A day with similar weather to yesterday produced about half the number of birds - just 45 new birds of 14 species ringed today. Blackcaps were most numerous (9) closely followed by Lesser Whitethroat. A Greenfinch was the first caught for a while. 

Not much was noted flying over the garden today - the highlight a flock of 12 Crossbills. Other than that, small numbers of Tree Pipit and Yellow Wagtail, 3 Sparrowhawks and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were the only birds of note. A Wryneck was seen several times but managed to evade our nets.  

Ringing totals comprised:

Tree Pipit/Skovpiber - 1, Robin/Rødhals - 2, Thrush Nightingale/Nattergal - 1, Redstart/Rødstjert - 2, Icterine Warbler/Gulbug - 3, Lesser Whitethroat/Gærdesanger - 8, Whitethroat/Tornsanger - 5, Garden Warbler/Havesanger - 4, Blackcap/Munk - 9, Willow Warbler/Løvsanger - 6, Spotted Flycatcher/Grå Fluesnapper - 1, Pied Flycatcher/Broget Fluesnapper - 1, Starling/Stær - 1, Greenfinch/Grønirisk - 1.  

The weather changed yet again with today being a glorious, warm, sunny late summer’s day with a light easterly breeze; this change did produce a decent number of birds in the nets through the day with 109 new birds highlighted by 3 Thrush Nightingales, 2 Red-backed Shrikes and a smart juvenile Whinchat while the main species caught comprised 29 Lesser Whitethroats, 17 Blackcaps, 18 Willow Warblers and 6 Marsh Warblers.

Today's totals - 3 Tree Pipits / Skovpiber;  2 Yellow Wagtail / Gul Vipstjert;  4 Dunnock / Jernspurv;  1 Robin / Roedhals;  3 Thrush Nightingale / Nattergal;  3 Redstart / Roedstjert;  1 Whinchat / Bynkefugl;  6 Marsh Warbler / Kaersanger;  29 Lesser Whitethroat / Gaerdesanger;  8 Whitethroat / Tornsanger;  3 Garden Warbler / Havesanger;  17 Blackcap / Munk;  18 Willow Warbler / Loevsanger;  1 Spotted Flycatcher / Gra Fluesnapper;  4 Pied Flycatcher / Broget Fluesnapper;  1 Great Tit / Musvit;  2 Red-backed Shrike / Roedrygget Tornskad;  1 Starling / Staer;  1 Tree Sparrow / Skovspurv;  1 Linnet / Tornirisk

Whinchat

Blue-headed Wagtail

                A few waders were heard overhead through the morning including Spotted Redshank, Grey Plover, Whimbrel, Curlew, Ringed Plover and Green Sandpiper while a couple of mixed duck flocks also went over with Wigeon, Shoveler and Teal picked out.   Other birds around the garden included several Swifts lingering overhead, a Great-spotted Woodpecker and good numbers of Tree Pipits during the first hour of daylight.

                A look off the point in the evening (1730-1830) then produced a few birds including 5 Black Terns, 6 Little Gulls, 50+ Sandwich Terns, 14 Arctic Terns, 13 Common Terns, 12 Teal, 13 Common Scoter, 3 Velvet Scoter and perhaps the most unusual bird being a breeding plumaged Razorbill which flew south – scarce on the Baltic side of Denmark.

More pictures from around Gedser at www.wykebirding.blogspot.com

It was a very slow morning of ringing today, with just 33 new birds. The star of these was the autumn's first Sparrowhawk - a juvenile female. Sylvia warblers again made up the bulk of the birds caught, with Lesser Whitethroat the most numerous. 

Ringing totals were as follows:

Sparrowhawk/Spurvehøg - 1, Thrush Nightingale/Nattergal - 1, Redstart/Rødstjert - 1, Marsh Warbler/Kærsanger - 3, Reed Warbler/Rørsanger - 1, Icterine Warbler/Gulbug - 1, Lesser Whitethroat/Gærdesanger - 6, Whitethroat/Tornsanger - 4, Garden Warbler/Havesanger -3, Blackcap/Munk - 5, Willow Warbler/Løvsanger - 5, Pied Flycatcher/Broget Fluesnapper - 2.  

In the afternoon Simon and I visited Bøtø to see if there was more wader migration than passerine migration happening! We had a good range of species, the highlights of which were a Temminck's Stint, 3 Little Stints, a juv Curlew Sandpiper, Honey Buzzard, Hen Harrier, 8 Cranes and 3 Great Egrets.

Today's Sparrowhawk 

Bright and breezy with a brisk South-westerly wind limiting things a little bit but there were still decent numbers of migrants in the nets with 68 new birds caught; the most notable being a small influx of 15 Pied Flycatchers along with 4 Marsh Warblers and 4 Icterine Warblers with single figures of most other common migrants.   Other birds seen included a few Tree Pipits first thing, a Sparrowhawk, 3 Green Sandpipers (which spent a short time on the pond) and single Great-spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatch.

Totals today - 1 Tree Pipit / Skovpiber;  1 Thrush Nightingale / Nattergal;  4 Redstart / Roedstjert;  1 Blackbird / Solsort;  4 Marsh Warbler / Kaersanger;  2 Reed Warbler / Roersanger;  4 Icterine Warbler / Gulbug;  8 Lesser Whitethroat / Gaerdesanger;  7 Whitethroat / Tornsanger;  5 Garden Warbler / Havesanger;  3 Blackcap / Munk;  9 Willow Warbler / Loevsanger;  15 Pied Flycatcher / Broget Fluesnapper;  1 Red-backed Shrike / Roedrygget Tornskad;  2 Tree Sparrow / Skovspurv;  1 Linnet / Tornirisk

Smart Yellow Wagtail from yesterday

Not much else seen during this quiet day with a walk round Kroghage late afternoon producing small numbers of the usual migrants such as Red-backed Shrike, Redstart, Pied Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher etc.

More pictures from around Gedser at www.wykebirding.blogspot.com

Today felt much more like summer than autumn, with clear skies and a warm southerly breeze for most of the day. Migrants were present in smaller numbers than the past few days too, although we still managed 63 new birds, plus another 8 in the late afternoon. The catch was again dominated by Sylvia warblers - the majority Lesser Whitethroat, with another Red-backed Shrike a highlight. The Swedish-ringed Whitethroat from a few days ago was retrapped too. 

Totals for the day were as follows:

Yellow Wagtail/Gul Vipstjert - 3, Dunnock/Jernspurv - 1, Robin/Rødhals - 1, Redstart/Rødstjert - 3, Marsh Warbler/Kærsanger - 5, Reed Warbler/Rørsanger - 2, Icterine Warbler/Gulbug - 4, Lesser Whitethroat/Gærdesanger - 15, Whitethroat/Tornsanger - 13, Garden Warbler/Havesanger - 8, Blackcap/Munk - 5, Chiffchaff/Gransanger - 1, Willow Warbler/Løvsanger - 1, Pied Flycatcher/Broget Fluesnapper - 1, Rødrygget Tornskad - 1, Tree Sparrow/Skovspurv - 1, Starling/Stær - 5, House Martin/Bysvale - 1.

A Hobby and a Sparrowhawk were seen over the Obs today, with a couple more of each in the surrounding area, along with good numbers of Whinchat, Red-backed Shrike and a Wheatear.

 The Swedish ring on the Whitethroat (note Stockholm inscribed) 

One of today's Icterine Warblers

A change in the weather meant that light rain from first light delayed the ringing to such a degree that we couldn’t put in a standardised session for the first time this autumn; when we did get underway we managed a good total of 105 new birds with the dominant species (both in the nets and in the field) were 42 Tree Pipits and 9 Yellow Wagtails caught.   Throughout the day there were big numbers of these two species around with many flocks passing over the garden in the morning totalling hundreds of each but we couldn’t really get any accurate counts.

                Other birds caught included a Red-backed Shrike, the first Grasshopper Warbler of the autumn, 19 Whitethroats and a House Martin; a Golden Oriole which was seen briefly in the garden and an Osprey which drifted south were the day's other highlights with Dunlin and Curlew overhead and 4-5 Thrush Nightingales present in the garden.

Todays totals comprised - 1 House Martin / Bysvale;  42 Tree Pipit / Skovpiber;  9 Yellow Wagtail / Gul Vipstjert;  1 White Wagtail / Hvid Vipstjert;  2 Redstart / Roedstjert;  1 Grasshopper Warbler / Graeshoppesanger;  1 Marsh Warbler / Kaersanger;  1 Reed Warbler / Roersanger;  3 Icterine Warbler / Gulbug;  8 Lesser Whitethroat / Gaerdesanger;  19 Whitethroat / Tornsanger;  6 Garden Warbler / Havesanger;  2 Blackcap / Munk;  4 Willow Warbler / Loevsanger;  2 Pied Flycatcher / Broget Fluesnapper;  1 Red-backed Shrike / Roedrygget Tornskad;  1 Goldfinch / Stillits;  1 Linnet / Tornirisk

Grasshopper Warbler

For more pictures from around Gedser see www.wykebirding.blogspot.com

We had a good day's ringing today, depsite most of it happening within the first two hours of catching! Clear skies meant birds cleared out from the garden early and despite evidence of some birds passing overhead, few moved through the garden later in the day. The total at close of nets was 121 birds ringed of 25 species, the highlights of which were yet another Wryneck (the 5th this autumn), another Sedge Warbler and 3 Thrush Nightingales. The bulk of birds caught today were Sylvia warblers, with a notable increase in Blackcaps. Walk-in traps on the pond were set with birds coming to bathe and drink in the heat, catching a few Wagtails. After the first Robin yesterday, 5 were caught in the first round of the day today.

Totals were as follows:

Wryneck/Vendehals - 1, Tree Pipit/Skovpiber - 5, Yellow Wagtail/Gul Vipstjert - 3, White Wagtail/Hvid Vipstjert - 1, Dunnock/Jernspurv - 1, Robin/Rødhals - 6, Thrush Nightingale/Nattergal - 3, Redstart/Rødstjert - 1, Song Thrush/Sangdrossel - 1, Sedge Warbler/Sivsanger - 1, Marsh Warbler/Kærsanger - 8, Reed Warbler/Rørsanger - 4, Icterine Warbler/Gulbug - 1, Lesser Whitethroat/Gærdesanger - 16, Whitethroat/Tornsanger - 22, Garden Warbler/Havesanger - 17, Blackcap/Munk - 15, Chiffchaff/Gransanger - 1, Willow Warbler/Løvsanger - 3, Spotted Flycatcher/Grå Fluesnapper - 3, Pied Flycatcher/Broget Fluesnapper - 2, Red-backed Shrike/Rødrygget Tornskad - 1, Starling/Stær - 1, Tree Sparrow/Skovspurv - 4.

A Black Kite drifted south over the Obs in the late afternoon, and good numbers of common migrants were present in suitable cover in the surrounding area. 

 Today's Wryneck - stunning birds

Detail of the head and eye - incredibly intricately patterned feathering

Rain at dawn delayed proceedings by about an hour but after it had passed it was another fine day with good netting conditions; numbers were slightly down though with [only] 92 new birds caught including 3 Red-backed Shrikes (adult male, adult female and a juvenile) and a Thrush Nightingale (with one of the last few days birds re-trapped); totals of common migrants were headlined by 11 Marsh Warblers, 4 Icterine Warblers, 20 Lesser Whitethroats and 15 Whitethroats.   Golden Plover, Green Sandpiper, Greenshank and a few Tree Pipits were heard overhead through the morning.

Today's totals comprised - 1 Tree Pipit / Skovpiber;  1 Robin / Roedhals;  1 Thrush Nightingale / Nattergal;  4 Redstart / Roedstjert;  1 Black Redstart / Husroedstjert;  1 Sedge Warbler / Sivsanger;  11 Marsh Warbler / Kaersanger;  4 Reed Warbler / Roersanger;  4 Icterine Warbler / Gulbug;  20 Lesser Whitethroat / Gaerdesanger;  15 Whitethroat / Tornsanger;  7 Garden Warbler / Havesanger;  3 Blackcap / Munk;  8 Willow Warbler / Loevsanger;  4 Spotted Flycatcher / Gra Fluesnapper;  3 Pied Flycatcher / Broget Fluesnapper;  3 Red-backed Shrike / Roedrygget Tornskad;  1 Yellowhammer / Gulspurv

Red-backed Shrike

                Bøtø was then fairly quiet mid-afternoon with wader counts down but birds present did include 15 Wood Sandpiper, 6 Spotted Redshank and 4 Ruff; Ducks on the other hand were well up on the last visit as counts consisted of 410+ Teal, 40+ Gadwall and 15+ Shoveler while other birds of note were 4 Cranes and at least 6 Water Rails (mostly juveniles).

                A random drive round then produced a few farmland birds including White-tailed Eagle, Marsh Harriers, Buzzards and Yellow Wagtails before I ended up at Skelby Strand where there were a few bits and pieces feeding on the large quantities on seaweed along the shore with 2 Whinchats, an array of flavas including an adult male Grey-headed Wagtail, a smart summer plumaged Grey Plover, 6 Greenshank, 12 Redshank, 15+ Common Sandpipers and a Sedge Warbler hopping along the beach.

More pictures from around Gedser can be found at www.wykebirding.blogspot.com

A similar day to the past couple, with calm and clear conditions meaning we had a rush of birds caught in the first hour or so, followed by a significant drop-off in numbers as birds cleared out from the garden and the sun hit the nets. An increasing breeze throughout the day also limited our catching later in the day. Despite this, we still managed to ring 157 new birds of 22 species, with two Wrynecks being the clear highlights. Willow Warblers were the most numerous species, and 16 Pied Flycatcher was again an impressive total for this species.

We had a visit from a school in Nykøbing today for a few hours - the kids enjoyed seeing how bird ringing worked, and getting up close and personal with a head-twisting Wryneck!

Species totals were as follows:

Wryneck/Vendehals - 2, Tree Pipit/Skovpiber - 2, Dunnock/Jernspurv - 1, Thrush Nightingale/Nattergal - 1, Black Redstart/Husrødstjert - 1, Redstart/Rødstjert - 9, Sedge Warbler/Sivsanger - 1, Marsh Warbler/Kærsanger - 9, Reed Warbler/Rørsanger - 7, Icterine Warbler/Gulbug - 3, Lesser Whitethroat/Gærdesanger - 21, Whitethroat/Tornsanger - 19, Garden Warbler/Havesanger - 14, Blackcap/Munk - 6, Chiffchaff/Gransanger - 2, Willow Warbler/Løvsanger - 37, Spotted Flycatcher/Grå Fluesnapper - 2, Red-backed Shrike/Rødrygget Tornskad - 1, Starling/Stær - 1, Tree Sparrow/Skovspurv - 1, Linnet/Tornirisk - 1. 

 The first of today's Wrynecks - always a crowd-pleaser!

One of today's 2 Spotted Flycatchers 

Another great ringing day with very light NW winds and plenty of sunshine (although that’s probably why totals were slightly less than yesterday) with another all-day session – minus a small rain delay mid-afternoon producing another good total of 171 birds; highlights today included 4 Thrush Nightingales and a second Wryneck of the autumn along with plenty more common migrants, most notably influxes of 31 Lesser Whitethroats and 19 Pied Flycatchers while 10 Redstarts, 7 Marsh Warblers, 28 Whitethroats, 11 Garden Warblers, 41 Willow Warblers, 6 Blackcaps (started to appear the last two days) and a Treecreeper were of mention.   Swedish ringed Whitethroat and Willow Warbler were also much appreciated.

Totals today - 1 Wryneck / Vendehals;  2 Tree Pipit / Skovpiber;  4 Thrush Nightingale / Nattergal;  10 Redstart / Roedstjert;  7 Marsh Warbler / Kaersanger;  2 Reed Warbler / Roersanger;  31 Lesser Whitethroat / Gaerdesanger;  28 Whitethroat / Tornsanger;  6 Blackcap / Munk;  1 Chiffchaff / Gransanger;  41 Willow Warbler / Loevsanger;  19 Pied Flycatcher / Broget Fluesnapper;  1 Treecreeper / Traelober;  2 Tree Sparrow / Skovspurv;  4 Goldfinch / Stillits;  1 Lesser Redpoll / Lille Grasisken

The Swedish duo - Willow Warbler and Whitethroat

                Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Curlew and Golden Plover were heard overhead through the morning while a couple of Sparrowhawks whizzed through and a juvenile Great-spotted Woodpecker was in the garden.

For more pictures from around Gedser please visit www.wykebirding.blogspot.com