Our bird count:
Here we have collected all the birds seen on our little patch of land since March 2023. The bird count – observation, identification and all photos – are by Leon Quinn. Most photos are taken on the premises, but not all. Some are yet to be shot. The bird count reached 68 in April 2024, after a little more than a year. It is a number with which we are happy – exhilarated indeed – though we have no frame of reference suggesting it is a lot or little. In absolute terms, however, and for us, it feels like a great privilege to share our garden with all these birds.
Politikens Store Fuglebog skrevet af den uforlignelige Tommy Dybbro, med fantastiske illustrationer af Carl Christian Tofte, er en uundværlig del af processen. Hører til i enhver fugleelskers hjem:
Politikens store fuglebog fortæller om alle danske og skandinaviske ynglefugle samt de almindelige og sjældne trækgæster. For hver af de 344 arter beskrives udseende, biologi, trækruter og status. Bogen er ideel som grundbog for den fugleinteresserede, der ønsker udførlig viden om de danske og skandinaviske fugle. Bogen er opdateret med de nyeste oplysninger om fuglenes forekomst og status i Danmark frem til og med 2019 samt 12 nye sjældne, spændende fuglegæster. Bogen er overdådigt illustreret med mere end 1000 nye, enestående akvareller af Carl Christian Tofte, en af Danmarks fineste fugletegnere. Med stemmer af de 95 almindeligste danske fugle.
Eurasian tree sparrow / Skovspurv (Passer montanus)
Very common sparrow, tell apart from house sparrow by fully brown cap. Resident.
Eurasian blackbird / Solsort
(Turdus merula) Very common thrush, male all black with orange bill. Resident.
Eurasian blue tit / Blåmejse (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Very common tit, small, blue and yellow. Resident.
Great tit / Musvit (Parus major)
Very common tit, small, blue-black and yellow. Resident.
Yellowhammer / Gulspurv (Emberiza citrinella)
Common bunting, brown with yellow chest. Resident.
Common raven / Ravn (Corvus corax)
Common corvid, all black, quite big feeds off the waste from local pig farmers. Resident.
European robin / Rødhals (Erithacus rubecula)
Common but elusive old world flycatcher, small with orange chest and belly. Resident.
Hooded crow / Gråkrage (Corvus cornix)
Very common corvid, medium sized, grey with black head and wings. Resident.
Rook / Råge (Corvus frugilegus)
Very common corvid medium sized, all black feathers and a pale grey beak. Resident.
Eurasian magpie / Husskade (Pica pica)
Very common corvid, black and white with long tail. Resident.
Common kestrel / Tårnfalk (Falco tinnunculus)
Common falcon, female brown, male has teal head and reddish brown back, often hovers in search of prey. Resident.
Grey heron / Fiskehejre(Ardea cinerea)
Common heron, big and grey, stands still patiently waiting for fish, seen only a few times on the property. Resident.
Red kite / Rød glente (Milvus milvus)
Uncommon kite, big with reddish wings and pale head, a pair nests nearby. Here during spring summer and autumn.
Eurasian jay / Skovskade (Garrulus glandarius)
Common but shy corvid, pale brown with blue on wings. Resident.
Greenfinch / Grønirisk (Chloris chloris)
Common finch, green with yellow patch on wings, large conical beak. Resident.
Eurasian bullfinch / Dompap (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
Common finch, black and grey, male has bright red chest and belly. Resident.
Eurasian chaffinch / Bogfinke (Fringilla coelebs)
Very common finch, black and grey, male has orange chest, smaller and not as round as Bullfinch. Resident.
Eurasian wren / Gærdesmutte (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Common, very small but very loud, plane brown and often has tail erect. Resident.
Common wood pigeon / Ringdue (Columba palumbus)
Very common pigeon, grey with white on neck. Resident.
Eurasian jackdaw / Allike (Coloeus monedula)
Common, smallish crow often found in groups. Resident.
House sparrow / Gråspurv (Passer domesticus)
Common, small sparrow bigger than Tree Sparrow often seen in groups. Resident.
Mallard / Gråand (Anas platyrhynchos)
Seen thrice at our pond, medium sized duck. Resident.
Common pheasant / Fasan (Phasianus colchicus)
Uncommon, so far only male(s), Resident.
Black-headed gull / Hættemåge (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Common small gull seen flying over daily. Resident.
Greylag goose / Grågås (Anser anser)
Common goose, seen flying over during migration, can be seen all year round but most migrate away for the winter. Click hear to read about our (domestic) geese.
White wagtail / Hvid vipstjert (Motacilla alba)
Common black and white wagtail. Breeder.
Marsh tit / Sump mejse (Poecile palustris)
Common small tit, regular at the bird feeders. Resident.
Common chiffchaff / Gransanger (Phylloscopus collybita)
Common warbler heard every day in the treetops. Breeder.
Common starling / Stær (Sturnus vulgaris)
Common, seen in flocks of thousands in the autumn. Resident.
Common buzzard / Musvåge (Buteo buteo)
Common medium sized raptor, a very white juvenile has been seen multiple times. Resident.
Great spotted woodpecker / Stor Flagspætte (Dendrocopos major)
Common blackbird sized woodpecker, female regular at the feeders. Resident
European goldfinch / Stillits (Carduelis carduelis)
Small finch with red face and golden wingbar. Resident but not seen often during winter.
Dunnock / Jernspurv (Prunella modularis) Seen once on the property. Resident.
Eurasian skylark / Sanglærke (Alauda arvensis)
Common from Spring-Autumn with beautiful song. Breeder.
Common redstart / Rødstjert (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) Common during breeding season, small bright red bird. Breeder.
Eurasian marsh harrier / Rørhøg (Circus aeruginosus)
Relatively common during breeding season, large brown raptor. Breeder.
Barn swallow / Landsvale (Hirundo rustica)
Common swallow, more stream lined than house martin. Breeder.
Eurasian blackcap / Munk (Sylvia atricapilla)
Common warbler with a characteristic cap. Breeder.
Hawfinch / Kernebider (Coccothraustes coccothraustes)
Irregular visitor to feeders. Beautiful and massive finch. Non breeding.
Common Crane Trane (Grus grus)
Massive, stork like bird, mostly grey with a red forehead. Very iconic trumpet like calls. Resident.
Common cuckoo / Gøg (Cuculus canorus)
Heard regularly during breeding season. Medium sized bird with dull colors. Breeder.
Common house martin / Bysvale (Delichon urbicum)
Common during breeding season. Black blue with white belly and rump. small swallow. Breeder.
Eurasian collared dove / Tyrkerdue (Streptopelia decaocto)
Rather “random” appearances throughout the year. Pale brown dove with black “Collar”.
Common swift / Mursejler (Apus apus)
Elegant swallow like bird, brown with white throat. Breeder.
Common whitethroat / Tornsanger (Curruca communis)
Probably the most colourful warbler on the property. Common during breeding season.
Marsh warbler / Kærsanger (Acrocephalus palustris)
Lives/nests in tall nettles etc. Breeder.
Icterine warbler / Gulbug (Hippolais icterina)
Unmistakable song, often heard from high up in trees. Breeder.
(Feral) Rock dove / Bydue (Columba livia) A groups roosts on a big industrial building nearby. Resident.
Lesser whitethroat / Gærdesanger (Curruca curruca)
Looks very similar to a Common Whitethroat however the lesser has grey legs and the greater has orange ones. Breeder.
European herring gull / Sølvmåge (Larus argentatus) Large gull that feeds on the plowed fields around the property. Regularly seen flying over. Resident.
Eurasian sparrowhawk / Spurvehøg (Accipiter nisus)
Fairly small, long-tailed hawk with broad, rounded wings (not pointed like kestrels). Soars occasionally, but more often seen in quick hunting flight chasing small birds, or perched quietly in shade. Resident.
Redwing / Vindrossel (Turdus iliacus)
Rather small, attractive thrush with bold whitish eyebrows, a variable orangey patch on each flank, and a yellow bill base. Shows rusty-orange underwings in flight. Passage migrant.
Long-tailed tit / Halemejse (Aegithalos caudatus)
Adorable, active little bird with a minute stubby bill. Distinctive: tiny and fluffy with attractive pinkish, black, and white plumage and very long tail. Resident (only seen once).
Goldcrest / Fuglekong (Regulus regulus)
Smallest bird in Denmark, brown with golden yellow “crest”. Resident, although not seen often on the property.
Meadow Pipit / Engepiber (Anthus pratensis)
Fairly common to common in open grassy habitats, from moorland and bogs to rough grassland and pastures. Mostly inconspicuous, small streaky brown bird. Passage migrant.
Fieldfare / Sjagger (Turdus pilaris)
Rather large, subtly attractive thrush with blue-gray head, dark chestnut-brown back, gray rump, and variable peachy-buff wash on spotted breast. Winter guest.
Brambling / Kvækerfinke (Fringilla montifringilla)
Distinctive and handsome orange-breasted finch.Complex wing patterns and white rump patches create a wondrous show when a flock rises up in flight. Winter guest/passage migrant.
Snow Bunting / Snespurv (Plectrophenax nivalis)
Breeds on tundra at northern latitudes; forms flocks in the winter and moves south, often joining up with other species of field birds. Winter guest (seen once in a flock of Brambling)
Short-toed treecreeper / Korttået træløber (Certhia brachydactyla)
Difficult to separate from Eurasian Treecreeper: note slightly longer bill, shorter hind claw, browner flanks, and even steps on the wingbar. (Resident (not seen often)
Corn Bunting / Bomlærke (Emberiza calandra)
Small brown bunting, identified mostly by song, often seen and or heard in the same habitat as skylarks. Resident.
Hen Harrier / Blå Kærhøg (Circus cyaneus)
Medium-sized harrier, flies with wings held in a V-shape, low over open fields and marshes, listening for rodents lurking below. Winter guest.
Whooper Swan / Sang Svane (Cygnus cygnus)
Can be identified by yellow and black bill, sings while in flight unlike mute swan. Winter guest.
Common Redpoll / Stor Gråsisken (Acanthis flammea)
Small finch fond of colder climates. Petite yellow bill, plump body, and long notched tail. Note small red cap, as well as black face and throat. Males can show pink wash on breast. Winter guest.
Lesser Redpoll / Lille Gråsisken (Acanthis cabaret)
Small finch, rather warm brown and streaky overall with a small yellowish bill and deep red forehead patch (or “poll”) and small black chin. identified on photo in a group of Common Redpoll. Winter guest.
Gray Partridge / Agerhøne (Perdix perdix)
Rotund chickenlike bird with salmon-colored face and thick rusty streaks on sides. Resident (seen once)
Song Thrush / Sangdrossel (Turdus philomelos)
Plumage brown above and whitish below with droplet-shaped dark spots. Summer guest.
Common Reed Bunting / Rørspurv (Emberiza schoeniclus)
Chunky bunting, found in wetlands with reed beds and scattered bushes; also in farmland and other open areas with bushes and hedges. Resident (seen once migrating to breeding site)
Common Linnet / Tornirisk (Linaria cannabina)
Small finch of open country, from wild moorland to rough grassland and weedy patches in urban areas. Resident (seen once)
Willow warbler / Løvsanger (Phylloscopus trochilus)
Looks very much like a chiffchaff, and best identified by voice: song is pleasant, slightly descending warble, very different from song of chiffchaff. Summer/Breeding guest.
Bird count as of April 20, 2024: 68