Ringmærkningen: October ringing continues apace. Today, there were 69 new birds and 11 recaptures, with Fuglekonge/Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) dominating this total (see table with totals, below). Ringing feels like a unique ritual, with each ringer having a preferred way of doing things. Every ringer I have worked with here is very open and willing to teach and show their ways, for me to then decide what I feel most “natural” doing. I am learning so much every day, for which I am very grateful.

I thought I ought to mention the Fungi of the fuglestation. Mushrooms are cropping up around every corner and, in recent days, a nice Stor Parykhat/Shaggy Inkcap (Coprinus comatus) has appeared on a shady patch of lawn (see photograph below). These are edible when young, albeit with a very short shelf life due to deliquescence (when this mushroom ‘digests itself’, practically melting! Spooky stuff, it is the season, after all).

Stor Parykhat/Shaggy Inkcap (Coprinus comatus), foto: Larissa Britton

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by Lara W

I realise it seems trite to start each blog with a weather report, but I do not think I can overstate how wonderful it is to see the approaching dawn, with all its varied colours, when walking towards the point each day to start the migration count. Today the deepest mix of magenta and vermillion was streaked across the horizon, a band of dark payne’s grey of cloud above and ultramarine waters below. Breathtaking.

Migration numbers totalled 5196 individuals of 55 species, showing a good spread of biodiversity, even if overall abundance was relatively low for so late in the season. A fair few gulls were counted moving south, including 36 Common Gull/Stormmåge, 8 Caspian/Kaspisk Måge (along with 1 flying north), and 31 Herring Gull/Sølvmåge. Raptor numbers continued apace, and by the late morning, it seemed the buzzards were queuing up to leave. A total of 58 Rough-Legged buzzard/Fjeldvåge, 20 Common buzzard/Musvåge, and 126 Sparrowhawk/Spurvehøg migrated south today, some passing close enough to satisfy the photographers in the group. Getting an up-close look at the rough-legs over the past two days has certainly solidified positive identification of this species in my mind, when I first started (wow, 7 weeks ago!), I had great difficulty discerning between the three buzzard species present, but I feel I am slowly getting there! I can only thank the other regular birders at Gedser Odde for being such wonderful and patient teachers.

Rough-legged Buzzard/Fjeldvåge on migration, photo credit: Ole Friis Larsen.

Out to sea, we had a flock of 19 Pink-footed geese/Kortnæbbet Gæs passing south, along with 24 Dark-bellied Brent Goos/Knortegås, 55 Barnacle/Bramgås, and 102 White-fronted Goose/Blisgås. 6 Crane/Trane were seen flying far out to sea, and 2 Red-necked Grebe/ Gråstrubet Lappedykker. Looking over our shoulders to the west, we were treated to a view of approximately 2500 Golden Plover/Hjelje rising en emasse from their position on the island, to flock high above, their alternating golden and white colours reflecting like mirrors across the intervening kilometres.

Passerine migration was highest in the earlier hours of the morning, with 2531 individuals counted of 16 species, including 1086 Chaffinch/Brambling/Bogfinke/Kvækerfinke, 820 Sisken/Grønsisken, 340 Linnet/Tornirisk and 78 Meadow Pipit/Engpiber, plus a single Great Grey Shrike/Stor Tornskade. Thanks to Benjamin Lisse for keeping eyes and ears peeled for the small peep-peeps flying out south!

One final note before I sign off for the evening: take a look at this little cutie seen in Gedser earlier tonight!

A Hedgehog/Pindsvin in Gedser town, photo credit: Lara Winsloe

See all observations from Sunday at Gedser Odde in DOFbasen.

People at the observatory: Lara Winsloe, Larissa Britton, Susanne Primdahl, Rie Birkelund Elgaard Jensen, Ole Friis Larsen and Roger Dickey.