeling the summer experince of the southern tip of Denmark with sand martins flying around, common eiders laying close to shore, goldfinches calling constantly, wagtails jumping around and a lovely common swift made us feel alive for a bit before it went straight south towards Germany. 

Common Swift - 19th of July Gedser Odde.

A total count of the birds today can be found here: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S58300218

Now we are more than ready to start the autumn season tomorrow. Both Ramón and me are excited and really have no idea if Gedser have more mid july surprises for us! Can we start the season with a Melodious Warbler - or can a River Warbler save the day??

No matter what - the alarm is sat to 03:50 - and GFU is ready!

Stay tuned.

Best regards -- Anton Liebermann