Today's figures were a respectacle seventy-seven birds caught of eighteen species, fairly typical of the last ten days or so. These figures are a fine summary of the catch but do not indicate much else about the birds passing through; almost certainly the birds caught at Gedser in this period are migrants.  The basic data for each bird includes biometrics like weight and wing-length; age, and where possible the bird's sex; and an indicative "measurement" of fat.

Without exception all the birds were carrying some fat.  This fat can be seen as accumulated deposits in the birds' abdomen and in the furcular pit - a depression at the top of the chest and extending into the throat.  This fat, along with lipid deposits in the liver, provide the fuel for the birds' migratory flights.  Also, in the fats utilization some metabolic water is released which contributes to the birds thermo-regulation during flight.

All but five of the birds captured today were juveniles.  This type of figure is not unusual in captures at ringing sites across Europe at this time of the year.  Information of this nature is used in several ways, for example: it allows an assessment of how successful a species has been this year in its breeding efforts.  This informaton's value is increased when it is compared to long-term data - that comes from continuous and sustained ringing projects through the years.

The majority of juvenile birds we caught today will rapidly move-on.  Today the three young ringers Stav, Daniel and Esben moved on too.  They had a good week's ringing and made a valued contribution to the observatory's work - thank-you!

In the afternoon Chris opened the nets at the pond because there was an obvious movement of yellow wagtails and goldfinches; he caught and ringed several, which unsurprisingly were fatty juveniles.

People at the station today were: Henrik Jørgensen, Chris Sharp, Stav Shay, Daniel Bloche and Esben Hansen.

And the birds were: 

Jernspurv/Dunnock                          0/1

Rødhals/Robin                                  1/0

Nattergal/Thrush Nightingale             1/0

Husrødstjert/Black Redstart               1/0

Rødstjert/Common Redstart               1/2

Solsort/Blackbird                                  0/1

Gulbug/Icterine Warbler                        1/0

Gærdesanger/Lesser Whitethroat       18/2

Tornsanger/Common Whitethroat           8/0

Havesanger/Garden Warbler                  6/1

Munk/Eurasian Blackcap                       13/1

Løvsanger/Willow Warbler                       6/0

Grå Fluesnapper/Spotted Flycatcher        1/0

Musvit/Great Tit                                          1/1

Rødrygget Tornskade/Red-backed Shrike  1/0

Stillits/Goldfinch                                           2/0

Gul Vipstjert/Yellow Wagtail                         6/0

Digesvale/Sand Martin                                1/0

Total 77/9 of 18 species