Hi all together!

This weekend, there was quite a lot happening at Skagen Fuglestation and that´s why I don´t really know where to begin. But let´s start on Friday. When I made a walk and finally landed between Nordstrand and Grenen (not on the bike path, I went a bit cross country but nevertheless I have now an idea of where it is). I really liked Grenen but I did not stay for long because Simon called me to receive a packet at the station. Before that, I had found a new dead Guillemot (Lomvie) and a new dead Razorbill (Alk) at the beach. As I did not plan to collect dead birds and did not have a backpack with me, I just carried them in my arms and as I thought, walking along the street could be faster, everybody on the street could easily identify me as a bit of a crazy birdwatcher. But having these two birds on my arms was actually quite good as I was almost forced to look at their beaks and the difference between them was very obvious. I just wished it would be that easy to distinguish them with the scope but maybe I took a step in the right direction on Friday. In any case, I´ve learned something from it.

Guillemot (Lomvie)

Razorbill (Alk)

Back at the station, I met Henning soon, who gave me the packet. In the evening Esben, Lise, and Christian arrived at the station. They stayed for the weekend and it was very nice to cook and eat together and have company. After dinner, we went Nightcatching. We all had big expectations since we were using very strong torches and thermal binoculars. It was a very clear night and we could see a lot of stars and Esben and Christian came very close to some birds, but in the end, we had no success. Instead, we returned to the station. Back there, we were eating sweets, playing KLASK, talking, and looking at bird books.

Evening activities

Actually, it was quite late when we went to bed. Nevertheless, my inner clock seems to think waking up between 4 and 4.30 o´clock in the morning is just the right time to get up at Skagen Fugelestation. I really don´t know why, as I am usually very good at sleeping. You´re wrong, I tried to convince it, it´s still February… So, I tried to sleep again but at 6.30 I really couldn´t stay in bed anymore. I had breakfast on my own, did a few things at the station, and went out to the garden to feed the birds since the sunrise was really nice. When I went in again, Lise, Christian, and Esben were awake, baking bread. So I went in like a little Hobbit and we were having breakfast, my second breakfast for Saturday. Then we went on a long walk. The highlight was a dead Puffin (Lunde) which we found on the beach near Grenen. Simon aged it for us with a picture as he was at Copenhagen bringing the content of the freezer to the Zoological Museum. It was a 3K+ and it was really cool even if we would have preferred to spot it still living. And here it is:

Puffin (Lunde)

Back at the station, it was time for naps, laptop work, embroidery, and night catching in the evening again. This time it was raining, perfect weather for night catching. But the result was the same as the day before.

Today, it wasn´t that windy and good for opening the two nets in the garden. The weather was only kind to us for one round. But we were lucky, and we had a Great Tit (Musvit) and three Yellowhammers (Gulspurv).

Todays ringed birds:

Great Tit (Musvit): 1 (recap.)

Yellowhammer (Gulspurv): 3 (1 of them a recap.)

Total: 2 new+ 2 recap = 4 ;)

This was really nice and also the first birds I ringed in Skagen since I only ringed Blåvands birds so far. After that, we climbed the lighthouse, and we all were amazed.

At the lighthouse

In the afternoon, it was time to go for Lise, Christian, and Esben. Esben planned to come back soon. I have reason to believe that he will come back earlier as expected, as he forgot something here. Probably, he´ll meet Simon here next time, that will make him very happy. Simon will be back tomorrow, so I will again have company soon.

See you soon and take care,

Hanelie

People at the bird station: Esben E. Hansen, Hanelie Sidhu, Lise and Christian

Hello to all blog readers!

Since I am the one this year who writes the first blog, I would first like to whish you all a happy new year 2022 that brings many great birds!

Then, I should introduce myself: I am Hanelie from Augsburg in Bavaria (Southern Germany). As part of my practical semester abroad at University, I can and was able to spend a few months at Danish Bird Stations. Maybe, you read already a few Blog articles by me on Blavands Blog in autumn 2021.

The day before yesterday I arrived here in Skagen after a tiring day travelling through the whole of Germany all day with mask… After a overnight stop the few hours to Skagen that I still had were quite nice and sunny. At the train station, Simon picked me up and bevor taking me to the bird station, we went to the new harbour to look at some gulls because a Iceland Gull (Hvidvinget Måge) had been seen yesterday. Simon was parking near two Snow Buntings (Snespurv) which were nice to see as well. And there it was, the Icelandic Gull (Hvidvinget Måge), sleeping in a flock of other gulls! To walk a little and even seeing a new species, which the Icelandic Gull (Hvidvinget Måge) was for me, was just the thing I needed after sitting in the train for so long. Then we went to the bird station. After Simon had shown me some things, I went on a little walk near the station. When I came back, Simon came back for a moment to tell me that locals found two dead Fulmars for the Fulmar project of Aarhus University, where they want to find out, how much plastic is in the stomachs of the Fulmars. So they both came into the freezer. The next day, it should be my task to go on a Fulmar survey. But it rained a lot and so we cancelled my survey. Instead, I started fixing some nets. With some tee, the “Rocky horrow show” and a podcast about the two young Lammergeier (Lammergrib), released to wild in Nationalpark Berchtesgarden, Germany, I spended some time fixing the nets, thinking that that gigantic bird would kill the net unrepairable.

After some hours, it was really time for a walk no matter that it rained. On the premises of the bird station were already the first birds: Some Yellowhammers (Gulspurv). I went to, I´ll call it “Skagen Bog” as I don’t know how all the places here are called. I`ll add a picture so that the blog readers among you with good knowledge about the area can imagine where I was.

I saw some Fieldfares (Sjagger), Siskins (Grønsisken), Goldcrests (Fuglekonge) and a Crested Tit (Topmejse). I was happy about the latter as I really like these elegant birds since I had one in the hand for the first time. I also found a dead bird on top of a bush and I really wanted to get it, which was a bit stupid because it was in a bad condition. Nevertheless, I was fighting with the bush for some time but I was unsuccessful. After that, the rain got a bit stronger and I returned to the station. Shortly after I arrived, Simon called: A new dead fulmar had been seen on the beach, approximately at the place on Nordstrand where the two the day before. Simon sounded a bit worried that I wouldn´t find the place as I don´t know the area. But I was confident and so I went with the bike. It was already later in the afternoon and Google Maps didn´t mean well with me. As I couldn´t take the very small and wet path with the bike, maps proposed me, I couldn´t lose a fight against a dead bird for a second time today. So I went along the beach. I had mainly to walk, cycling in the sand wasn´t possible most times. I walked for a while, and it was slowly getting darker. When I was imagining to hear my worried and angry mother in my head, telling me to be very stubborn and that the time to go back to the station and try it tomorrow was when I couldn´t find the way when I was next to this field with the small path. But just in that moment, the fulmar was lying in the sand just in front of the bike. There you go!

Now it was really time to go back. Unfortunately, it was dark soon. I was vey thankful for the light of the lighthouse. So I just had to follow the coast and the light. Ironically, while I was walking, my mother sended me a newly blossomed houseplant she was happy about in the full illuminated flat in Germany. I continued walking. As a responsible daughter you have to know what and especially when to tell, if it could maybe worry, that´s important! I came back safe to the cosy bird station, tried not to put so much sand in the freezer, that was bonding on the fulmar. I was planning to write the blog that evening, but in the end, I wasn´t very productive. So I am exceptionally writing in the morning. I won´t write the blog every day in February, but it in March, when I´ll get reinforcement. But every few days, I´ll keep you informed!

See you soon! Take care and do not take walks on the beach in the evening, unless you have a strong torch or a lighthouse at home!

Hanelie

People at the bird station: Simon S. Christiansen, Hanelie Sidhu