The morning in the garden started with a busy first round and continued with a lot of birds. We did not reach the 200 but nearly, 1 or maximum two more rounds and we would have had that. The two most common species were once again Robins “Rødhals” and Chiffchaffs “Gransanger”. Also some Acrocephalus with a good amount of fat landed in our nets: Two Reed Warblers “Rørsanger” and two Marsh Warblers “Kærsanger” and we saw and heard a lot of Finches flying over the garden two high for our nets though, but passerine migration has really started! There was also a visiting group at the bird station, so it was a busy day in and around the garden.

Hanelie saw a squirrel when she was cooking. We have not really an idea how it can come in the garden (no real connection with other forest area).

The night was good for moths, we did catch 25 species. Three were new for the season the Nutmeg Moth (Kløverspinder), the Small Wainscot  (Lille Starugle) and the Rusty Dot Pearl (Udea ferrugalis). The last two can be found in the picture and a picture of another moth the Morning-glory Plume moth  (Snerlefjermøl), because it has a very special shape.

Small Wainscot  (Lille Starugle)

Rusty Dot Pearl (Udea ferrugalis)

Morning-glory Plume moth  (Snerlefjermøl)

Migration at Gedser Odde: A hazier morning today, but with the promise of easterly winds, we kept our eyes peeled.  As always, I was hoping for some raptors, and today brought a pair of Merlin/Dværgfalk (Falco columbarius) that headed out to the South West/SV. We met more raptor friends including Hen Harrier/Blå kærhøg (Circus cyaneus), Honey Buzzard/Hvepsevåge (Pernis apivorus), Kestrel/Tårnfalk (Falco tinnunculus), and Sparrowhawk/Spurvehøg (Accipiter nisus).

We had good views of a variety of dabbling ducks (Anatinae) today, including Pintail/Spidsand (Anas acuta), Gadwall/Knarand (Anas strepera), Shoveler/Skeand (Anas clypeata), Scoters (Common/Sortand (Melanitta nigra) and Velvet/Fløjlsand (Melannita fusca)), Teal/Krikand (Anas crecca), and Tufted ducks/Troldand (Aythya fuligula). A small flock of Scaup/Bjergand (Aythya marila) were spotted flying South West/SV, too. The numbers of Eider/Ederfugl (Somateria mollissima), and Wigeon/Pibeand (Anas Penelope) recorded were high, with over 1000 individuals of each species. This soon became a competition to be the most populous bird of the morning, with Eider clinching the title in the last twenty-or-so minutes of the count. Notably, we had more Eider flocks comprised exclusively of female-types. 

As for passerines, highlights included a large flock of 130 Chaffinch/Bogfinke (Fringilla coelebs) that flew overhead. An acrobatic group of Siskins/Grønsisken (Spinus spinus) also made their presence known with their rising “tuohweee” chorus. It was again nice to see members of the Heron (Ardeidae) family, with 3 Great White Egrets/Sølvhejre (Ardea alba) observed later in the morning, gracefully heading South West/SV. 

Overall, another delightful and educational morning at Gedser Odde. We look forward to another morning at the tip - for who knows what we will see. By Larissa Britton

People: Lara Winsloe, Larissa Britton, Robert Luttik, Hanelie Sidhu, Hans Lind, Tina Elley, Anne-Marie Raith

At the station Hanelie Sidhu, Robert Luttik, Lara Winsloe and Larissa Britton (and a squirrel)

This morning a bit fewer birds but a big surprise: In the closing round, I heard a bird screaming incredible from the Sparrowhawk-net, on Robert's closing round. In the lab, I was amazed when he took a Cuckoo “Gøg” out of the bag. He was delighted as it was a species he had so far always missed in almost 50 years of ringing. Congrats for the new in-hand species!

It was a first calendar-year bird that will probably leave any day now to its wintering grounds in Africa.

I had a male Sparrowhawk “Spurvehøg” today which came right in time as Hans came today to send the cloak samples to the Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen, so we could offer him one more.   

The night was not so cold and it was more cloudy, which resulted in quite a few moths (24 species). We had a few new species for the season: The Box Tree Moth (Buksbomhalvmøl), Clancy's Rystic (Caradrina kadenii , no Danish name) and the Jasmine Moth (Hvidt Halvmøl). The first one is an invasive species from China and Japan.

 The Box Tree Moth (Buksbomhalvmøl)

 Jasmine Moth (Hvidt Halvmøl)

Migration Count at Gedser Odde

by Lara W

It seems we are developing a trend. Sunday was Scoter/Sortand Day, Monday was Eider/Ederfugl Day, and today was Wigeon/Pibeand Day, with 1069 individuals counted. Most of these were in single-species flocks, although some had a few Teal/Krikand (Anas crecca), Pintail/Spidsand (Anas acuta), and Shoveler/Skeand (Anas clypeata) mixed in.

A few waders and gulls are also starting to migrate; we had 23 Little gull/Dværgmåge (Hydrocoloeus minutus), 6 Common gull/Stormmåge (Larus canus), 1 Great Black-backed gull/Svartbar (Larus marinus), 1 Herring gull/Sølvmåge (Larus argenteus) flying past the point. Mads gave Larissa and I some helpful tips for identifying Little gulls – noting the dark underwing as one of the primary distinguishing features for these birds. We also had a single Common tern/Fjordterne (Sterna hirundo) and 30 Sandwich tern/Splitterne (Thalasseus sandvicensis) migrating today.

Several enjoyable minutes were spent watching a pale-belled Arctic skua/Almindelig Kjove (Stercorarius parasiticus) jinxing its way across the sea. Being relatively close to us, we were able to get close up views of the long central tail feathers which act as a rudder, enabling quick turns and sudden lunges in flight on a surprisingly weighty bird.

Closer to shore, a few species of wader were spotted. 14 Dunlin/Almindelig Ryle (Calidris alpina) and a single Turnstone/Stenvender (Arenaria interpres) embarked on migration, while 5 Sanderling/Sandløber (Calidris alba) and 2 Ringed plover/Stor Præstekrave (Charadrius hiaticular) alighted on the beach. These lovely little birds spent a little time foraging in the shallows, before preening and seemingly having a short nap before flying onwards. I managed to capture a few photographs using Mads’ fantastic camera (see below)!

Raptors were rather low on the ground (pun intended, given one Sparrowhawk/Spurvehøg (Accipiter nisus) passed extremely close to our heads), with just 7 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel/Tårnfalk (Falco tinnunculus), and a single Honey Buzzard/Hvepsevåge (Pernis apivorus) passing SW/SV. Most numerous among the passerines were 126 Swallow/Landsvale (Hirundo rustica), although that number may not be representative given our attention was mainly fixed on counting passing seabirds. A single Tree Pipit/Skovpiber (Anthus trivialis) was noted, along with 32 White wagtail/Hvid Vipstjert (Motacilla alba) and 10 House martin/Bysvale (Delichon urbicum). Lastly, we were delighted to spot 4 Black-throated Diver/Sortstrubet Lom (Gavia arctica) passing us. I did manage a photo of one – do please feel free to laugh at my rather blurred attempt as it whizzed by (photo below)! Also pictured is a Harbour porpoise/Marsvin (Phocoena Phocoena) which raised its fin in salute!

People: Lara Winsloe, Larissa Britton, Robert Luttik, Hanelie Sidhu

 A similar but other good morning today: 96 new ringed birds and 8 recaps, again mostly Robins “Rødhals” and Chiffchaffs “Gransanger”. Today was the day with the most species in the ringing, we had 15, one new, that Robert and I did not have the last days: It was a Bluetit “Blåmejse”.

The night was cold again, so still not so many species of moths, but every day there are surprises. Three new species for the season: The Red Underwing (Rødt Ordensbånd), The Brick (Cirkel-Jorfarugle) and the Pink-barred Sallow (Toga-Septemberugle).The last two ones were new for Hanelie (happy woman).

Red Underwing (Rødt Ordensbånd)

 Pink-barred Sallow (Toga-Septemberugle)

Today the same number of birds in the nets as yesterday, 111 new and 12 recaptures. Today more Chiffchaffs “Gransanger” than Robins “Rødhals”, 46 new Chiffchaff “Gransanger” and 34 new Robins “Rødhals”. There was also a big surprise in the Sparrowhawk “Spurvehøg” net, a large first calendar year female got caught. It got a ring and besides that, we took a cloaca sample which will be send to Copenhagen to be tested for viruses by scientists. After she was happy to be freed again. 

Sparrowhawk (Spurvehøg)

Again the night was rather cold and there were no clouds. Two factors that influence moth trapping in a negative way. But nevertheless we had 13 species and two new ones: the Small Engrailed (Birke-Barkmåler) a rather common species and the Shy Cosmet Moth (Dunhammermøl) a species that has been found more in the easterly parts of Denmark. It was found dead in a spiderweb.

The picture below is the Canary-Shouldered Thorn (Elle Tandmåler), a nice yellow moth.

Canary-Shouldered Thorn (Elle Tandmåler)

Migration count at Gedser Odde

by Lara W

A gorgeous red sunrise greeted us at the point this morning, with clear skies and slightly warmer temperatures by mid-morning. Migration continued apace today, with 2814 individuals spotted, representing 31 different species. Amazingly, just over half of this total were Common scoter/Sortand (Melanitta nigra), who flew past in relatively large flocks of up to 85 birds. The almost constant flow of Commons was occasionally punctuated by their rather smarter looking cousin, the Velvet scoter/Fløjlsand (Melannita fusca). Although of a similar stockier build, Velvet scoters sport a clear white wing panel across their secondary flight feathers, which shows up sharply against their otherwise glossy black (males) or sooty-brown (females/juveniles) plumage, even at a considerable distance. Good numbers were also seen of some of the larger species, including 41 Brent goose/Knortegås (Branta Bernicia), 10 Greylag goose/Grågås (Anser anser), 103 Mute Swan/Knopsvane (Cygnus olor), 100 Cormorant/Skarv (Phalacrocorax carbo), 185 Eider/Ederfugl (Somateria mollissima), and 6 Great white egret/Sølvhejre (Ardea alba).

Several interesting species made an appearance out to sea today – a single Red-Necked grebe/Gråstrubet Lappedykker (Podiceps grisegena), along with a Great Crested grebe/Toppet Lappedykker (Podiceps cristatus), 3 Red-throated Diver/Rødstrubet Lom (Gavia stellata), 2 Arctic tern/Havterne (Sterna paradisaea) and 2 Arctic skua/Almindelig Kjove (Stercorarius parasiticus). The Arctic tern is an especially graceful little bird, being a touch smaller than the common tern with longer streamers on the tail, and slightly narrower wings. Rather closer to the shore, a Whimbrel/Småspove (Numernius phaeopus) made a late morning appearance, gliding swiftly round the point south.

Passerine migration was a little more varied than yesterday, with 210 Barn swallow/Landsvale (Hirundo rustica), 144 White wagtail/Hvid Vipstjert (Motacilla alba), 2 Rock pipit/Skærpiber (Anthus petrosus) and 4 Sand martin/Digesvale (Riparia riparia) making the trek south. 51 White wagtails also headed north, perhaps confused by the northerly wind; maybe we will see them again in the next few days as they pass south. The Hirundinidae have, these past days, been gathering in a large flock above the harvested field behind us, partaking in last minute foraging before migrating. Excitement rippled through the gathered birders when a Red-Rumped swallow/Rødrygget Svale (Cecropis daurica) was spotted darting in and out of its cousins up in the skies. A curious little bird with a distinct pale rump, coloured light rusty-red/rufous, although this is only visible from fairly close. The pale cheeks also set it apart from the more typical Barn swallow.

Very few raptors headed out today, with only 4 Sparrowhawk/Spurvehøg (Accipiter nisus), 2 Marsh Harrier/Rørhøg (Circus aeruginosus), and a single Hen harrier/Blå Kærhøg (Circus cyaneus) spotted. The Hen harrier made a few lazy passes in front us as she hunted in the field, allowing LAH to capture a lovely photo of her mid-flight (see below). The barring across the primary flight feathers is particularly obvious and striking in this photo.

Photo credit: LAH

People: Lara Winsloe, Larissa Britton, Robert Luttik, Hanelie Sidhu

The morning started again with many birds in the nets and we were busy with lots Robins “Rødhals”, it is mainly first calender year birds that we are catching, today we had 50 new and 2 recaps. We are also getting a lot of Chiffchaffs “Grånsanger” now, 35 new today and 2 recaps. The variety of species is not that big at the moment, just 11 species but one small but very nice, a Firecrest “Rødtoppet Fuglekonge”, which came exactly in the right time for the visiting family group, that came to the bird observatory today. So we also had some guiding to do, and Tina also came for this. John Hartwich also came to the station today and mowed our lawn, thanks for that!

Rødtoppet Fuglekonge (Firecrest)

The night was a bit cold, which is not so good for attracting moths, as they are not keen to fly. But we still had 12 species and two were catching my attention this morning. I found a Blue Underwing (Blåt Ordemsbånd) resting on the wall behind one of the lights we are using to attract moths. This a really large one. Another moth (much smaller) was also sitting on the wall. The English name is Belted Grass-veneer and it has no Danish name (Latin name is Euchromius Ocellea). In Naturbasen there is only one entry on Bornholm also from this year. It is caught more but just by people that are not using this database. It is a cosmopolitan species and is widespread in the tropic and subtropic regions, but is a rare migrant in the nordic parts of Europe including the UK and the Netherlands. In Arter more finds can be found.

Blåt Ordensbånd (Blue Underwing)

Belted Grass-veneer (Euchromius ocellea)

Migration counts at Gedser Odde

by Lara W

This morning brought bright sunshine and clear skies, and with it the promise of higher migration numbers, and the day definitely delivered! We were lucky to get some fantastic views of several White-tailed eagle/Havørn (Haliaeetus albicilla), (see photos below!), with one particular bird flying particularly close to us. If you look closely, you will notice a black trim to the edge of the tail feathers, denoting a young adult bird – most likely 5 or 6 years old. A fantastic sight to see! Also teasing us with their presence were a couple of Black Kite/Sort Glente (Milvus migrans) and Red Kite/Rød Glente (Milvus milvus), plus a Lesser spotted eagle/Lille Skigeørn (Aquila pomarine) far off in the distance; perhaps we will see her closer tomorrow if she decides to migrate.

Migration numbers were far above what we have seen over the past week, totalling 3083 individuals of 38 species. We hit the ground running, with several large Teal/Krikand (Anas crecca) flocks skimming across the waters as soon as we arrived just after 0600, with 298 Teals counted over five hours, most of which were seen within the first two! The most numerous overall was the Common scoter/Sortand (Melanitta nigra), of which 538 were counted, after that, 358 Wigeon/Pibeand (Anas Penelope), were spotted, generally in same-species flocks but with occasional Pintail/Spidsand (Anas acuta), or Teal interlopers. Several long lines of Cormorant/Skarv (Phalacrocorax carbo) were seen, as were occasional wader groups, such as Oystercatcher/Strandskade (Haematopus ostralegus) and Ringed plover/Stor Præstekrave (Charadrius hiaticular). A few Red-throated Diver/Rødstrubet Lom (Gavia stellata) and Black-throated Diver/Sortstrubet Lom (Gavia arctica) were also spotted, much to our delight!

Raptor migration was relatively poor given the NNW/NNV wind direction, which also influenced a number of passerines. Several hundred Swallow/Landsvale (Hirundo rustica), were noted flying north, who most likely will switch direction and fly south again as soon as the winds change – the instinctual urge to migrate will potentially be overriding their navigational capacity at this point…hopefully it will switch within the next few days to align with their target location, far to the south.

Today was an exceptional day in terms of numbers for Larissa and I. Perhaps old hat for the more seasoned birders at Gedser, but truly an eye-opener for us new kids on the migration-counting block. To see that much life stream past you in just a few hours is really quite something. It does not matter how long you have been birding: to see the gigantic and historic process of migration in action really is a sight to see.

People: Lara Winsloe, Larissa Britton, Robert Luttik, Hanelie Sidhu

The ringing

Today Robert and I were happy to have each others help, because we finally got what we wanted, a busy morning with in total 121 birds, 115 of them new and 6 recaptures. It was mainly Robins “Rødhals”, 49 new ones and Chiffchaff “Gransanger”, 33 new. As to expect, the big majority was first calendar year birds. Else there was nothing out of the ordinary in the nets, 2 female Pied Flycatchers “Broget Fluesnapper” and one pretty Lesser Whitethroat “Gærdesanger” were nice. The more birds, the longer the data entry and the more tired the ringers and the shorter the blog. In that sense, let´s hope for another good day tomorrow.

This time we had more moths and also a few new for here. We did catch 16 different species and the new ones were the Rush Veneer (Vandrehalvmøl) and the Ipsilon Dart Moth (Ypsilonugle).

Vandrehalvmøl (Rush Veneer)

Ypsilonugle (Ipsilon Dart Moth)

Migration count at Gedser Odde

by Lara W

A relatively still morning with clear skies brought us a good number of migrating birds today – 1121 individuals of 32 species, some of which were a little different from what we have been seeing over the last couple of weeks. Highlights were a flock of 5 Crane/Trane (Grus grus), a juvenile Montagu’s Harrier/Hedehøg (Circus pygargus), and a Cuckoo/Gøg (Cuculus canorus). The Montagu’s was especially exciting, gliding close enough for us to properly enjoy the variety of colours within the plumage. A small flock of Great white egret/Sølvhejre (Ardea alba), and 2 Red Kite/Rød Glente (Milvus milvus), also gave us a few minutes of diversion, although they did not migrate. Still, a lovely sight in the early morning sunlight, where the white wings of the egrets turned almost fully translucent.

Out to sea, a relatively steady stream of scoter (Common scoter/Sortand (Melanitta nigra), Velvet Scoter/Fløjlsand (Melannita fusca)), Wigeon/Pibeand (Anas Penelope), and Sandwich tern/Splitterne (Thalasseus sandvicensis) flew by, with occasional mixed flocks including Teal/Krikand (Anas crecca), Pintail/Spidsand (Anas acuta), and Shoveler/Skeand (Anas clypeata). A long line of almost 100 Cormorant/Skarv (Phalacrocorax carbo) above the horizon provided variation from the bunched-up groupings of the seaducks. However, the real excitement was reserved for a pair of divers – one Red-throated Diver/Rødstrubet Lom (Gavia stellata) and one Black-throated Diver/Sortstrubet Lom (Gavia arctica) – that flew fairly close to the coast, allowing us a detailed view of their flight action and colouring. Their distinctly large feet sticking out behind are a tell-tale indicator, and with both species flying so close together, Larissa and I were able to fully appreciate the differences between them in terms of shape, overall size, and plumage. A couple of Greenshank/Hvidklire (Tringa nebularia) were spotted too, and a small flock of Dunlin/Almindelig Ryle (Calidris alpina).

Passerines were a little thin on the ground today, with only a few Swallow/Landsvale (Hirundo rustica) and White wagtail/Hvid Vipstjert (Motacilla alba) making the crossing, plus a small flock of 5 Linnet/Tornirisk (Linaria cannabina). Around halfway through the morning, the resident rosebush sparrow (mixed flock Tree/Skovspurv and House/Gråspurv) flock suffered a casualty, when a hungry Sparrowhawk/Spurvehøg (Accipiter nisus) snapped up a last-minute meal before migrating south-west. Unfortunate for the sparrow, but a perfect demonstration for us of this small raptor’s fast reflexes and excellent hunting ability!

Lara Winsloe, Larissa Britton, Robert Luttik, Hanelie Sidhu

The ringing: 

This morning was still a little windy but less than the days before. It also brought us some birds in the nets. Else it was sunny and after the first few rounds got warm, so a nice morning although we are still waiting for more birds to come.

Lesser Whitethroat "Gærdesanger"

The night was not really good for attracting and catching moths. We did catch about 20 moths (9 species). We had 2 more Snerlesvæmer (oonvolvulus Hawkmoth). Hanelie had a new one for her lifelist, it was the Canary-shouldered Thorn (Elle-Tandmåler).

Ennomos alniaria "Elle-Tandmåler"

 Migration counts at Gedser Odde

Lara W

The sun came out for us today and numbers for migration were (thankfully) much higher than yesterday’s rather abysmal total. 669 individuals were spotted passing the point, representing 25 species. Most numerous were the passerines, including 155 Swallow/Landsvale (Hirundo rustica), 114 White wagtail/Hvid Vipstjert (Motacilla alba), 33 House martin/Bysvale (Delichon urbicum), 44 Yellow wagtail/Gul Vipstjert (Motacilla flava), and 20 Sand martin/Digesvale (Riparia riparia) counted.

Several small flocks of ducks also migrated, including Wigeon/Pibeand (Anas Penelope), Pintail/Spidsand (Anas acuta), Common scoter/Sortand (Melanitta nigra), Eider/Ederfugl (Somateria mollissima), Shoveler/Skeand (Anas clypeata), and Gadwall/Knarand (Anas strepera). In terms of raptors, we had a decent number of Sparrowhawk/Spurvehøg (Accipiter nisus), a couple of Kestrel/Tårnfalk (Falco tinnunculus) and a White-tailed eagle/Havørn (Haliaeetus albicilla). Several Honey Buzzard/Hvepsevåge (Pernis apivorus) and Marsh Harrier/Rørhøg (Circus aeruginosus), came close by but were not ready to make the crossing yet, perhaps they will fly tomorrow.

A couple of species deserve mention simply because they have not been spotted crossing over the last week or so – two Brent goose/Knortegås (Branta bernicia) and Linnet/Tornirisk (Linaria cannabina). My thanks to Mads Elley for pointing out identifying features for several of these species, and for bringing cake!

One last note: we have a new staff member joining the team here at Gedser Fuglestation - Larissa Britton, a birder (and moth-enthusiast!) from Ireland who graduated from University College London (UCL) recently with a degree in Ecology. She will be a valuable asset to the team we are sure, particularly as she already has promised to buy cake...

People: Lara Winsloe, Larissa Britton, Robert Luttik, Hanelie Sidhu

 Ringing & Migration Counts at Gedser

Lara W & Robert Luttik

I am afraid there is not much to report from either the ringing or migration counting activities today, due to bad weather. Heavy rain meant the nets were not opened at all, and although observations were carried out for the standard five hours at Gedser Odde in the morning, barely any birds were spotted migrating. A total of 10 Swallow/Landsvale (Hirundo rustica), 2 Sparrowhawk/Spurvehøg (Accipiter nisus), and a single Kestrel/Tårnfalk (Falco tinnunculus) came out to brave the weather. Seabirds may have made the crossing, but extremely poor visibility out to sea meant none were spotted by this rather bedraggled observer! Later on in the afternoon, when the sun finally made an appearance, three sparrowhawk and a single kestrel were seen flying above the station garden, so I am sure tomorrow will bring a flood of birds across the point. At least, here’s hoping!

In contrast to the migration and ringing we did catch some moths. Not so many, because it was also raining in the night. In total 15 species, but still a new one for both of us: it was the Beet Armyworm moth (Smalvinget Ugle) a small greyish moth. It always amazes me that even after 3.5 years I still get a new species almost every day. I am now up to almost 600 hundred species on my life list. It is part of the fun doing moths.

Beet Armyworm Moth (Smalvinget Ugle)

Present at station Lara Winsloe, Robert Luttik, Hanelie Sidhu

The ringing:

The morning started windy and this continued for the rest of the day, but in the garden it was mostly sheltered so we could still open most nets. But there was not much to do for us, just twelve new birds in the nets, one nice species that is not caught that often was a juvenile Grey Wagtail “Bjergvipstjert”. But that gave us time for the moth between the rounds which was also nice, although more birds would be appreciated.

Grey Wagtail "Bjergvipstjert"

The moths:

Not many more moth species than birds in the traps, but there was not so much to expect as it was a quite windy night. But some nice ones and both Robert and I had new species.

Helicoverpa armigera "Kriger Træk Ugle"

Ennomos autumnaria "Stor Tandmåler"

Athetis lepigone 

Migration Counts at Gedser Odde

Lara W

First, a quick apology for not updating the blog yesterday. Migration counts were minimal due to low visibility caused by heavy rain. Approximately 300 birds were spotted, most of which appeared in the final 40 minutes of standard time as the rain thankfully eased up. Several larger flocks of Common scoter/Sortand, interspersed with a few Sandwich tern/Splitterne (Thalasseus sandvicensis), and Wigeon/Pibeand (Anas Penelope), were seen far out on the horizon. Higher numbers of Mute Swan/Knopsvane (Cygnus olor), were counted than for the past week, totalling 83 individuals.

On to today’s count…

Seabird migration was surprisingly low, considering the relatively clear skies and lack of precipitation. Only 4 male Eider/Ederfugl (Somateria mollissima) were seen, all in eclipse plumage. In case the reader is unaware, the eclipse plumage is for cryptic purposes, making them less visible to predators during the period where the birds are in moult. Eiders, like several duck species, undergo full wing moult after breeding, replacing all their flight feathers at once which renders them essentially flightless until the feathers regrow. These darker “eclipse” feathers later abrade (wear down) into the signature white the species is known for.

Raptor numbers, on the other hand, were high, with 9 Honey Buzzard/Hvepsevåge (Pernis apivorus), 115 Sparrowhawk/Spurvehøg (Accipiter nisus), 7 Marsh Harrier/Rørhøg (Circus aeruginosus), 2 Merlin/Dværgfalk (Falco columbarius), and 3 Kestrel/Tårnfalk (Falco tinnunculus), counted flying out over the cliffs. At times it was difficult to know where to look, and at one point I was so focused on the Honey Buzzard overhead I almost missed the Sparrowhawk that passed within a metre of my face! Two birds not migrating, but which appeared over the fields to the north, deserve mention – a stunning Red Kite/Rød Glente (Milvus milvus), bedecked in a suit of russet and gold, and a juvenile White-tailed eagle/Havørn (Haliaeetus albicilla). The eagle made his sedate way across the fields and up above the station before moving away towards Gedser town, seemingly unphased by the small flock of Hooded Crow/Gråkrage (Corvus cornix) who attempted to mob him.

Five hours of birding wasn’t enough, so Gert and I went for a wander up to the nature reserve at Bøtø Nor. This was my first visit here, and we went to a couple of the hides (dubbed Fugletårn (“bird tower”) in Danish, I have to say this is a far better name for them than the rather boring name of “hide” in English!). The site comprises some 200 acres, and the Fugletårn look out onto a lake bordered by tall rushes and grassland, with a small wood to the south. A number of different duck and wader species were present, including Shoveler/Skeand (Anas clypeata), Gadwall/Knarand (Anas strepera), and Teal/Krikand (Anas crecca). A large mixed-age flock of Lapwing/Vibe (Vanellus vanellus) dominated the water, with several energetic Ruff/Brushane (Calidris pugnax) quick-stepping through the heftier birds in their search for small crustaceans, fish and molluscs within the mud below the water. One particular individual seemed a little more intrepid than the others, having waded in so the water level was at chest height, and therefore having to take some rather more violent steps to move effectively.

This peaceful but busy scene was periodically interrupted by the appearance of a juvenile White-tailed eagle, when all the waterbirds would erupt upwards, swirling and vortexing in the sky until this large predator had once more soared away on lazy wingbeats. A kestrel also provided me distraction, perching atop a small log in the grasslands in the sun for a little while. At one point, she must have spotted an insect, and with great intent, giving a distinct “hunting cat” impression, she scrambled after it, her high-stepping long legs giving a rather comical attitude to the endeavour.

At the final Fugletårn, two adult and one juvenile Crane/Trane (Grus grus) were seen grazing in the tall grasses, with several Great white egret/Sølvhejre (Ardea alba) and Grey Heron/Fiskehejre (Ardea cinerea) nearby. We arrived just in time to see them – after only a few minutes they flew off to join 4 other cranes who circled above the area for a while before disappearing south. Overall, a wonderful birding experience!

Robert Luttik, Lara Winsloe, Hanelie Sidhu

It did not look good for catching birds, the forecast was terrible. But the first load of rain did not touch Gedser Odde, so I opened at six some nets to stay at the safe side for when the rain would start and it did at 7.30 and I closed the nets. Caught 9 birds (4 species see table) The highlight was a Tree Pipit (Skovpiber).

I had also only two moth traps out and caught a few. In this case the nicest one was a Rødt Ordensbånd.

At this moment we are with three people at the station (Hanelie, Lara and myself). So it is time that the birds arrive.