Sunshine and ringing

Today started as a chilly morning with the bikes covered in frost as we headed out for ringing. It had been a very clear night so we expected that many of the nocturnal migrants would have moved through, which seemed to be the case with most of the passerines flying over being finches including some that sounded like Parrot Crossbill (Stor Korsnæb). There were a good number of Common Wood-pigeon (Ringdue) flying overhead with a few Stock Doves (Huldue). An Osprey (Fiskørn) carried in a fish and landed to eat it before flying on off. The day became very sunny and warm, and we had been getting a good variety of birds with some Reed Buntings (Rørspurv) to practice aging them, a couple Yellowhammers (Gulspruv, the first Lesser Whitethroat (Gærdesanger) of the season and a very worn looking Common Chiffchaff (Gransanger) with rufous tones to some of its feathers. One bird today in particular Tue made a run for in the nets and got a Eurasian Jay (Skovskade), probably the best behaved jay I’ve seen ringed, it was given a steel ring for its strong bite. The Glaucous Gull (Gråmåge) continued its rounds of flying past the beach at a random moment as it has for the last while.

Eurasian Jay (Skovskade)

Lesser Whitethroat (Gærdersanger

The Observation team went to Nordstrand and to a raptor watching area today where they saw many good migrants a very early Common Swift (Musejler), a pair a Eurasian Spoonbills (Skestork), and high numbers of raptors.

Later in the day I went out to the waterfront by the Grey Lighthouse to look at birds flying past and some of the shallow water sea life. A Great Black-backed Gull plunge dived to catch a flounder and brought it to the beach where it quickly ate it before the other gulls noticed.

Great Black-backed Gull (Svartbag)

Ringing (Kabeltromlen):
European Robin (Rødhals) 7
Common Chiffchaff (Gransanger) 5
Yellowhammer (Gulspurv ) 2
Lesser Whitethroat (Gærdesanger) 1
Eurasian Wren (Gærdesmutte) 1
Willow Warbler (Løvsanger) 2
Common Redstart (Rødsjert) 2
Reed Bunting (Rørspurv) 2
Eurasian Jay (Skovskade) 1

Highlights from the observations:
Common Swift (Musejler) 1
Eurasian Spoonbill (Skestork) 2
White Stork (Hvid Stork) 1
Hen Harrier Blå Kærhøg) 29
Pallid Harrier (Steppehøg) 2
Peregrine Falcon (Vandrefalk) 1
Osprey (Fiskørn) 18
Black Kite (Sort Glente) 8
Glaucous Gull (Gråmåge) 1

People: Cora Köberle, Rasmus Matthiesen-Juhl, Tue Baaner, Andrew Jacobs, Oluf Lou and Hans.