Gedser, Denmark 7th to 12th November 2018

7th November

Fewer birds around today although the Goldcrests needed a lot of attention to avoid becoming chilled in the nets and rounds every 30 minutes was increased to each 20 minutes. They, and some Redpoll gave us something to do in the morning although a mist that developed after mid-day put a stop to catching through the afternoon.
Highlight of the day, a Northern Long-tailed Tit bearing ring VP65608 (MOSKVA).

1K+ Nordlig Halemejse with ring VP65608 MOSKVA

Double checking the details

Ringing Totals:  90 (22)

Gærdesmutte / Wren – 2 (1)
Rødhals / Robin – 1 (2)
Solsort / Blackbird – 0 (1)
Fuglekonge / Goldcrest–  28 (15)
Halemejse / Long-tailed Tit - 5 (1 control Moscow)
Blåmejse / Blue Tit - 1
Musvit / Great Tit – 0 (1)
Træløber / Treecreeper – 1
Grønirisk / Greenfinch - 1
Grønsisken / Siskin - 2
Stor Gråsisken / Mealy Redpoll – 39
Lille Gråsisken / Lesser Redpoll – 6
Stor Dompap / Northern Bullfinch – 3 (1)
Lille Dompap / Western Bullfinch – 1

8th November

A misty start that left everything very, very damp. Condensation on the nets that transferred readily to any early birds that we did catch.

Hawthorn branches laced with dew drops

November Blackberry blooms

Late autumn, Fuglehus

So, a fairly quiet morning that was saved by a boost of Redpolls tape lured in the afternoon. Goldcrests are reducing now and quite a lot of Bullfinches are passing through.

Here's one we ringed earlier.

Meadow Pipits caught in the field nets and

 walk-in traps help to inflate the total ringed.

Barnacle Goose flocks still frequent the freshly harvested beet fields.

In the evening we went to Birkemose to see if we could find waders before the light failed.

There were 7 Sanderling on the beach, but they left just before the light failed completely and we suspect they roost on the sandbar just off shore, explaining why we haven't had success with lamping on the beaches.

Ringing Totals:  104 (15)

Engpiber / Meadow Pipit - 6

Gærdesmutte / Wren – 1
Jernspurv / Dunnock - 1
Rødhals / Robin – 0 (4)
Solsort / Blackbird – 4 (2)
Vindrossel / Redwing - 0 (1)
Sangdrossel / Song Thrush - 1
Fuglekonge / Goldcrest–  8 (2)
Blåmejse / Blue Tit - 8 (2)
Musvit / Great Tit – 2 (1)
Nordlig Træløber / Treecreeper – 0 (1)
Bogfinke / Chaffinch - 1
Grønirisk / Greenfinch - 1
Grønsisken / Siskin - 3
Stor Gråsisken / Mealy Redpoll – 60
Lille Gråsisken / Lesser Redpoll - 2
Stor Dompap / Northern Bullfinch – 5 (1)
Skovspurv / Tree Sparrow - 0 (1)
Gulspurv / Yellowhammer - 1

 9th November

A dull, cold morning that didn't improve when the mist closed in at around midday. Tapes were allowed too late, letting the flocks of Redpoll, Fieldfare and Waxwing avoid the draw to the lures.
Numbers were low and would have been lower still were it not for the Meadow Pipits and a couple of Tree Sparrows captured as they exited their nest box. One bonus, a Twite was caught with the Meadow Pipits. The last Twite here were three that we captured on the field edge at the tip, in 2015.

1st year male Twite

Ringing Totals:  50 (11)

Engpiber / Meadow Pipit - 23

Jernspurv / Dunnock - 2 (1)
Rødhals / Robin – 3 (4)
Solsort / Blackbird – 4 (2)
Fuglekonge / Goldcrest–  1 (1)
Blåmejse / Blue Tit - 8 (1)
Musvit / Great Tit – 1
Nordlig Træløber / Northern Treecreeper – 1
Skovspurv / Tree Sparrow - 1 (1)
Grønirisk / Greenfinch - 1
Bjergirisk / Twite - 1
Stor Gråsisken / Mealy Redpoll – 1
Lille Gråsisken / Lesser Redpoll - 2
Stor Dompap / Northern Bullfinch – 1
Lille Dompap / Western Bullfinch - 0 (1)

10 November

Windier, cloudy and birds flying overhead in the morning. Nothing about by the time we could use tapes, see totals, enough said.

Totals: 7 (8)

Rødhals / Robin – 2
Solsort / Blackbird - 1 (3)
Vindrossel - 2
Sangdrossel - 0 (2)
Fuglekonge / Goldcrest - 1 (2)
Nordlig Træløber / Northern Treecreeper – 1
Musvit / Great Tit - 0 (1)
Stor Gråsisken / Mealy Redpoll – 2
Lille Gråsisken / Lesser Redpoll - 2

So, we decided to go for a drive in the afternoon and came across a group of Mute Swan at the harbour. Chris gave hand catching a go and caught up two of the birds while I tried to record the number of a ringed bird.

AH3752 from Poland, - pale legged a truely Polish bird.

The Danish rings have a different fastening method to those in the UK simply folding one 

metal end over the other. J6952 & J6953 marked and released 14:15hrs.

11th November

It was raining when the alarm went off at 6am and continued to do so for a couple of hours. Being that standard could begin within two hours of the set start time and we did not drop until 9:15am with the sky threatening more rain, we selected a few favoured nets and played Redpoll, Meadow Pipit and Long-tailed Tit (as there were Blue and Great Tits in the garden).

The tape lures weren't a great success, nothing coming to LTT or Redpoll until a large flock arrived around lunch time as it clouded up again. We got just two Meadow Pipits and 24 Mealy Redpoll. A party of Northern Long-tailed Tit passed through, completely ignoring the playback but finding another net all the same. Meanwhile, we caught a single new Robin and retrapped the last three Goldcrest seen over the last couple of days. There was another Swedish control Blue Tit to add to our others.

Ringing Totals: 36 (5)

Engpiber / Meadow Pipit - 2
Rødhals / Robin – 1
Nordlig Halemejse / Northern Long-tailed Tit - 6
Fuglekonge / Goldcrest - 0 (3)
Nordlig Træløber / Northern Treecreeper – 0 (1)
Blåmejse / Blue Tit - 3 (1 control Sweden)
Stor Gråsisken / Mealy Redpoll – 24

 At the end of the day we took a turn around the harbour (unable to follow our usual route due to a Politi cordon where there had been a murder, in one of the houses, over night). Kroghag (pronounced Crowhay) was very peaceful and here we managed to see some Bearded Tits although we failed to see a Snow Bunting that had been there the day before. I also found a small piece of Baltic amber washed up on the beach.

Fresh water lake,  Kroghag

Gedser seems like a sleepy place where nothing much happens. We've been quite keen to keep the house secure, difficult when a lot of people are staying here, especially at night. Last week it was cars racing the road to the tip that ended with a car 300m into the field on Saturday night, having rolled several times. I think we're absolutely right to take our 'better safe than sorry' attitude and lock our doors.

The car didn't seem to have its lights on (Chris couldn't see it in the field just after it crashed), perhaps some bizarre game driving by the beam of the lighthouse?

12th November

The season really is drawing to a close now and birds in the garden are scarce. There have been some Bullfinches through and we've done a review of those already done, changing a few to Dompap rather than stating Stor (Northern) or Lille (Western). We suspect there are some that can't be identified either way without DNA.

Stor Dompap just after release

There were some Redpolls caught leaving the roost, a lot of retraps and the rain started before the end of standard. However, we continued to the end of the session, there being very few smaller birds around now.

2k Sparrowhawk male

Totals: 31 (15)

Spurvehøge / Sparowhawk - 1
Gærdesmutte / Wren – 1 (1)
Rødhals / Robin – 0 (4)
Solsort / Blackbird - 0 (2)
Vindrossel / Redwing - 0 (1)
Gransanger / Chiffchaff - 0 (1)
Fuglekonge / Goldcrest - 1 (2)
Nordlig Træløber / Northern Treecreeper – 1
Bogfinke / Chaffinch - 1
Stilits / Goldfinch - 3
Stor Gråsisken / Mealy Redpoll – 12
Dompap / Eurasian Bullfinch - 1
Stor Dompap / Northern Bullfinch - 2