The powerful bill of the Hawfinch

The ringing:

The morning welcomed us with fog. After a good day, a rather slow day followed, we had 19 new birds of 11 species. Nevertheless, the morning had its highlights. After I took out a Collared Dove “Tyrkerdue” out a net in the station garden, Anne saw a female Hawfinch “Kernebider” in the same net even before the next round. It was taken out right away and Anne was really excited to ring the big finch with the powerful bill. She even took a little wound from that experience. Did you know that a Hawfinch “Kernebider” exert a pressure of over 140 pounds per square inch. This is a pressure equivalent of a thousand times its own body weight.

Collared Dove "Tyrkerdue". Picture: Anne Hjortlund Hansen

Hawfinch "Kernebider". Picture: Anne Hjortlund Hansen

As it was so foggy, Marit and Levi could not do the morning obs today, as the visibility was too bad. Thomas did not come to the station this morning, as he went on a field trip to Mandø. He chose a good day to not to be here.

The moths:

I had nine different moths species today, Cerula vinula “Hermelinskåbe” was on the wall again and I caught a small one that was flying during the day and landed on one of the nets, Epinotia pygmaeana “Dværggrannålevikler”, it was a new one for me.

Cerula vinula “Hermelinskåbe”. Picture: Hanelie Sidhu

Epinotia pygmaeana "Dværggrannålevikler". Picture: Hanelie Sidhu

News from the station:

In the afternoon, Joseph came back from Copenhagen with a lot of new energy for the little tern project.

We had a pizza evening for dinner, Levi ordered pizza for us and Thomas also came for dinner.

At the station: Levi van der Os, Marit Nillissen, Emma Gray, Anne Hjortlund Hansen, Thomas Kristensen, Joseph Stephan and Hanelie Sidhu