I nettene ved Kabeltromlen var vi i dag heldige at have flere arter, som vi ikke ringmærker hver dag. Heriblandt var en træløber (eurasian treecreeper), to unge gulspurve (yellowhammer) og genfangst af en stor flagspætte (great woodpecker). Sidstnævnte var en fugl fra i år, men allerede med helt sort hoved og nakke og dermed en hun.

Gulspurv (Yellowhammer).

Dagens træløber (eurasian treecreeper).

Miles og jeg (Lise) fik os desuden både en overraskelse, men også skuffelse da vi drejede om hjørnet til nogle af nettene i den nordlige del af netområdet. Her forskrækkede vi vist en dobbeltbekkasin (common snipe) som fløj op og lige ind i et af  nettene. Vi satte begge straks i løb (så meget man nu kan i vand til knæene) for at nå hen til den. Lige så hurtigt den var fløjet ind, lige så hurtigt var den dog ude igen og væk over tagrørene.

En glædelig observation fra Kabeltromlen var til gengæld en flok på omkring 20 silkehaler (waxwings), som satte sig i nogle af træerne nær os, hvor vi tydeligt kunne se dem i både kikkert og skop! Amira hævdede endda at dette måske har været højdepunktet i hendes liv. Jeg krydser fingre for, at hun har mange mindst lige så fantastiske øjeblikke til gode, men det siger måske alligevel lidt om begejstringen, der var blandt os.

Vi mærkede klart, at i dag var koldere end tidligere. Både på vores tæer og vandet i rørskoven, som nogle steder var frosset over. Derfor gik vi runder og tjekkede net lidt oftere af hensyn til at fuglene ikke kommer til at hænge og fryse.

På Verdens Ende 3 var vores observatører, Florian og János, forberedte på det ekstra kolde vejr og trukket i flyverdragterne, som heldigvis holdte dem varme. Det blev til fire timers træktælling i smukt vejr og med en masse alke (razorbills) og rødstrubede lommer (red-throated divers). Ligesom i går så de også en masse sangsvaner (whooper swans). Sandsynligvis har det kolde vejr nu lokket dem til at trække sydpå fra Sverige og Norge af. Akkurat inden standardtiden sluttede dukkede en søkonge (little auk) op, som landede et par minutter og blev set godt.

Efter frokost tog János og Florian sammen på tur, først til krattet ved Stald Grenen for at tjekke om himalayasangeren (hume’s leaf warbler) måske stadig var at finde, men ak, det er nu anden dag i træk den ikke er genfundet. Måske den er taget videre. Herefter cyklede de videre til Nordstrand for at fotografere sandløberne (sanderlings), hvor også Amira slog sig til dem.

Folk på stationen: Miles Scheuering, János Schadl, Florian Hatt, Amira Nuseibeh, Lise Mastrup & vores gæster Birgit og Morten Mastrup

Finally, the weather forcast predicted some sun after a lot of rain and clouds in the last few days. However, due to the cloudless night, it was also significantly colder, and at least for János, a warm boilersuit finally made its debut for the season. In general, there was significantly more going on than in recent days. At least the pages in my notebook filled up much faster than usual. Right at the start, Knud said that we would see lots of swans today after the drop in temperature. And he was absolutely right. Small groups of Whooper Swans (Sangsvane) arrived constantly and some were calling and flying directly overhead. For me, this counts definitely also as a highlight - I just love hearing their calls and seeing them so close. Another real highlight was the Richard's Pipit (Storpiber) that Janos heard. Unfortunately, after the first call, which only he heard, a military jet roared in, so we had no chance of hearing any other calls.

Whooper Swans (Sangsvane) flying overhead

And János had also a new lifer today – a Little Auk (Søkonge)! It was great to see one again, after they had become more scarce over the last two weeks. It was also funny to see a woodcock arriving from the sea. A short-eared owl out at sea was another highlight – it was again a really nice migration count!

At the ringing site was also more activity than the last time we had the nets open. The highlight was a new, unringed firecrest that flew into the nets. Also, seeing a fieldfare up close is always a fantastic experience! 


Find the military jet flying over the nets ;)

After the migration count I stayed outside and searched a bit for the Richard’s Pipit (Storpiber) and, as always, for rare buntings (sjældne værlinger). Once again I was without success. The best sight was probably a small flock of Water Pipits (Bjergpiber) resting in one of the reed beds.

The others also took advantage of the beautiful weather in the afternoon. János visited the Hume’s Leaf Warbler (Himalayasanger) spot, but only the known Siberian Chiffchaff (Sibirisk Gransanger) was there. However, it was nice that it was really easy to see today. Amira went on a walk to the beach, where we bumped into each other. We were both looking for Snow Buntings (Snespurv) because a flock had been flying around before, but it had just disappeared. The evening sun was really nice, so I hoped to get a few pictures. Instead of Snow Buntings (Snespurv), however, I found some Sanderlings (Sandløber), which were also very photogenic, so I spent some time with them.


Sanderlings (Sandløber) in the evening sun

When they were once again flushed by some German tourists and flew towards me, there was also another bird. At first I wondered what kind of fat wader was coming towards me, until I realised it was a Little Auk (Søkonge)! Luckily, I already had the right camera settings when this tiny auk flew past me on the beach. What a nice surprise!


Little Auk (Søkonge)

After a long day outdoors, I returned home with some good photos and even better observations! To round off the day perfectly, János cooked us a delicious dinner!

Ringing (Kabeltromlen)
Solsort 5
Sjagger 1
Grønsisken 1
Gærdesmutte 3
Rødhals 2
Blåmejse 16
Dompap, Stor 3
Dompap, Lille 2
Dompap 1
Munk 1
Bogfinke 4
Gransanger 1
Rødtoppet Fuglekonge 1
Fuglekonge 3
Total: 44

Ringing (Jennes Sø)
Blåmejse 19
Halemejse, Nordlig (ssp. caudatus) 2
Gransanger 1
Fuglekonge 2
Solsort 1
Rødhals 1
Gråsisken, Lille (ssp. cabaret) 1
Grønsisken 1
Total: 28

Link to today’s observations from the area

People: Miles Scheuering, János Schadl, Florian Hatt, Amira Nuseibeh, Simon S. Christiansen

Today was a rainy day, and even though the forecast told us that it would stop raining in half an hour every time we checked it, it continued pretty much all day. We got up as usual, and since the weather was definitely not good enough for ringing, we waited a bit for the rain to stop and at some point decided to do the migration count despite the adverse conditions. Packed in several layers of warm clothing and waterproofed with a rain jacked, rain pants and rubber boots, we where well equipped and Florian, Amira and I arrived only 20min after sunnrise at Grenen.

Next to many Red-throated Divers (Rødstrubet Lom), our first highlight of the day was a Great Northern Diver (Islom) only five minutes after the start of the count. Later followed by a Yellow-billed and a Black-throated Diver (Sortstrubet Lom), this was the first time in this autumn season that we managed to see all four european Diver species in one morning! It was very nice to be able to see and compare all of them in such a short time span, and the Yellow-billed Diver (Hvidæbbet Lom) was a lifer for me. Later we also got very good views of a resting Great Skua (Storkjove) before we gave in to the rain and went back after 2,5 hours of counting.

Florian and János during the count. Photo by Amira

While we were counting, Miles had a quiet morning, updating the picture archive and baking a delicious „Pallid Swift Cake“ for us in remembrance of the Pallid Swift (Gråsejler) that was in the area for the past few days and often came surprisingly close, giving good views.

Miles Pallid Swift Cake. Photo by János

After we came back, we had lunch and I had a restful afternoon. Miles went for a run, and then he, Amira and Florian went for a swim, spotting a remarkably late House Martin (Bysvale). Later, Florian left for the grocery store to buy food for dinner, and Amira climbed the lighthouse tower to use the good acoustics there and played her recorder (instrument). In the afternoon the skagen fuglestation hoodies we had designed and ordered finally arrived, and they turned out very well!

Miles, Florian and Amira wearing the new Hoodies. Photo by János

No ringing today due to the rain

Highlights from today’s observations:

Great Northern Diver (Islom) 1

Black-throated Diver (Sortstrubet Lom) 1

Yellow-billed Diver (Hvidæbbet Lom) 1

Great Skua (Storkjove) 1

House Martin (Bysvale) 1

Link to today’s observations from the area

People: Miles Scheuering, János Schadl, Florian Hatt, Amira Nuseibeh

This morning it was too windy to ring, but we had hoped that the migration count would still be possible. Unfortunately, it was quite rainy and starting too early to allow us to complete any of the count. That meant we had a chill morning, and we were able to catch up data tasks, like entering/checking data and updating the picture archive. Amira was able to visit the pool in town for some lap swimming and was pleasantly surprised to find it completely empty. Lise is away for a few days, leaving just four of us at station, and it feels quite quiet. She is visiting Blåvand Fuglestation and we wish her a good trip but look forward to her return!

Northern Gannet (Sule) flying amongst waves at the tip of Grenen. Photo by Florian

The rain let up a bit in the afternoon, and we were all able to get out for a bit. Florian and János went out to Grenen and did some birding and photography at the tip. The waves were quite dramatic because of the stormy weather, and it created great conditions for photographing the Northern Gannets (Sule). There were also Black-legged Kittiwakes (Ride) flying quite close and providing good views. Afterward, they collected the recorder János placed near Kabeltromlen and moved it to the Hume’s Leaf Warbler (Himalaya-sanger) patch at Stald Grenen with the hope of getting some good recordings. Knud was out searching for the Hume’s in the afternoon and did not see it but did see the Siberian Chiffchaff (Sibirisk Gransanger) again. Amira did a ton of work entering and checking data sheets today but got out for a walk in the afternoon. Even though it was drizzly, it was still pleasant to be out, and she enjoyed seeing several Snow Buntings (Snespurv) on the beach. I also enjoyed getting out for a short run as darkness started to settle.

This evening, Amira cooked us a spicy Middle Eastern stew. It was delicious! Mara had a low spice tolerance, and after dinner today, János commented that almost every meal since she left has been spicy. Likewise, there was a surge in dishes with coconut after Sarah, who did not like it, left.

Now, Amira and János have gone out night catching. We still hope to catch a Snow Bunting or maybe even a Shore Lark aka Horned Lark (Bjerglærke). They are quite flighty and eluded us thus far this fall.

No ringing today

Link to today’s observations from the area

People: Miles Scheuering, János Schadl, Florian Hatt, Amira Nuseibeh, and Simon S. Christiansen.

It was windier than expected as Lise, Florian and I headed out to ring at Kabeltromlen this morning, and so we decided not to open some of the more exposed nets. This did mean we had much fewer birds than usual but amongst them some gems in the shape of two Firecrest (Rødtoppet Fuglekonge). One of the two Firecrests was a bird ringed here almost exactly a year ago on the 8^th November 2024, so it’s exciting to see it has survived a full year!

Because we had such few birds we had time to appreciate each one, including a beautiful Song Thrush (Sangdrossel) with its characteristic upside-down heart-shaped dark markings on the breast. We also did some observing between net-checking rounds and heard an interesting call from one individual bird flying over amongst a flock of Common Crossbill (Lille Kornsnæb). Luckily, Florian had his recorder on him so we'll try to figure out what the mystery bird might be by inspecting the spectrogram later. Eventually, the wind became too strong and cold, so we closed the nets and retreated back home again for some well-earned lunch and some delicious leftover coconut chocolate cake baked by Lise.

The observers, Miles and János, were kept busy this morning at World’s End 3 with just the two of them there, but they thoroughly enjoyed it. The best bird was definitely a Sooty Shearwater (Sodfarvet skråpe) spotted by Miles, which was quite close by and flew back and forth, even briefly resting on the water; a really cool observation! They also saw two stunning Shorelarks (Bjerglærke) hopping around on the beach, as well as a lovely diversity of other species including Black Throated Diver (Sortstrubet Lom) and Black Guillemot (Tejst).

Then, we were all determined to try and see the Hume’s Leaf Warbler (Himalayasanger) so we cycled to the spot where Florian had first heard it calling at sunset yesterday. Almost immediately we all spotted it darting aroundin the bushes, showing extremely well and calling nicely and regularly too. Listen to it here:

It was a lifer for Miles, Lise and I, and even Simon said it was the best Hume’s Warbler he’s ever seen!

As we stood admiring it, János also spotted a Siberian Chiffchaff (Sibirisk Gransanger) in the same bush; what are the chances! That now means we’ve had a Dusky Warbler (Brøn Lovsanger), Hume’s Leaf Warbler and a Siberian Chiffchaff all within 1km and 24hrs of each other!

Afterwards, János and Florian continued birdwatching and found lots of Bearded Reedlings (Skægmejse) calling around cormorant lake and surprisingly many chiffchaffs about which is nice for this time of year. Meanwhile, Miles and Lise headed to the shops in town, and Simon was in a Bird Observatory board meeting all day, but did manage some birdwatching beforehand of course. Overall, it was another absolutely terrific day, full of twitches, tasty treats and top birds!

Link to today’s observations from the area

People: Miles Scheuering, Lise Mastrup, János Schadl, Florian Hatt, Amira Nuseibeh, and Simon S. Christiansen.

På Verdens Ende 3 udgjorde Florian, Miles og János holdet til morgenobservation. János var tidligt af sted for at sikre gode pladser. Forholdene var lignende i går, dog mindre blæsende og derfor ikke så koldt, hvilket blev værdsat. Igen i dag kom en islom (great northern diver) forbi. Disse er efterhånden blevet faste gæster ved Grenen, men ikke desto mindre blev den værdsat. Især da den blev hængende lidt og rastede, så der var god mulighed for at se den. Det blev nævnt, at der måske ville dukke nogle sejlere op. Ikke længe efter spottede Miles netop en og råbte straks op. Det viste sig at være en gråsejler (pallid swift). Måske samme individ som har befundet sig i området de sidste flere dage? I hvert fald fløj den lige over hovedet på observatørerne, som også fik gode billeder af den. Andre bemærkelsesværdige fugle fra observationen var storspove (curlew), strandskader (oystercatchers), sortgrå ryle (purple sandpiper) og stenvendere (turnstones). Om end ikke ligefrem sjældne, var det alligevel nogle der blev sat pris på herude.

Gråsejler (Pallid Swift). Foto af Florian Hatt.

Ved Kabeltromlen så Amira og jeg (Lise) endda også gråsejleren (pallid swift) da den blev kaldt ud fra Verdens Ende 3. Med hensyn til ringmærkning havde en rolig, men ikke kedelig dag. Der var et fint antal fugle i nettene til at holde os beskæftigede og heldigvis god tid til dem også. Vi havde både genfangster og nye mærkninger af skægmejser (bearded reedling), som jeg på daværende tidspunkt tænkte ville være dagens højdepunkt. Sidst på formiddagen dukkede der dog en gransanger op, som muligvis kunne være en sibirisk gransanger (siberian chiffchaff). Forskellene mellem en almindelig gransanger og den sibiriske underart er subtile, men farven på eksemplaret fra i dag var mindre grønlig, gullig og snarere mere brunlig, hvilket ledte tankerne hen på, at det kunne være en sibirisk. Efter ringmærkning og fotografering fik vi bekræftet fra Simon, at det var tilfældet. 

Sibirisk Gransanger (Siberian Chiffchaff). Foto af Amira Nusibeh.

Senere gik vi afsted på lukkerunden tilfredse med dagens ringmærkning. Her ventede der os en sidste overraskelse. Nemlig en vandrikse (water rail), som Amira begejstret pillede ud af nettet. Vi hører vandrikse hver dag ude i rørskoven, men det er kun anden gang på denne efterårssæson, at en af dem går i nettet. Denne gang var det en ung fugl i sit første kalenderår, hvilket blandt andet kan genkendes på den mørke overside af næbet og de endnu ikke helt skarpe hvide streger på flankerne.

Vandrikse (Water Rail). Foto af Miles Scheuering.

I dag var desuden Amiras første som ringmærker med C-licens - tillykke! Og det endda på fornemmeste manér med smukt overblik og omhyggelighed.

Om eftermiddagen var Florian taget på fugletur i området nær stationen. Herfra kom et opkald fra ham om en mulig himalayasanger (Hume’s leaf warbler), som han længe har haft håb om at finde her. Det lykkedes ham at få lydoptagelser af fuglen, som herhjemme kunne bevise, at det minsandten også var en himalayasanger der var tale om! Det er kun fjerde fund for Skagen, så vi kunne fejre både denne og alle de andre skønne fugle fra i dag med kage hjemme på stationen.

Sidste nyhed herfra må være, at vi har fået besked om ringmærkningen af en skægmejse (bearded reedling), som blev genfanget ved Kabeltromlen den 27. oktober. Denne blev oprindeligt ringmærket ved Tømmerby Fjord i Thy den 5. juni i år, hvor der findes en ynglende koloni af skægmejser.

Kort med markering af lokaliteterne for henholdvis ringmærkning nederst til venstre og genfangst øverst til højre af skægmejse (bearded reedling).

While Amira and Mara were opening the nets, I got the chance to sleep a bit longer today and join them for the first netround at sunrise. We were also joined by Henrik Møller Thomsen who came all the way from Aalborg to participate in the ringing and had quite a good day. The wind had died down over the past two days, so we were able to open all nets. We also managed to catch a few nice birds in the first rounds, with the highlight probably being a Firecrest (Rødtepped Fuglekonge) for many birders in the area. The cutest though were undoubtedly two Long-tailed Tits (Halemejse), which were also the first I had ever ringed.

Long-tailed Tit ( Halemejse) after ringing. Photo by János

Meanwhile, Florian, Miles, and Lise had a quiet morning at Grenen, which allowed them to discuss about seabird identification. The calm weather proved to be good for passerine migration and large flocks of Siskins (Grønsisken), Fieldfares (Sjagger) and Red Crossbills (Lille Korsnæb) were seen by both ringers and observers. They also saw a roosting Great Northern Diver (Islom) as well as a Great Skua (Storkjove) and we were able to spot a Grey Shrike (Stor Tornskade) and a big flock of Waxwings (Silkehale) from Kabeltromeln.

At the end of the count, Florian decided to search for Buntings (Værling), and Miles and Lise went for a run. Just as we had closed the nets and were packing our things, we received a Zello call from Simon who had found a Dusky Warbler (Brun Løvsanger) in Lille Vildmose. We all wanted to see this asian vagrant and while Miles and Lise just changed their running route, Amira, Mara and I arrived only 15 minutes later by bike. The bird didn't show up again though and I decided to go back after some time to have lunch and met Florian on my way who later also heard the bird call.

Florian an Simon looking for the Dusky Warbler (Brun Løvsanger). Photo by Amira

After a small break, Amira and Miles went for a swim, and I grabbed my bike and rode to Tilsandede Kirke, where Simon had told me there was a good chance of finding Parrot Crossbills (Stor Korsnæb) there. On my way I made a few stops in the harbor of Skagen to look for gulls. I saw nothing special, but close views of Guillemots (Lomvie) were definitely worth it and it was nice to explore the area. At Tilsandede Kirke I found no Crossbills but a big flock of roosting Waxwings (Silkehale) which was a good trade.

Waxwings (Silkehale) roosting on a tree. Photo by János

I headed back to meet up with the others to have coffee and cake and to say goodbye to Mara, who unfortunately had to return to Germany after three weeks at the Fuglestation. When I arrived at the lighthouse I was surprised to see a Swift (Sejler) (probably the Pallid Swift (Gråsejler) that had been in the area for the past two days) flying around it. I quickly made a video with my smartphone and called the others before the bird went out of sight and we could not find it again.

Swift flying around the lighthouse. Photo by János.

Later Simon drove Mara to the train station and Lise cooked a delicious dinner for us.

Ringing (Kabeltromlen):

Solsort 6

Sangdrossel 1

Rødhals 6

Gærdesmutte 3

Jernspurv 1

Bogfinke 2

Blåmejse 5

Munk 4

Lille Dompap 1

Fuglekonge 2

Gransanger 1

Rødtoppet Fuglekonge 1

Total new birds: 33

Highlights from World’s End 3:

Great Skua (Storkjove) 1

Great Northern Diver (Islom) 1

Lapwing (Vibe) 1

Link to todays observations in Dofbasen from the Skagen area

People: Mara Glane, Florian Hatt, Amira Nuseibeh, Miles Scheuering, Lise Mastrup, Simon S. Christiansen, János Schadl, Knud Pedersen and Henrik Møller Thomsen.

This morning, Florian, János, and I headed to World’s End 3 for the migration count with Knud. János left a bit earlier to bird along the way and noted many Eurasian Blackbirds (Solsort) along the sandormen track. We hoped that activity would be good, though there was little wind and not so much activity over the sea. There was good passerine activity, with many large flocks of Eurasian Siskens (Grøninsken) and Fieldfares (Sjagger). Early on, we received a message from Mara asking if it was too late in the season for Garden Warbler (Havesanger). We wondered if they had caught a garden warbler or if it could be something even rarer. A garden warbler was still exciting to me, as it would be a lifer. A few minutes later, we got a Zello from Simon that they had caught a Garden Warbler! I hurried over to Kabeltromlen, but there were several other birds in the round, so I had a little time to bird and enjoy the cake that Jørgen brought. We catch Garden Warblers in the ringing from May through September, but they had pretty much left by the time I arrived.

Garden Warbler (Havesanger) caught and ringed at Kabeltromlen this morning. Photo by Mara

While I was gone the other observers saw a resting Great Northern Diver aka Common Loon (Islom). It was a rather chilly morning, but we enjoyed seeing several flocks of Whooper Swans (Sangsvane) and good numbers of Red-throated Divers aka Loons (Rødstrubet Lom). The ringers, Mara, Amira, and Lise, had a busy first few rounds before things quieted down. They did enjoy seeing many blackbirds in the area early on, and the lull in activity provided time for the task of painting the new cable drum (kabeltromlen).

Ringing cake brought by Jørgen Hulbæk

After the count, Florian, János, and Simon went looking for buntings in the brushy, reedy areas west of the sandormen track. There is currently an influx of Black-faced Buntings (Gråhovedet Værling) in Europe, so we at the station are quite hungry for buntings. However, they had no luck today. While not a Black-faced Bunting, there was a Yellow-browed Warbler (Hvidbrynet Løvsanger) found in Skagen today. It interrupted several of our lunches and was originally called out as a Hume’s Leaf Warbler (Himalaya-sanger), which prompted us to hurry over toward the nature center to see it. Yellow-browed is a relatively common vagrant to Europe, but it was still a lifer for me, so I was quite excited to see it.

While János, Florian, Amira, and I were looking at the warbler, Mara and Lise set up some traps for Rock Pipits (Skærpiber) on the beach. They used mealworms as bait and then played Rock Pipit calls and songs to attract them. They did get some interest but the birds only inspected the traps without going into them. While Florian was busy cooking us a delicious dinner, Amira and János went out night catching for Eurasian Woodcocks (Skovsneppe) at Bankes Marker next to Batteriskoven. They saw several but were unable to catch them. The real highlight was finding a hedgehog (pindsvin), which it is getting rather late for.

The hedgehog (pindsvin) observed by Amira and János at Bankes Marker. Photo by János

This evening is Mara’s last night at the station, so we finished watching Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest.

Link to today’s observations from the area

People: Mara Glane, Florian Hatt, Amira Nuseibeh, Miles Scheuering, Lise Mastrup, János Schadl, Simon S. Christiansen, and our guest Jørgen Hulbæk

I went once again out for observing at World’s End III. The first hour already brought us a Black-throated Diver (Sortstrubet Lom), which we hadn't seen so often in the last weeks. It was also a good species for Anton, one he doesn't see very often. Afterwards, we sadly had to say goodbye to him as his "Praktik" week from school had already come to an end. But with seven lifers during the last days, it can't have been such a bad time!


Beautiful sunrise

Later that morning, we received a Zello message from Alex, who was sitting at Nordstrand. A Great Northern Diver (Islom) was on its way to us! Barely a minute later, it appeared at our location and migrated southeast not too far away. Shortly afterwards, a suspiciously large pipit (piber) was reported, also from Nordstrand, also flying in our direction. I got ready with my audio recorder and camera, but the bird just didn't want to show up. Instead, a flock of Water Pipits (Bjergpiber) made a migration attempt, which was also nice to see. Furthermore, a late House Martin (Bysvale) showed up and some Shore Larks (Bjerglærke) were resting on the beach.

There were also some birds at the ringing with a nice flock of Blue Tits (Blåmejse) and surprisingly many Blackcaps (Munk) for this time of the year. János was able to see Bearded Reedlings (Skægmejse) in hand for the first time, so this was exciting.

Simon had a guided tour today for Norwegian high school teachers, so they also came to visit the ringers but also the observers afterwards. I was spontaneously asked to give them a short presentation on the equipment we use during migration count, which was unexpected but fun.

After four hours of counting, I stayed outside, as there were some Yellowhammers (Gulspurv) and Reed Buntings (Rørspurv) present, which always gives hope for rarer buntings. There seems to be a big influx of Black-faced Buntings (Gråhovedet Værling) going on in Europe, which will hopefully also reach Skagen! And indeed, a rare bird suddenly appeared. It wasn't a bunting, but a large pipit flying over me, calling luckily.


Large pipit alert!

It sounded like a Richard’s pipit (Storpiber), but at this time of year I wanted to check again later on the sound recording to see if it was not a Blyth’s pipit (Mongolsk Piber). It must have been the bird from Nordstrand, which had probably stopped somewhere to rest in the meantime. In the evening when checking the recording, it turned out that it was a Richard’s pipit (Storpiber), the first one for Skagen this year, and a very late one too!



Some more news about rarities: Unfortunately, it turned out that our potential Eastern Yellow Wagtail (Sibirisk Vipstjert) from the 29th of October cannot be assigned to a population east of Taimyr region for sure. Either the quality of the recording is too bad, or the bird comes from the region, where Yellow Wagtails seem to carry mixed genes of Eastern and Western. It's a bit sad that the bird cannot be confirmed, but thanks to Alex Hellquist's analysis, it's still exciting to know that it was a bird of an eastern origin! Perhaps simply not far enough from the East. We will never know. The bird had migrated out to the sea, so couldn’t be found again in the days after the sighting.

Link to today’s observations from the area

People: Mara Glane, Florian Hatt, Amira Nuseibeh, Miles Scheuering, Lise Mastrup, Anton Møbjerg Toft, Simon S. Christiansen, János Schadl and our guest Jørgen Hulbæk

Efter en del dage med regn var vi glade for at vejr-radaren endelig sagde der ville være tør vejr. vi cyklede glade til verdens ende 3, Vores forhåbningerne var høje efter som vi havde haft mange havfugle de sidste par dage.  Jeg satte mit skop op sammen med dagens hav-opsavations hold bestående af Janos der ankom i går, Florian ,Knud og mig. nærmest lige efter vi havde sat skopende op begynde regnen. Jeg beklagede mig over vejret for vi jo blevet lovet tør vejr, men trods regnen var humøret højt og det blev kun endnu højre, da en sodfarvet skråpe kommer flyvende helt tæt på langs stranden.  vi fuglte skråpen intil den nåede katagat og var 50 meter fra klitten. Efter vi havde set den fantastiske nærgående skråpe fortsatte opservationen. Kort efter havde vi en landovertrækende islom efter-fuldt af en stor kjove dansende over og under horisonten.

I mellem tiden havde ringmærkernde (Mara, Amira,Lise) haft en rolig morgen med et par fugle per runde. men midt i den rolige morgen kom en landtrækende islom den samme som blev set ved verdens ende 3. Efter følgende kom der lidt gang i fuglene, og på næste runde var der en rødtoppetfuglekonge i nettet. Den rødtoppet fuglekonge var en genfangst hvilket tyder på, at den er stationær fugl. Da de går på næste runde ser de nettet er fyldt med blåejser, og så skal tingene gå stærk de mange blåmejser, bliver hurtigt befriget fra nettet og puttet bokse så bliver hurtiget og effektivt ringmærket. Efter en pause går ringmærkerne på den sidste lukke runde, hvor der venter dem den behaglige overrakelse af en lille flok grønsisker venter dem. De ringmærker, og fotograferer grønsiskene som så bliver sat fri.

Efter følgende tager næsten alle ringmærker, og opservatøre hjem til det grå fyr og spiser frokost efter frokosten spredes folk som vilde vinde.                                                                                           

Jeg sidder og spiser frokost da jeg for fra beskeden fra Janos, mulig gråsejler set ved Nordstranden. Jeg skynder mig ud til min cykel, og fræsser af sted mod nord stranden da jeg ankommer smider jeg hurtigt min cykel, og løber op mod kliterne for at overblik. Jeg spotter hurtigt Florian der står med et skop jeg spænder hen til ham, og han lader mig se sejleren i hans skop. Minuter efter ankomer de lokale ornitogloger, og vi følge sammen sejleren der flyver rundt om hoved på Janos der fotograferer alt hvad han kan. Sammen med de lokale bliver vi enige om det ligner en grå sejler meget godt, kort efter sender Janos et billed billedet viser en perfekt gråsejler med maske og lyse brun fjerdragt. ogsår er vi sikre den bliver meldt ud på zello som en sikker Gråsejler. Vi prøver at komme tætter på på gråsejleren som stadig flyver rundt over Janos i ditancen. Vi går hurtigt over klit rækkerne med højt humør da vi når til janos, er fuglen lige over os. Sejleren giver en imponerende fremvisning  af dens imponernde luftfærdigheder. Alle ser fuglen godt og stemningen kunne ikke være bedre.  Da det begynder at blive mørkt tager vi hjem til fejring af den fede fugl ved det gråfyr.

Gråsejler

Hjemme ved det gråfyr bliver der åbnet alkohol fri champange alle på fuglestation for et glas mens vi holder aften møde hvor diskutere hvad der skal ske i morgen.

Ringmærkning (Kabeltromlen)
Solsort 1
Musvit 2
Skægmejse 1
Grønsisken 6
Blåmejse 51
Munk 2
Fuglekonge 2
Total 65

Højde punkter fra Verdens ende 3
1 Sodfarvet skråpe
2 Islom 
1 Stor kjove
2 Sangsvane
1 Havterne

Link til alle dages opservationer

folk på stationen: Mara Glane, Florian Hatt, Amira Nuseibeh, Miles Scheuering, Lise Mastrup, Anton Møbjerg Toft, Simon S. Christiansen, János Schadl and our guest Jørgen Hulbæk