Standardised ends.

Having been at Gedser for a little over 6 weeks now, the autumn standardised ringing season has just finished! The autumn season ran from 20th until today and over 11,500 birds were ringed in this time. I was only here for the last 6 weeks however. We have managed to ring just under 5000 since October 1st. Some niceties have also been caught, Firecrests, Waxwings and a Woodcock. Long-eared and Tengmalm's Owls and many Sparrowhawks.

Tengmalm's Owl - Aegolius funereus 2cy

Long-eared Owl - Asio otus female

 

The finer points of a Woodcock 1cy, scolopax rusticola

Sparrowhawk - Accipiter nisus 1cy male (light rufous type)

The birding has been great at times with very heavy migration; over 50'000 birds moving on some days! This week the birding has been fairly quiet though. Long-tailed Ducks, Common and Velvet Scoters, increasing numbers of Red-throated Divers (Ca80 this week) and an occasional Black-Throated too.

Waxwings and Goldfinches seem to be the dominant passerine migrants at the minute with a few hundred of each moving this week, supported by a few dozen Yellowhammer and Reed Bunts! Another (late) Serin has been hanging around but returned again after a second migration attempt.  

I received news this week of a Sparrowhawk ringed back in October which had flown 270Km in 5 days before slamming into a window in Hannover, Germany. (See map below)

Sparrowhawk Movement, 270km in 5days; hit window.

We are trying to catch some more owls tonight, though the weather isn't on our side it seems. Check back soon to see how it's been.

October end

This month has been pretty mental for numbers of birds ringed almost all over Scandinavia, Gedser has been no exception. We've ringed over 4500 birds as follows.

Barnacle Goose 1,
Sparrowhawk 58,
Kestrel 1,
Woodcock 1,
Long-eared Owl 4,
Tengmalm's Owl 11,
Waxwing 1,
Wren 132,
Dunnock 126,
Robin 377,
Redstart 16,
Ring Ouzel 1,
Blackbird 78,
Fieldfare 8,
Song Thrush 86,
Redwing 25,
Reed Warbler 1,
Whitethroat 1,
Blackcap 23,
Chiffchaff 266,
Willow Warbler 3,
Goldcrest 569,
Firecrest 1,
Long-tailed tit 29,
Coal Tit 17,
Blue tit 2179,
Great Tit 247,
Treecreeper 1,
Great Grey Shrike 1,
Jay 6,
House Sparrow 4,
Tree Sparrow 35,
Chaffinch 91,
Brambling 15,
Greenfinch 46,
Goldfinch 15,
Siskin 20,
Redpoll 8,
Bullfinch 15,
Reed Bunting 18

Total 4538.

Great Grey Shrike - Lanius excubitor

Tengmalm's Owl - Aegolius funereus

 As well as all the new birds we have also been busy catching previously ringed birds. Bird from Sweden, Norway and Russia were caught this month. Blue, Great and Long-tailed tits, Chiffchaff and a Tengmalm's Owl from Sweden (see attached map), a Blue Tit from Norway and a Great Tit from Russia!

Tengmalm's Owl movement

Above is a picture of the Tengmalm's owl movement. Just over 100km from where is was ringed Falsterbo 11th October, to Gedser in 16 days!