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Diving Birds and Driving Volunteers

lørdag 1. august 2026
af Mio Brix

Jule was the first one who got up this morning to open the nets at Kabeltrommeln. Simon and Alexander joined her later for the first round. Due to the ongoing westerly wind, there weren't many passerines active, so they didn't catch many birds today. But on the last round they were all happy about a Tree Pipit (Skovpiber) in the net. These birds are always great to see close up.

My morning took me out to World's End 3 to do the migration count. I started with scanning the terns (Terne) and gulls (Måge). There were 7 Mediterranean Gulls (Sorthovedet Måge) on the beach, so still a good number after our and Skagen's all-time highcount of 14 (!) birds yesterday. While scanning the sea, I heard the flight calls of a Temminck's Stint (Temmincksryle), and then it flew quite close over the dune.

Temminckstrand_Grenen_010826.JPGTemminck's stint (Temmincksryle) over World's End 3

Knud and Erik joined me at the end of the second hour, and a few minutes later, I spotted 2 Slavonian Grebes (Nordisk Lappedykker) swimming quite close to the shoreline. One 1K and one adult bird, which was moulting into winter plumage but still had some feathers of its breeding plumage. But that was not the only highlight of the count: while scanning the Kattegat to look for some resting birds, for example the known Long-tailed Duck (Havlit), which I also found later on, Knud spotted a 2K Great Northern Diver (Islom) close to the shoreline, another nice diving bird today! Jule, Simon and Alexander were also able to see both the Slavonian Grebes (Nordisk Lappedykker) and the Great Northern Diver (Islom) from Kabeltrommeln.

After we all headed back (with the good birds from today in our back), we had a quick breakfast and welcomed Alfred, who will stay here at the station until the 5th of August. Then Mette and Páll picked us up and drove us to a place south of Tuen to ring Barn Owl (Slørugle) chicks. We really enjoyed the ride to this place with some music in the car! And of course, we enjoyed ringing the owls!

WhatsApp_Image_2026-08-01_at_18.05.47.jpegTaking Barn Owls (Slørugle) out of their breeding box

WhatsApp_Image_2026-08-01_at_17.56.09.jpeg3 Young Barn Owls (Slørugle) waiting for their rings

After we drove back, most of us had a nap, and after that we did our daily tasks, including grocery shopping, and had a nice strawberry cake again! Thanks to Mette for bringing this delicious cake two days in a row!

WhatsApp_Image_2026-08-01_at_19.25.45_w.jpeg1K Black Redstart (Husrødstjert) in the lighthouse garden. Picture by Alfred

And with that, another day at Skagen Fuglestation comes to an end. Let's see what the next days will bring!

Ringing (KAB):

will be added tomorrow

Ringing Tuenvej:

Barn Owls (Slørugle)-3

Highlights from the observation:

Great Northern Diver (Islom)- 1 

Slavonian Grebes (Nordisk Lappedykker)-2

Temminck's stint (Temmincksryle)-1

Mediterranean Gulls (Sorthovedet Måge)-7

Cuckoo (Gøg)-1

Link to today’s observations in DOFbasen from observers in the area.

People: Jule Tappe, Mio Brix, Simon Kiesé, Alexander Nyholm, Alfred Godsk Geckler, Mette Breede,Páll Vang Kjærbo, Lisa Vergin, Simon S. Christiansen, Knud Pedersen, Erik Christophersen.

 

My highlight was the strawberry cake

fredag 31. juli 2026
af Simon Kiesé

The length of my blog post reflects the number of birds spotted today, which is why it’s going to be a short one. The reason for this was the increasing westerly wind.

XXX

During the ringing session, we were particularly pleased by the good company, but also by a young Spotted Flycatcher (Grå Fluesnapper). Nevertheless, it’s lovely to see birds flying about, such as Honey Buzzards (Hvepsevåge) and a Mistle Thrush (Misteldrossel).

Alexander and Jule spent the morning at WE3, where at least a few waders, such as Bar-tailed Godwits (Lille Kobbersneppe), were resting. A young (1K) White-tailed Eagle (Havørn) flew so close that it almost took their breath away. Jule also finally spotted her very first Black-throated Diver (Sortstrubet Lom). Jule was watching Sule (and perhaps the gannets were watching Jule too).

WhatsApp_Image_2026-07-31_at_19.07.44.jpegLiterally the only picture taken today, but a nice one. Taken by Jule.

In the afternoon I played some guitar. Mette gave us delicious Strawberry-Cake, which rounded up Mio's nice dinner.

Ringing (KAB):

Ringing numbers will be added later.

Total:

Link to today’s observations in DOFbasen from observers in the area.

People: Jule Tappe, Mio Brix, Simon Kiesé, Alexander Nyholm, Mette Breede, Páll Vang Kjærbo, Simon S. Christiansen.

Big ringing day with Storm-Petrel + a Waxwing!

torsdag 30. juli 2026
af Alexander Nyholm

The day started really early today when a little over midnight Mette woke Simon, Mio and me up and told us they had caught a small black bird at the beach. Simon and I immediately realised that it must be a Storm-Petrel, so we quickly rush down to the lab.

 WhatsApp_Image_2026-07-30_at_12.25.49.jpegEuropean Storm-Petrel (Lille Stormsvale) tonight. Picture by Simon Kiesé

It was a European Storm-Petrel (Lille Stormsvale) and suddenly the low amount of sleep seems worth it. Around 8 people went to see this seldom observed pelagic species in the middle of the night and it was a lifer for me.

WhatsApp_Image_2026-07-30_at_12.25.51.jpegWing picture of the 3cy.+ Storm-Petrel. Picture by Simon Kiesé

WhatsApp_Image_2026-07-30_at_12.26.58.jpegLook at the white rump! Picture by Simon Kiesé

 

When we woke up again a few hours later it was time for ringing at Kabeltromlen. Today it was Jule, both Simon’s, Mette and me at the ringing. Today would be a day with a lot of birds and especially warblers and we ended up ringing 67 birds and 9 different species of warblers. Most common was a staggering 28 Common Whitethroats (Tornsanger). We also caught a nice Wood Warbler (Skovsanger). We had quite a few visitors at the ringing today as well, which was nice. 

WhatsApp_Image_2026-07-30_at_17.19.48.jpegWood Warbler (Skovsanger). Picture by Knud Pedersen

Other highlights from the ringing include Lesser Redpoll (Lille Gråsisken) and Garden Warbler (Havesanger). During the ringing period a few good species came by including a Common Rosefinch (Karmindompap), adult Caspian Tern (Rovterne) and most surprisingly a summer record of Bohemian Waxwing (Silkehale). Only the 3rd time this species has been recorded in the area during July. There was also a good number of Kestrels (Tårnfalk) flying through. 

WhatsApp_Image_2026-07-30_at_09.01.36.jpegBohemian Waxwing (Silkehale) at Kabeltromlen. Picture by Simon Kiesé

Mio was on observation duty today at Grenen. In the first hour he had a lot of migrating shorebirds compared to the last few days including: Whimbrel (Småspove), Bar-tailed Godwit (Lille Kobbersneppe), Ruddy Turnstone (Stenvender) and a lot of sandpipers the “tringa” genus (Klirer). Espacially Spotted Redshank (Sortklire) is not that common up here. In the second he also had a Great Skua (Storkjove) migrating north-west.

We ended the day by watching 168 Fulmars (Mallemuk) from the dune just outside the lighthouse.

Ringing (KAB):

Chiffchaff (Gransanger) - 9

Blue Tit (Blåmejse) - 7

Common Whitethroat (Tornsanger) - 28

Garden Warbler) Havesanger - 1

Blackcap (Munk)  - 5

Lesser Redpoll (Gråsisken, Lille (ssp. cabaret)) - 1

Willow Warbler (Løvsanger) - 1

Icterine Warbler (Gulbug) - 4

Lesser Whitethroat (Gærdesanger) - 5

Wood Warbler (Skovsanger) - 1

Reed Warbler (Rørsanger) - 2

Marsh Warbler (Kærsanger) - 3

Total: 67 new (+7 recap)

 

Ringing (Det Grå Fyr):

European Storm-Petrel (Lille Stormsvale) -  1

 

Highlights from the observation:

Waxwing (Silkehale) - 1 (3rd July record for Skagen)

Caspian Tern (Rovterne) - 1 (Listen to recording of it's call on this link)

Great Skua (Storkjove) - 1

Rosefinch (Karmindompap) - 1

Link to today’s observations in DOFbasen from observers in the area.

People: Jule Tappe, Mio Brix, Simon Kiesé, Alexander Nyholm, Mette Breede, Lisa Vergin, Knud Pedersen, Simon S. Christiansen.

Birding to the bitter(n) end

onsdag 29. juli 2026
af Jule Tappe

After the westerly winds had lessened over night, we were finally able to do some ringing today! Simon K., Mette and I went to Skarvsøen for CES ringing. We arrived at 4:15 in the morning and before having put down baggage, we already came across a highlight: A bittern (Rørdrum) flew over the lake and even called! They are such mysterious and cool birds that you get see rarely! In good spirit, we set up the nets and were joined by Páll, Leona and Sebastian for the first net round. While the first couple of rounds only offered a small number of birds, by the third round, we caught about 5 birds per round, making us busy but giving us enough time to study moult. We mostly caught Common Reed Warblers (Rørsanger), Chiffchaffs (Gransanger) and Lesser Whitethroats (Gærdesanger). Many of the warbler were recaptures from previous ringing sessions, with one Reed Warbler ringed as an adult in 2022. This means it is now at least 5 years old!

Reed_Warbler-20260729.jpg

One of the adult Reed Warblers (Rørsanger) we caught.

In between net rounds, we watched the birds on the lake, among them Wood Sandpipers (Tinksmed), Common Snipes (Dobbeltbekkasin), Northern Shovelers (Skeand), a Little Ringed Plover (Lille præstekrave) and the Spoonbill (Skestork) that you might remember from yesterday’s blog. After ringing, Leona and Sebastian left to continue their journey around Scandinavia.

In the meantime, Alexander and Mio were doing the migration count from World’s End 3. Unfortunately, they had sea fog that blocked their view on the horizon but still managed to experience some nice observations. There was a Yellow-legged Gull (Middelhavssølvmåge) and four Mediterranean Gulls (Sorthovedet Måge) resting on the beach, several Arctic Skuas (Almindelig Kjove) on the sea and two Black-throated Divers (Sortstrubet lom).

Med-Gulls-20260729.jpg

First calendar year (left) and second calendar year (middle) Mediterranean Gull (Sorthovedet Måge) next to each other.

Apart from birdwatching, there was also some mammal-watching going on as three Bottlenose Dolphins (Øresvin) swam around Denmark’s tip into Kattegat. A very cool sight! After the count, Mio and Alexander read rings of terns (Terne) and Gulls (Måge) on the beach.

By noon, we were all back at the lighthouse, entered data from the morning and took a nap. Alexander, Mette and I went into town to buy some groceries and also returned a lot of bottle deposits that had accumulated over the past couple of months. Thank you for driving us, Mette! After a delicious meal prepared by Simon K., we set up the nets on the beach for what’s about to happen tonight: We are going to try to catch European Storm Petrels (Lille stormsvale) and Nightjars (Natravn) again! Fingers crossed that there will be good news about that on the blog tomorrow!

Ringing (CES):
Rørsanger – 4
Gærdesanger – 1
Gransanger – 2
Tornsanger – 2
Blåmejse – 2
Total: 11
 
Ringing (Fyrhaverne):
Tornsanger-1
Musvit-1
 
Highlights from the observations:
Bittern (Rørdrum) – 1
Little Ringed Plover (Lille præstekrave) – 1
Yellow-legged Gull (Middelhavssølvmåge) – 1
Mediterranean Gull (Sorthovedet Måge) – 4
Spoonbill (Skestork) – 1

Link to today’s observations in DOFbasen from observers in the area.

People: Mette Breede, Mio Brix, Simon S. Christiansen, Leona Gottschalkson, Sebastian Jurr, Simon Kiesé, Páll Vang Kjærbo, Alexander Nyholm, Jule Tappe

...and took it away

tirsdag 28. juli 2026
af Mio Brix

Jule, Simon, and I were the first to breathe in the fresh Skagen air that morning. We went out to World’s End 3 to do the migration count. Later, we were joined by Leona and our guest, Mette.. As the combination of yesterday’s and today’s blog titles suggests, there was not much migration over the sea, and the numbers of roosting terns (terne) and gulls (måge) were lower than on the previous days. Nevertheless, an adult light-morph Arctic Skua (Almindelig Kjove) and several Fulmars (Mallemuk) kept us watching the sea. Fortunately, the smaller flock of terns on the flooded beach at Grenen was quite close, so we were able to read some colour rings.

WhatsApp_Image_2026-07-28_at_13.31.58.jpegRinged Sandwich Tern (Splitterne) from Poland

After the standardized count, we all headed back to the station. After a short nap, we were woken by Sebastian, who had cooked a delicious lunch for us. This motivated Leona, Sebastian, and me to go to Skarvsøen to cut reeds and branches so that the nets would be clear for the next CES ringing session tomorrow.

After cutting down the reeds around the first net, I walked up and looked over Skarvsøen . I immediately noticed a white bird with its typical foraging behaviour: a Spoonbill (Skestork)! It was the first July record for the Skagen area. Normally, Spoonbills appear here during the spring season. Simon also came by to see the bird.

 WhatsApp_Image_2026-07-28_at_17.05.06.jpeg 1K Spoonbill (Skestork) foraging

After Simon had enjoyed watching the bird and Leona, Sebastian, and I had finished cutting down the reeds, we headed back to the station. There, we welcomed Alexander, who will be staying at the station for one week.

Now, after our usual evening routine of dinner and the evening meeting, we will all go to bed early so that we are ready for CES ringing and the migration count tomorrow.

Let’s see what the next few days will bring!

Link to today’s observations in DOFbasen from observers in the area.

Highlights from the observations:

Spoonbill (Skestork)-1

Arctic Skua (Almindelig Kjove)-1

Mediterranean Gull (Sorthovedet Måge) - 1

People at the station: Mio Brix, Simon Kiesé, Alexander Nyholm, Jule Tappe, Leona Gottschalkson, Sebastian Jurr, Simon S. Christiansen, Mette Breede.

The wind brought us hope....

mandag 27. juli 2026
af Leona Gottschalkson og Sebastian Jurr

Tonight it was very windy and cloudy, so it was an ideal night to go nightcatching at Grenen.
Right before 11 pm Sebastian and I went out to the tip to approach some resting Arctic Terns (Havterne), Sandwich Terns (Splitterne), Greater Black backed Gulls (Svartbag) an Herring Gulls (Sølvmåge) which were sitting at a lagoon on the beach.
After 3 hours of trying to find approachable birds to catch, we decided to go back to the station and get some sleep.

WhatsApp Image 2026 07 27 at 09.53.27
As it was again too windy in the morning to open the nets at KAB Jule, Sophie, Mio and Simon K. went out to World's End 3 to do the migration count.

WhatsApp Image 2026 07 27 at 09.53.26Already in the first hour they were surprised by several 5 Arctic Skuas (Almindelig Kjove). During the count a total of 5 birds showed up.

WhatsApp Image 2026 07 27 at 10.59.43

Afterwards they were looking at a huge number of terns and aging them. Also they were able to read a Mediterranean Gull (Sorthovedet Måge) ring and a Swedish Lesser Black Backed Gull (Sildemåge) Ring.

 WhatsApp Image 2026 07 27 at 09.53.27 1
Meanwhile Simon S. C. was able to see that the Eagle Owl (Stor Honugle) that was ringed 4 Days ago at Jerup Rescue Center was safely released back into the wild close to where it was originally found.

The wind should calm down the day after tomorrow, so Simon and Jule went to KAB to give the vegetation around the nets a good trim, as reeds and branches are growing into the nets.
In the evening Sebastian and I cooked a vegetarian lasagna and we all enjoyed our dinner together.

 Link to today’s observations in DOFbasen from observers in the area.

Highlights from the observations:
Arctic Skua (Almindelig Kjove) - 5
Mediterranean Gull (Sorthovedet Måge) - 4

People: Mio Brix, Simon Kiesé, Jule Tappe, Sofie Bugge Kobberø, Leona Gottschalkson, Sebastian Jurr, Mette Breede.

Winderesting

søndag 26. juli 2026
af Simon Kiesé

The wind brought us together, and so all the volunteers and our guest Søren found themselves at the end of the world in Grenen: World’s End 3. The beach was flooded by the strong westerly wind (too strong to open the nets at KAB) and there were lots of gulls and terns flying around the large lagoon. Right from the start, I began counting the Arctic Terns (Havterne), as their numbers had so impressed me yesterday. Today there were significantly more again, and I managed to count 152 adults and 2 juveniles. Brilliant! As well as my regular count of terns, I naturally couldn’t help but keep an eye on the sea.

WhatsApp_Image_2026-07-26_at_17.22.19.jpegJule watching the Sea during the pretty sunrise.

Here, the wind finally brought in a few more seabirds, such as three Arctic skuas (Almindelig Kjove), which delighted us with some magnificent views. Suddenly, a Great Skua (Storkjove) appeared. For Jule, this was a new species, and she caught a brief glimpse of the bird just before it landed on the sea. There were only a few Fulmars (Mallemuk) about until, behind a fishing boat, 30 of them suddenly appeared. In the end there even was a young Little Gull (Dværgmåge) foraging. All in all, a successful morning.

The evening was filled with sorting stuff, baking cake and our daily tasks. You see - we used the time wisely that we gained by not being out ringing today. We already miss having birds in the hand though.

In the evening our new guests arrived. Since everyone was motivated to go ringing, but the weather forecast does not look good for the next two days, we decided to give it a go in the lighthouse garden. This was a good decision, since we caught a pretty Barn Swallow (Landsvale). An old male, which we can tell by the very long tail steamers.

Ringing (Fyrhaverne):
Barn Swallow (Landsvale) – 1
 
Highlights from the observations:
Mediterranean Gull (Sorthovedet Måge) – 9
Arctic Tern (Havterne) – 154
Arctic Skua (Almindelig Kjove) – 3
Great Skua (Stor Kjove) - 1
Little Gull (Dværgmåge) - 1 
 

 Link to today’s observations in DOFbasen from observers in the area.

People: Mio Brix, Simon Kiesé, Søren Roed, Jule Tappe, Sofie Bugge Kobberø, Leona Gottschalkson, Sebastian Jurr, Mette Breede.

The shrike strikes!

lørdag 25. juli 2026
af Jule Tappe

This morning held some nice surprises for all of us! Brian and I biked to Kabeltromlen before sunrise, opening up the nets and meeting Simon, Sophie and Páll around 4:50 am. Luckily, the wind was a lot less stronger than predicted allowing us to open all the nets for the usual timespan. We managed to catch 20 birds in total, including two adult Icterine Warblers (Gulbug), a Yellowhammer (Gulspurv) and a Willow Warbler (Løvsanger).

Between the rounds, we had already spotted a Red-backed Shrike (Rødrygget Tornskade) perching on the net poles. And then in the very last round, also Brian’s last round at Kabeltromlen ever, it was finally in the net! He ringed it and the bird was admired by all of us. What a beautiful sight!

20260725-Red-backed_shrike.jpgMale Red-backed Shrike (Rødrygget Tornskade).

ringing tent 25 07 2026Ringing the last birds in the tent during a rain shower.

Meanwhile, Simon K. and Knud were busy doing migration count at World’s End 3. While there was little migration on the sea, they were kept busy by resting birds on the beach. 800 Terns (Terne sp.), including 100 Arctic Terns (Havterne) were counted! This is an impressive high count and the highest number of Arctic Terns counted at Grenen since 2020. The three of them also found a lot of colour rings in all colours of the rainbow from dark blue to red in species like Common Tern (Fjordterne), Sandwich Tern (Splitterne) and Mediterranean Gull (Sorthovedet Måge). In total, about 30 rings were read! They could have easily continued but had to stop due to rain, just as we did at Kabeltromlen.

20260725-Common_tern.jpg

Common Tern (Fjordterne) with colour ring.

After having finished the last data entries, it was time to say goodbye. After almost a month at the station, Brian left for new adventures. Thank you for your contribution to the bird observatory! But we also welcomed Mio! He will stay until the end of the season in December.

There was another reason to celebrate today since it was the birthday of Søren, our current guest at the lighthouse. He cooked a delicious meal for all of us and Sofie made a scrumptious cake. This was not the end of the day though, because some cleaning tasks still awaited us. Now, our optics are free of sand and salt and are ready to use tomorrow! But now, it is time to use the rainy evening for an early night.

Highlights from the observations:
Mediterranean Gull (Sorthovedet Måge) – 8
Arctic Tern (Havterne) – 100
Arctic Skua (Almindelig Kjove) – 1
 
Ringing (Kabeltromlen):
Tornsanger – 3
Gransanger – 5
Munk – 1
Gulbug – 2
Gulspurv – 1
Musvit – 2
Rødrygget Tornskade – 1
Gærdesanger – 1
Løvsanger – 1
Kærsanger – 2
Rørsanger – 1
Total: 20

 Link to today’s observations in DOFbasen from observers in the area.

People: Mio Brix, Brian Browne, Simon S. Christiansen, Simon Kiesé, Knud Pedersen, Søren Roed, Jule Tappe, Páll Vang Kjærbo, Sofie Bugge Kobberø, Charlotte Butler, Lisa Vergin.

July winds are coming up

fredag 24. juli 2026
af Simon Kiesé

Even though the wind picked up, we were out early this morning. The attempt on nightcatching was unsuccesful but we were looking foward to ring some diurnal birds at Kabeltromlen.

Due to the wind we had to close a bit early, but it was still a good morning, since we had a lot of fun with making silly jokes, giving Juliane (who had to took the train back to Germany today - was nice meeting you, have a good trip) and Brian (who unfortunately leavs tomorrow) the chance to ring some last birds here. Sofie, who stays here over the weekend to get an impression of the stations work, also got her first impression of ringing. 

Best birds were not in the net though, but in the air. It started with a Cuckoo (Gøg) flying away from our net lanes in the early morning. During ringing we heard calls of a Spotted Redshank (Sortklire). Even though we did not get views on it, Brian enjoyed this new species to him. While closing nets due to the uppicking wind, we heard the Green Woodpecker (Grønspætte) again, that is around for several days now.

The uppicking wind is the right word to lead over to the migration counts. Jule was out at World's End 3 and got the joyful company of Knud. Their highlight were 10 Mediterranean Gulls (Sorthovedet Måge) on the beach. 9 of them were first and one was a second year bird. That's a quite good number and since it increased the past days, I'm curious if it will get even higher. An adult dark morph Arctic Skua (Almindelig Kjove) was pretty and together with Fulmars (Mallemuk) and Kittiwakes (Ride) the image of "westerly-wind-birds" was completed.

After having delicious dinner and finishing the data work, Jule and I went out to Grenen to have a look at the roosting terns. There were more than 700 - mostly Common (Fjordterne) and Sandwich Terns (Splitterne), but also 28 Arctic Terns (Havterne). We read some rings of the roosting birds including two of the young Mediterranean Gulls (Sorthovedet Måge). The highlight was not far away: a fourth calendar year Yellow-legged Gull (Middelhavssølmåge)! Since it is moulting the same feathers as the bird Knud saw two days ago, it must be the same bird. Since it was a new species to Brian, he came out aswell, so we three celebrated this Life/Denmark/Grenen-tick. On my way back a young Goshwak (Duehøg) flew over my head. It was really fun to see so many birds around and since I was busy with ringing the past days, this was my first time really being out on the beach this stay. 

 24072026_SK.jpegYoung Mediterranean Gull (Sorthovedet Måge) in good company. (Simon Kiesé)

Highlights from the observations:

Mediterranean Gull (Sorthovedet Måge) – 10

Arctic Skua (Almindelig Kjove) - 2

Green Woodpecker (Grønspætte) - 1

Spotted Redshank (Sortklire) - 1

Yellow-legged Gull (Middelhavssølmåge) - 1

Ringing (KAB):

Chiffchaff (Gransanger) - 4

Marsh Warbler (Kærsanger) - 1

Common Whitethroat (Tornsanger) - 3

Common Redstart (Rødstjert) - 1

Wren (Gærdesmutte) - 1

Great Tit (Musvit) - 1

Total: 11 

Link to today’s observations in DOFbasen from observers in the area.

People: Brian Browne, Simon S. Christiansen, Simon Kiesé, Søren Roed, Juliane Rößler, Jule Tappe, Páll Vang Kjærbo, Sofie Bugge Kobberø.

“Full, bright, exciting”

torsdag 23. juli 2026
af Brian Browne

Our efforts today started before midnight, as we set up nets to catch storm petrels (Lille Stormsvale) and nightjars (Natravn). Jule was on the night shift, and she stayed up all night doing the net checks. We all hoped to be awoken in the night with news of a bird in the nets, but unfortunately we didn’t catch anything. The morning teams said goodnight to Jule as we headed to the field and she headed to bed for some much-needed rest. 

I took the morning count from World’s End 3 while Julian, Simon and Páll ringed at Kabeltromlen. There weren’t crazy numbers of birds on the ocean but it was interesting overall with a few Mediterranean Gulls (Sorthovedet Måge) and a Little Tern (Dværgterne) on the beach. A Eurasian Hobby (Lærkefalk) streaked in and made a low pass over the beach, sending the gulls and terns out to sea in a frenzy, and an Arctic Loon (Sortstrubet Lom) cut across the tip high up. The main highlight came along with a slight bit of frustration: in the last hour I picked up on a large shearwater (skråpe) flying northwest close to the horizon. Watching it at a distance through the heat haze, it was difficult to be fully certain of an identification, so I left it as a Great/Cory’s/Scopoli’s Shearwater (Sort/Atlantisk/Scopolis Skråpe). Exciting, but a bit disappointing.

The ringing team caught four Icterine Warblers (Gulbug), a Marsh Warbler (Kærsanger), a Yellowhammer (Gulspurv), and a young Black Redstart (Husrødstjert). They also had a flyover Eurasian Green Woodpecker (Grønspætte), rare out this far on the peninsula, and the Cinereous Vulture (Munkegrib) passed by overhead on its daily foray out to Grenen. 

BLRE_72326.JPGJuvenile Black Redstart (Husrødstjert) in the hand

After we all returned, we had a new arrival: Sofie, who will be staying and volunteering for a few days at the station! Welcome! We all took naps and then we got ready to go on an exciting venture: the wildlife rehab center had received a Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Stor Hornugle), and we would be ringing it! But before then Simon needed to drive one hour away to pick up rings from another Bird Ringer since we did'nt have the right siize among the otherwise many different ring types in our stock. A large crew drove down to help and watch: the station volunteers, Simon and Lisa, Knud and Inge Pedersen, our guest Søren, and Mette from the station cafe. At the center, first Jule ringed a juvenile Herring Gull (Sølvemåge) also at the center, and then Simon went into the enclosure to catch the owl! It was quite cool to be able to see such an impressive raptor up close, and it was also a species that Simon had never hold before.

storhonrjerup 23 07 2026

Eagle Owl (Stor Hornugle) at Jerup Rescue Center (Vildtplejestation)

EUEO_72326.jpgSimon with the newly-ringed owl

After, everyone returned home, while Páll, Jule, Juliane and I headed to Jerup Strand to look for shorebirds. It was fun to finally be able to see shorebirds on the ground, and in numbers! Feeding on the mud were dozens of lapwings (Vibe), golden-plovers (Hjejle), redshanks (common/Rødben and spotted/Sortklire), ringed plovers (Stor Præstekrave), whimbrels (Småspove), bar-tailed godwits (Lille Kobbersneppe), dunlin (Almindelig Ryle), and oystercatchers (Strandskade), among other shorebirds. Not only that, but there were also six Eurasian Spoonbills (Skestork) sweeping their bizarre bulbous bills through the water, a lifer for Juliane and I! Jule was able to read the color ring on one, so perhaps we’ll find out where it's been. My lifer Corn Bunting (Bomlærke) sang from the grasses, and it was my first time seeing the godwits in their striking orange breeding plumage. Juliane saw her first Black-bellied Plover (Strandhjejle), and Jule was excited about a Marsh Harrier (Rørhøg) flying over. Juliane brought a collection of beautiful shells back as well.

After we returned, Juliane made dinner, and we quickly ate before heading out to set up nets on the beach. We’ll try again for storm petrels and nightjars again tonight, hopefully with better luck than last night!

NETS_72326.jpgThe team setting up storm petrel nets

This was Juliane’s last day at the station before returning to Germany in the morning, and although it was quite busy, it was a good day to end on! She described it as “full, bright, and exciting” in our evening meeting, and I agree.

Highlights from the observations:
Mediterranean Gull (Sorthovedet Måge) - 2
Little Tern (Dværgterne) - 1
Great/Cory’s/Scopoli’s Shearwater (Sort/Atlantisk/Scopolis Skråpe) - 1
Eurasian Hobby (Lærkefalk) - 1
Eurasian Green Woodpecker (Grønspætte) - 1
Cinereous Vulture (Munkegrib)  - 1
Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Stor Hornugle) - 1
Eurasian Spoonbill (Skestork) - 6
 
Ringing (KAB):
Gransanger - 2
Munk - 3
Havesanger - 1
Rørspurv - 1
Kærsanger - 1
Tornsanger - 5
Jernspurv - 1
Husrødstjert - 1
Gulspurv - 1
Gulbug - 3

Link to today’s observations in DOFbasen from observers in the area

People: Brian Browne, Juliane Rößler, Páll Kærbo, Jule Tappe, Simon Kiesé, Simon Christiansen, Lisa Vergin, Knud and Inge Pedersen, Sofie Bugge Kobberø, Søren Roed, Mette Christensen, Jeppe Therkildsen Madsen.


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