Two new species for this season

Together with Bent we opened the nets in the station and lighthouse garden early before sunrise today. We were very busy going up and down checking all the nets. Especially in the first few hours we had a lot to do. The morning wasn't too cold and so there were many birds to catch. During our first control at the lighthouse we were pleasently surprised by a Common Linnet  in the net. It is the first of its kind for this season! Right after we had a male Blackcap in the station garden, also the first for this season. Morten and I had seen one a week ago looking into our dining room from the window sill outside but it had not flown into the nets then.

Also very exciting for me were the Lesser Redpolls, Redwing and female great spotted woodpecker as these were the first time for me to have them in the nets. Bent ringed the woodpecker as it was very eager to bite him and I tried my luck ringing my first blue tits as they pinched my fingers.

All in all today was a succesful ringing day with many Wrens, Goldcrests and Dunnocks. In total we caught 52 new birds and recaptured 8 from a total of 14 different species. To our enjoyment there was a Dunnock ringed in August 2022,  a Chaffinch from Oktober 2021 and one from September 2020 under our controls.

First Common Linnet (male) of the season in the lighthouse garden

First Blackcap (male) of the season in the station garden

We closed the nets at 15:00 and Bent and I registered today's data. After that I rested before going to the beach to watch a beautiful sunset.

Today's ringing:

Folk på stationen: Bent, Jimmy og Bianca