This morning Robert and I opened the nets together one last time this autumn, from tomorrow on, the ringing team will change a bit. In the first rounds, we were joined by Amanda and Adam from DOF ung. The first rounds were quite slow, the morning was also a bit foggy. Adam ringed a partially leucistic female Blackcap “Munk” which was white on the wing feathers (see picture).

Between these slow rounds, Robert and I had time to check the moth traps, after Robert left home but was so kind to do the moth table and “moth part” of the blog from home.

I had said yesterday that it was my last blog, but we caught a few nice moths (see table) and had 5 different Måler species, of which two were new for the season (bold ones in Table), and one was new for me and Hanelie and a lot of other persons that were present at the station (DOF ung). It is the Vandremåler (in English the Gem Moth). In Naturbasen there are now only 7 entries. It is a species of continental Europe and can fly considerable distances over water. It is a relatively rare species in in the north of Europe.

Vandremåler (Gem Moth)

Skråbåndet Spidsmåler (Bordered Beauty)

Migration Count at Gedser Odde

by Lara W

Migration is definitely picking up speed! Overall numbers are increasing daily, with just short of 5800 counted at the tip over the course of the morning, representing 45 species. The vast majority of these were Wigeon/Pibeand (Anas Penelope), flocks of which often passed high up above our heads as they flew south. Up until now, they have tended toward flying out at sea, but today there was a distinct change in behaviour, as many of the birds flew over land. This may have been due to the heavy sea mist present until around 0800, reducing our visibility at one stage to around 100m. It cleared fairly quickly, but whilst all about us, the mist garnered a beautiful sense of calm quiet. Flocks of ducks could just be seen flashing in-between the clouds of mist floating above the water, but were all too quickly swallowed up in the fog.

Photo credit: Lara W

Once the fog had cleared, the sun came out to shine on an almost continual stream of bird-traffic out on the water. As stated above, wigeon numbers were highest, at 3417, followed by 775 Teal/Krikand (Anas crecca), 598 Common scoter/Sortand (Melanitta nigra), and 537 Common Eider/Ederfugl (Somateria mollissima). 94 Pintail/Spidsand (Anas acuta) and 40 Shoveler/Skeand (Anas clypeata) were spotted in mixed flocks, most often with the wigeon, along with a few surprises: 1 Tufted Duck/Troldand (Aythya fuligula), 1 Goldeneye/Hvinand (Bucephala clangula), and a single Common Snipe/Dobbeltbekkasin (Gallinago gallinago). This last looked rather incongruous flapping in its usual brisk manner, trailing behind a group of the much larger eiders.

Mixed flock, majority Wigeon, photo credit: Lara W

2 Red-throated Diver/Rødstrubet Lom (Gavia stellata), and 1 Black-throated Diver/Sortstrubet Lom (Gavia arctica) were spotted, with a Red-throat passing right over our heads, allowing a close-up view of this beautiful bird. Further out to sea, 36 Sandwich tern/Splitterne (Thalasseus sandvicensis), 4 Little gull/Dværgmåge (Hydrocoloeus minutus) and one Common gull/Stormmåge (Larus canus) were counted passing south-west. There was very little time to observe behaviours in-between counting the migrating birds, but occasionally I did manage to sneak a glance at foraging terns, loafing eider, and a few larger Herring gull/Sølvmåge (Larus argenteus) attempting to steal food from their smaller cousins – always fun to watch!

Rising up from behind us were a number of raptors and passerines embarking on their migration. This included 32 Starling/Stær (Sturnus vulgaris), 28 White wagtail/Hvid Vipstjert (Motacilla alba), and 18 Chaffinch/Bogfinke (Fringilla coelebs), 30 Sparrowhawk/Spurvehøg (Accipiter nisus), 7 Kestrel/Tårnfalk (Falco tinnunculus), 2 Merlin/Dværgfalk (Falco columbarius), and a single Hobby/Lærkefalk (Falco subbuteo). Of the larger birds of prey, 4 Honey Buzzard/Hvepsevåge (Pernis apivorus) and a single Marsh Harrier/Rørhøg (Circus aeruginosus) were seen. The real excitement came when an Osprey/Fiskeørn (Pandio haliaetus) was spotted far back up the coastline. Winging its way on sure, steady wingbeats, this wonderfully striking bird truly captured our attention, with its prominent sharp bill and stunning white head and collar markings. Looking at the photos I hastily managed to capture, I believe the bird was an adult based on the lack of white markings on the upperparts of the wing and a couple of other features, but it was too far distant to be certain. A second Osprey was spotted crossing the coastline above the harbour to the west, but sadly was just out of the standard migration count time.

A fabulous day, thank you to all who helped with the counting and enthusiastically drew our attention to passing birds!

Golden Plover/Hjejle (Pluvialis apricaria), photo credit: Lara W

At the station; Hanelie Sidhu, Robert Luttik, Vagn Lind, Lara Winsloe, Larissa Britton and DOF ung

This morning, we were joined for the first rounds by Armanda, Lise and Adam who are here with some others for a meeting from DOF ung. But unless the last days, we had very few birds in the first round. The second was a bit better but we just caught 40 birds in total today and recaptured 27 of them. But one was nice, it was a recapture of a first calendar year Chiffchaff “Gransanger” but with a Swedish ring! 

This will be the last contribution of me this year (hope to be back in May 2025). We did catch 18 moth species (see Table). I have added a nice yellow moth under the table. I think I have showed it before, but it is one of the beauties of the night.

Elle Tandmåler (Canary-shouldered Thorn)

We had this morning a little moth of which I am not 100% sure what it is. It is probably either the Grøn Egevintervikler  (Acleris literana, no English name) or Acleris rhombana (no Danish name). In English this one is called Rhomboid Tortrix.

Migration at Gedser Odde: Yet another fair day at the tip, with clear, sunny skies and some haze on the horizon. A calm sea. A small dip in numbers today compared to previous, with just over 1000 individuals recorded in total, representing 30 species. Now, for the highlights.

The Nutcracker/Nøddekrige (Nucifraga caryocatactes) gave us some more good views today, and stirred excitement in the group. This bird was a lifer for some of the birders at the tip - always a memorable experience.
A lifer for me today too, with a Red-throated Pipit/Rødstrubet Piber (Anthus cervinus), which called with a slightly descending "zziiiieeet" call - almost like a combination of Meadow Pipit/Engpiber (Anthus pratensis) and Tree Pipit/Skovpiber (Anthus trivialis) calls.  Meadow and Tree Pipits were also recorded today, along with flocks of Linnet/Tornirisk (Linaria cannabina) and of Chaffinch/Bogfinke (Fringilla coelebs).

Three Black-throated Divers/Sortstrubet Lom (Gavia arctica) crossed our path today - always special to see.  Additionally, a group of three Dark-bellied Brent/Knortegås (Branta bernicla) flew over, a nice small species of goose. A Great Crested Grebe/Toppet Lappedykker (Podiceps cristatus) was also spotted, with its distinctively elongated neck and appearance.

My gull identification journey is underway and continues: we were charmed by the elegant flight of several Little Gulls/Dværgmåge (Hydrocoloeus minutus) today. I feel much more confident in my ability to identify this species (mange tak, Mads!) In particular, the nature of their flight, slightly rounded wings, and dark underwing, are good identifiers.

Even on days with smaller numbers, there is joy to be had in each species you encounter, be that a rarity or a common resident. Tak fordi du læste med :) By Larissa Britton.

At the station Hanelie Sidhu, Robert Luttik, Lara Winsloe and Larissa Britton and DOF ung

Today we caught a Red-backed Shrike (Rødrygget Tonskade). I always check the books when catching something less common, so I will not make a mistake. In this case I used the Identification guide to birds in the hand of Laurent Demongin. And by comparing the wing formula I was a bit confused. The wing formula was pointing to Lanius senator (Woodchat Shrike). See the wing formula in the picture and compare it with the picture of the book. P2 is certainly much smaller than P3 and P4 and slightly shorter than P5. Did I catch a senator? No probably not. The T6 outer tail feather should have a broad pale tip for senator but only a narrow whitish edge for collurio (the Red-backed Shrike) and that was not the case. Overall, we decided that we had a Red-backed instead of a Woodchat.

We had 22 species of moth (see table) and only 1 new one. It is a very strange looking moth when it is not flying. It is called the Chinese Character (Silkevinge, see picture).

Migration Counts at Gedser Odde

by Lara W 

A slightly slower day today in terms of numbers, and yet quite a bit of excitement closer to home! But more on that in a moment…the highest number spot was once again claimed by the Common Eider/Ederfugl (Somateria mollissima), with 1035 individuals passing the point. Although sunny, there was quite a haze over the sea which may have impacted visibility. As it was, only 170 Wigeon/Pibeand (Anas Penelope) and 50 Common scoter/Sortand (Melanitta nigra) were counted, which over the last few days have been spotted migrating into the hundreds. Coming in mixed flocks, 10 Pintail/Spidsand (Anas acuta), 27 Teal/Krikand (Anas crecca), and 4 Shoveler/Skeand (Anas clypeata) were also seen, along with 9 Red-breasted Merganser/ Toppet Skallesluger (Mergus serrator). Other seabirds passing included 14 Sandwich tern/Splitterne (Thalasseus sandvicensis), 8 Little gull/Dværgmåge (Hydrocoloeus minutus), 1 Common tern/Fjordterne (Sterna hirundo), and 7 Velvet Scoter/Fløjlsand (Melannita fusca).

Flying out from behind us were a variety of near-passerines and raptors, including 15 Stock Dove/Huldue (Columba oenas), 2 Hen Harrier/Blå Kærhøg (Circus cyaneus), 4 Kestrel/Tårnfalk (Falco tinnunculus), a Merlin/Dværgfalk (Falco columbarius), and 38 Sparrowhawk/Spurvehøg (Accipiter nisus). Two events had us all in real excitement – the return of the Nutcracker/Nøddekrige (Nucifraga caryocatactes), and a juvenile skua which stayed grounded on the field for at least two hours. Addressing the nutcracker first – we believe this to be the same individual that has been returning to the area around the fuglestation for the last 6 weeks. This was confirmed when Mads Elley spotted the bird had been ringmarked when it (finally) perched on a nearby tree. As before, the bird approached the cliffs several times, only to turn back at the last moment. Theories are flying about as to why a bird, which is known not to migrate until mid-October, would be instigating such behaviour, but as yet, nothing is confirmed. Feel free to comment your thoughts!

The skua which elicited such attention lay grounded for some time in the fields, preening, and eventually flushed by a passing Red Kite/Rød Glente (Milvus milvus). Some conversation was held over the correct identification of the bird, as it exhibited features of both long-tailed and arctic, but eventually, the long-tailed/Lille Kjove (Stercorarius longicaudus) crew bore out. Whatever the case, it was an absolutely stunning bird to get up close and personal with.

Photo credits: Lara W

In terms of passerines, we had similar species migrating as before, including 13 Swallow/Landsvale (Hirundo rustica, 2 House martin/Bysvale (Delichon urbicum), 132 White wagtail/Hvid Vipstjert (Motacilla alba), 42 Chaffinch/Bogfinke (Fringilla coelebs), and 29 Linnet/Tornirisk (Linaria cannabina).

In other news, DOF UNG group (Danish Ornithological Youth Group) is visiting this weekend, as part of planning their annual activities to encourage younger people to become engaged in nature. This weekend, 11 people will be participating in both the migratory counts and ring marking. Several within the group already hold a ringing licence and have visited Gedser Fuglestation before, so will be able to help teach others without such experience. The group will also be taking the time to not only soak up the relaxed atmosphere in Gedser, but also plan the next year’s activities.

At the station: Hanelie Sidhu, Robert Luttik, Lara Winsloe and Larissa Britton

 Again, this morning, we caught mostly Robins “Rødhals” and Chiffchaffs “Gransanger” but it was way less busy as yesterday, we did not reach the 100 today. Recaptures made a lot of our numbers today, we had 30! So there was not so much import of new birds today, but we got some more Goldcrests “Fuglekonge” and Wrens “Gærdesmutte” than the days before.

In the night we did catch 27 species of moths. Four were new for the season (see bold names in the table below). This time only one picture of a moth  with the funny name Frosted Orange (Burreugle). 

Frosted Orange (Burreugle) 

 Migration counts at Gedser Odde

by Lara W

19th September marks the highest numbers for autumn migration so far this season! A total of 5229 individuals were counted passing Gedser Odde. Common Eider/Ederfugl (Somateria mollissima) accounted for the majority, although only 66 of the 2122 overall were of “female-type/Hun-farvet” plumage. We use this term as both females and juveniles of both sexes have extremely similar plumages and therefore are generally indistinguishable, especially in flight. It is noteworthy that so few of the Eiders passing us are potentially females, as it carries implications for breeding success and reproduction rate.

Common eider on migration, photo credit Lara W. 

Wigeon/Pibeand (Anas Penelope) and Common scoter/Sortand (Melanitta nigra) were also seen in high numbers, at 1134 and 1176 respectively. Several other duck species less commonly seen were spotted, including Tufted Duck/Troldand (Aythya fuligula) (2), Goldeneye/Hvinand (Bucephala clangula) (1), Gadwall/Knarand (Anas strepera) (18), and Pochard/Taffeland (Aythya farina) (1). Other surprises included 10 Stock Dove/Huldue (Columba oenas), 1 Golden Plover/Hjejle (Pluvialis apricaria), 1 Arctic skua/Almindelig Kjove (Stercorarius parasiticus), and 2 Whimbrel/Småspove (Numenius phaeopus). For passerines, 107 Swallow/Landsvale (Hirundo rustica), 64 White wagtail/Hvid Vipstjert (Motacilla alba), and 4 Meadow pipit/Engpiber (Anthus pratensis) were seen migrating. Noteworthy were 55 Chaffinch/Bogfinke (Fringilla coelebs) (2), Tree Pipit/Skovpiber (Anthus trivialis), and a single Siskin/Grønsisken (Spinus spinus).

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

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