One often thinks of bird ringing as being like Christmas: one gets excited, even not sleeping properly the night before; there is a child-like anticipation at the prospect of catching many wonderful birds which may include unexpected ones.  This anticipation is accenuated when ringing for the first time at a new site, particularly when that location is a migratory hotspot like Gedser.

"Father Christmas" didn*t disappoint in what was placed in the nets today and which we all enjoyed extracting and processing.  The numbers were not huge but there was quality; particularly for me with the warblers.  At my usual woodland site we don*t catch many warblers, a few blackcap and chiffchaff and the very occasional garden warbler.  So re-acquainting myself with a fine selection of warblers was a good start to my visit here.

"Father Christmas" was particularly kind to Freya (a trainee), given it was her last day here, in that he delivered two new species for her: tree pipit and red-backed shrike.  Despite being pecked by the shrike she had the grace to say the bird was, "only a little bit mean;" a positively promising attitude to bird ringing.

Today's presents were:

Digesvale/Sand Martin                1/0

Landsvale/Swallow                      1/0

Skovpiber/Tree Pipit                     1/0

Gul Vipstjert/Yellow Wagtail          2/0

Kærsanger/Marsh Warbler            6/0

Rørsanger/Reed Warbler              1/0

Gærdsanger/Lesser Whitethroat   11/1

Tornsanger/Whitethroat                 7/6

Havesanger/Garden Warbler        1/0

Munk/Blackcap                              4/0

Gransanger/Chiffchaff                   0/1

Rødrygget/Red-backed Shrike     1/0

Present: Henrik Jørgensen, Chris Sharp, Stav Shay, Freya departed mid-afternoon; and Daniel Bloche and Esben Hansen arrived late afternoon.