There was another beautiful orange sunrise this morning at the start of the bird ringing session and it was the busiest morning of the Autumn so far with 103 birds in total! It was a big morning of Wren (Gærdesmutte) migration with 31 caught in the nets and many more calling from the bushes. Their call is actually one of the loudest for a bird of its size. It can reach 90 decibels which is as loud as lawnmower!

Wren (Gærdesmutte)

It was also super exciting to see two Ring Ouzels (Ringdrossel) which decided to hang out around the bird ringing station for a few hours. We tried to herd them into one of the mist nets but unfortunately they outsmarted us this time and, after snacking on some berries, they eventually headed off. The observers at Worlds End III also spotted a Ring Ouzel so I wonder if it was one of the same individuals we saw. Ring Ouzel are long-distance migrants which breed in northern and upland parts of Europe and then travel all the way to southern Europe and North Africa for the Winter.

Ring Ouzel (Ringdrossel) in a bush. Photo by Gabriel Axelsson

I was also very happy to see my first Redwing (Vindrossel) of the Autumn migrating over us at Kabeltromlen. It won’t be long before they return in their thousands alongside the Fieldfare too! I can’t wait!
The observers (Miles, Florian & Sarah) also spotted lots of Redwings this morning from World End III, but the highlight for them was when the Orca (Spækhugger) made a surprise appearance. Although the Orca were quite far away, it was still incredible to see them surfacing and swimming around for almost an hour!

After our morning of ringing and observations, Sarah, Miles and I enjoyed our daily swim in the sea. The water was so clear and blue today, and we found two Starfish (Søstjerne) which was a nice surprise. Sarah, Gabriel and I stayed at home to catchup on some data entry and work whilst Miles, Florian, Simon and our guest Ole went back out for some birdwatching. They were really pleased to see five extremely beautiful five Black Redstarts in the industrial area.

Setting up the mist nets to catch Storm Petrels (Stormsvaler)

Tonight, we will head out night catching in the hope of maybe finding one the Leach’s Storm Petrels (Stor stormsvale) which we have seen from Worlds End III in the last few days. But first Ole and Birgitte have cooked us a delicious dinner to warm us up and fill us with energy ready for the night ahead!

Ringing (Kabeltromlen):

Bogfinke 5, Gærdesmutte 31, Sortmejse 10, Rødhals 11, Musvit 5, Jernspurv 1, Rødstjert 1, Munk 10, Rørspurv 2, Blåmejse 4, Fuglekonge 16 , Gransanger 6, Træløber 1

Ringing (Jennes Sø)

Gærdesmutte 2, Rødhals 2, Solsort 1, Gransanger 1, Fuglekonge 5, Blåmejse 1, Musvit 2, Bogfinke 1, Gråsisken, Lille (ssp. cabaret) 21

Total new birds: 118

Highlights from Worlds End III:
Ring Ouzel (Ringdrossel) 1
Redwing (Vindrossel) 17
Black Guillemot (Tejst) 1
Orca (Spækhugger) 5+

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

People: Gabriel Axelsson, Florian Hatt, Miles Scheuering, Amira Nuseibeh, Sarah Partridge, Simon Christiansen, Michael Ancher, Ole Kristjansen, Lisa Vergin, Ole and Birgitte Jørgensen.

Today was very cold in the morning and we were all a bit sleepy after the excitement of night catching last night, but Amira and I still woke up excited for ringing to see what we will catch in the nets. It was a busy morning with many birds in each round, and good thing Simon was there to help us pick up the pace with so many birds. We saw all of Skagen’s CUTEST birds in the nets today: Treecreepers (træløber), wrens (gærdesmutter), and goldcrests (fuglekonge). We also had the first Brambling (Kværkerfinke) of the season which Amira was very happy about.

First brambling (Kværkerfinke) of the season

One of the outrageously cute treecreepers (Træløber)

Meanwhile, Florian, Gabriel, and Miles were at World’s End III with Knud for the observation, where they also had a very busy day! We could hear them over the radio calling out birds regularly throughout the morning, and we were also luckily able to see two of their four sooty shearwaters (Sodfarvet Skråpe). They also saw yet another Leech’s storm petrel (Stor stormsvale) but with a better look than yesterday. This one we could not see from Kabletrommeln.

Amira and I got back a bit late from ringing after the busy morning, and then went for a very cold swim. Miles also joined us after his first run of the season. After a pleasant afternoon of napping, birdwatching, and various other bits, we joined together for a tasty mediterranean meal from Florian. We learned some new information about Swiss people; they eat their fondue very frequently and with high stakes—the rules vary, but it's never good if someone drops a piece of bread off the fork.

The Red-throated Loon (Rødstrubet Lom) from yesterday was a very cool catch and only the second one to be ringed here at the observatory. We almost missed it because Simon didn’t want to get his feet wet, but luckily Lisa was there to quickly talk some sense into him. It was an adult bird moulting its flight feathers, meaning it will stay here for a while until it can grow the new feathers and fly away again. Birds with shorter wings compared with body size (such as ducks, divers, and auks) are more likely to have this strategy of moulting flight feathers all at once, because their wings need to carry proportionally more weight, so losing one feather at a time is more costly. Therefore it is better for them to risk being flightless for a short period of time and retain all of the flight feathers and maximum function for the rest of the year. We hope this beauty will have a pleasant stay and a safe onward journey.

Highlights from Grenen:

Sooty shearwater (Sodfarvet Skråpe) 3

Leech’s storm petrel (Stor stormsvale) 1

Great skua (Stor Kjove) 5

Long-tailed skua (Lille kjove) 1

Fulmar (Mallemuk) 126

Ringing (Kabeltromlen):

Musvit 3

Munk 13

Gærdesmutte 20

Rødhals 5

Jernspurv 4

Lille Gråsisken 1

Rødstjert 1

Rørspurv 2

Kvækerfinke 2

Bogfinke 6

Gransanger 5

Trælober 5

Fuglekonge 18

Total new birds: 85

Ringing (Jennes Sø):

Gærdesmutte 4

Rødhals 4

Gransanger 5

Fuglekonge 11

Topmejse 1

Blåmejse 2

Musvit 1

Træløber 1

Lille Gråsisken 27

Rørspurv 1

Today was a cold day. The wind came from the northwest, and it was about 5°C colder than the last days. The wind was too strong for ringing, so Sarah, Amira, Miles, Florian and I biked out to Worlds End III to do some migration count instead. Once there we met up with Knud, as usual. Not long after, Ole (one of this week’s guests) also joined us. One of the highlights of the day was a Leach’s Storm Petrel (Stor Stormsvale), first spotted by birders at Worlds End I, and soon after we saw it too. You could really tell the cold winds were bringing in some new birds for the season. We had the first Snow Bunting (Snespurv) and Horned Lark (Bjerglærke) of the autumn, and about 30 migrating Pink-footed Geese (Kortnæbbet Gæs), which was nice to see. After the count, Florian, Miles and I checked through the Reed Buntings (Rørspurv) resting in the sea buckthorn along the beach. We counted around 150 Reed Buntings (Rørspurv), but not much else. 

In the afternoon some of the team went for a cold swim in the sea, and later we all helped cook dinner, which Sarah had organized. Dinner or “The Feast,” as Sarah called it, was themed around the Jewish New Year, which is today. We enjoyed the meal together with the whole volunteer team, Simon, Lisa, Mette and our guests Ole and Birgitte.

Shana tova

After dinner some of us went out for nightcatching. Simon, Lisa and Florian walked along Grenen’s south beach, while Amira, Miles and I covered the north beach. Unfortunately, my team didn’t catch anything, but luckily the other team caught two Dunlins (Almindelig Ryler) and amazingly, a Red-throated Diver (Rødstrubet Lom)! Everyone was very excited to see the birds up close and especially the diver.

Red-throated Diver (Rødstrubet Lom)

Ringing (Jennes Sø):

Gærdesmutte 1

Rødstjert 1

Munk 1

Gransanger 4

Fuglekonge 3

Blåmejse 2

Musvit 3

Lille Gråsisken 8

Highlights from Worlds End III:

Stor Stormsvale 1

Snespurv 1

Bjerglærke 1

Kortnæbbet Gås 36

Links to todays observations in Dofbasen from the Skagen area

People: Gabriel Axelsson, Florian Hatt, Miles Scheuering, Amira Nuseibeh, Sarah Partridge, Simon Christiansen, Lisa Vergin, Knud Pedersen, Michael Ancher, Ole and Birgitte Jørgensen.

Shortly after the rain stopped in the morning, Miles and I headed to Worlds End III just in time for sunrise. The wind blew strongly from the southwest, but that didn't stop us from counting everything and being motivated to search for rarities. Knud supported us again this morning. We were actually rewarded with a good number of skuas. It was really nice to see again a Great Skua (Storkjove), a juvenile Long-tailed Skua (Lille Kjove) and once, three Arctic Skuas (Almindelig Kjove) flying together. Once again, good numbers of Kittiwakes (Ride) made today's migration count exciting. Our hearts sometimes skipped a beat when juvenile individuals in the distance strongly resembled Sabine's gulls (Sabinemåge). However, we didn't see any of those today. A young Mediterranean Gull (Sorthovedet Måge) roosted on the beach though.

1 cy. Mediterranean Gull (Sorthovedet Måge) together with Kittiwakes (Rider). Photo: Knud Pedersen

The passerine migration is gradually increasing the last days. The many resting and attempting to migrate reed buntings were difficult to count, but also nice to watch. Another nice passerine was the well-known Citrine Wagtail (Citronvipstjert), which Simon was able to observe briefly today at the parking lot before he went to do the ringing. Due to the wind, they started ringing a little later and did not open all the nets today. That's why there were very few birds in the net today.
After the migration count, Miles and I searched again for the Citrine Wagtail (Citronvipstjert) and checked Ellekrattet for some passerines but both not really successful.


Florian searching some shelter from a rain shower while searching for the Citrine Wagtail

In the afternoon, Simon took us by car to see some good birding spots around Skagen.


Birding in the industrial area

A very unexpected sighting was a Kingfisher (Isfugl) flying over the heath east of Højen Fyr! It’s only the 44th record in Skagen. We also checked some bushes, which resulted in a few lifers for Amira and Miles! Very successful, I would say!


Simon greeting some norwegians on a boat at the harbour

Back at the house, we welcomed our new guests Ole and Birgitte, who joined the evening meeting. Afterwards, Miles cooked a delicious dinner for us.

Ringing (Kabeltromlen)

Rødhals 2
Munk 7
Gransanger 2

Total 11

Ringing (Jennes Sø)

Blåmejse 2
Gransanger 3
Munk 2
Gærdesanger 1
Rødhals 1
Jernspurv 2
Grønsisken 2
Gråsisken, Lille (ssp. cabaret) 7 

Total 20

Links to todays observations in Dofbasen from the Skagen area

People: Gabriel Axelsson, Florian Hatt, Miles Scheuering, Amira Nuseibeh, Simon Christiansen, Knud Pedersen, Michael Ancher

The title is a little misleading as we did not see multiple Sabine’s Gulls (Sabinemåge) but we did get nice looks at one that was seen well by all. Florian, and I (Miles) went to do the migration count at Worlds End III. As Simon had predicted, there was a lot of passerine movement, with many migrating or attempting to migrate. There was not as much waterbird movement but just as we started the second hour, Knud called out “Sabine’s Gull!” It was a first-year bird, flying northwest, quite close to the shore. Florian immediately called it out on Zello, so that the others at the ringing could see it. They all got looks and it was a lifer for Gabriel! Simon was quite pleased and will not be quite so disappointed to miss the migration count for the next few days. We did not see anything else as exciting, but did see some Common Shelducks (Gravand), Little Gulls (Dværgmåge), which are cool for me and had a second Little Stint (Dværgryle) join the other on the pond.

Documentation shots of today's first-year Sabine's Gull. Photos by Florian.

Gabriel and Amira opened the nets at Kabeltromlen this morning and were later joined by Simon. There were not as many birds as the last two days, but plenty of individuals and species, including 20 Eurasian Blackcaps (Munk) and 13 Common Chiffchaffs (Gransanger). In total they had 68 individuals across 10 species.

At Jennes Sø Michael also had a good morning with a high variation of species. Among those a Crested Tit (Topmejse) and a Pied Flycatcher (Broget Fluesnapper). 

Our guests Søren and Karen Marie left this morning. The house is quite quiet as Janna is gone, and Sarah is away for the weekend, but new guests arrive tomorrow.

I have been out swimming everyday that I have been here and it’s quite refreshing. I may try to go everyday but we will see how my resolve holds up in the later months. I got some running shoes in town yesterday and I think Sarah, Amira and I are going to make a running “club.”

The beautiful sunrise this morning at Worlds End III. Photo by Miles.

The forecast for tomorrow is uncertain, we may get some rain, which would make us delay the count and ringing. We have been discussing night catching for waders and Simon thinks tomorrow night could be good. There has been good diversity of resting waders at the migration count, so hopefully they stick around.

Ringing (Kabeltromlen):

Blåmejse 3

Dompap, Lille (ssp. europaea) 1                                                   

Gransanger 13            

Gærdesmutte 8                                        

Jernspurv 2                    

Munk 20                                                                                                                                                                               

Rødhals 18                    

Rødstjert 1                                                                                               

Rørspurv 1

Sortmejse 1

Total 68

Ringing (Jennes Sø):

Gærdesmutte 3

Jernspurv 1

Rødhals 7

Rørsanger 1

Munk 1

Gransanger 3

Løvsanger 3

Fuglekonge 2

Broget Fluesnapper 1

Topmejse 1

Sortmejse 2

Blåmejse 9

Grønsisken 5

Stor Gråsisken 1

Lille Gråsisken 4

Lille Dompap 2

Total: 46

Highlights from Worlds End III:

Sabine's Gull (Sabinemåge)

Links to todays observations in Dofbasen from the Skagen area

People: Gabriel Axelsson, Florian Hatt, Miles Scheuering, Amira Nuseibeh, Simon Christiansen, Knud Pedersen, Michael Ancher.

Today was only my fourth day at the station but it’s been brilliant so far and I can’t wait to spend the next two and a half months here! Janna and I (Amira) went to open up the nets at Kabeltromlen this morning and were soon joined by Sarah and her friend David for a great morning of ringing. Although there were fewer birds in the nets than the last couple of days, we still managed to catch 15 different species and over 60 birds in total, including a Great Spotted Woodpecker (Stor Flagspætte) just as we were about to pack up. It was also nice for Sarah’s friend, David, to learn about our bird ringing work and have the opportunity to release some of the birds we had ringed.

My favourite bird species today was the Lesser Redpoll (Lille Gråsisken), a tiny but beautiful finch which loves to hang upside down to feed on the seeds of trees, especially Birch and Alder. They can even eat up to 42% of their body weight in seeds in one day! Both male and female Redpolls have a small red patch on their forehead, but earlier on in Spring, in the breeding season, males also have a pink coloured chest. They are also very sociable birds and often travel in large and noisy flocks which we have seen flying over every day recently. So listen out for their chattering calls this time of year and in the Winter too!

The "last" Swift (Mursejler) of the year

The observers also had a fantastic morning carrying out their migration count at World’s End 3. Their highlights were a Black Tern (Sortterne), Long-tailed Skua (Lille Kjove), Great Skua (Storkjove), Shag (Topskarv) and maybe even the last Swift (Mursejler) of the year, although we have been saying that every day for the last two weeks. Simon guesses the last swift will pass here in November so we will see if he is right!

One Black Tern (Sortterne) and two Common Terns (Fjordterne)

We all arrived back from ringing and observing for lunchtime and then had a relaxing afternoon doing some data entry, birdwatching, and most importantly having a nap. I went for a walk to my new favourite birdwatching spot at Ellekrattet woods and found a big mixed flock of small passerines including at least 10 Goldcrest (Fuglekonge), and also a Sparrowhawk flashed by. I particularly love this woodland because of all the other non-bird species you can find here. Everywhere you look there are fungi (svamp.), of all different shapes, sizes and colours. Although Fly Agarics (Fluesvamp/Amanita muscaria) (photo below) are poisonous mushrooms, they are often seen as symbols of good luck, so I’m excited to see if this means we will have some especially good birds tomorrow for our ringing and migration counts!

Fly Agaric mushroom (Fluesvamp)

Ringing (Kabeltromlen):
Stor Flagspætte 1
Lille Gråsisken 4
Lille Dompap 1
Rødstjert 2
Musvit 1
Fuglekonge 4
Vogfinke 5
Rørspurv 2
Gransanger 10
Jernspruv 11
Rødhals 9
Sortmejse 1
Gæardesmutte 2
Blåmejse 1
Munk 7

Ringing (Jennes Sø)
Gæardesmutte 1
Rødhals 6
Munk 1
Gransanger 11
Løvsanger 1
Fuglekonge 4
Topmejse 2
Sortmejse 1
Blåmejse 14
Musvit 4
Bogfinke 2
Lille Gråsisken 9
Lille Dompap 1

Total new birds: 118

Highlights from World’s End 3:
Black Tern (Sortterne)
Long-tailed Skua (Lille Kjove)
Great Skua (Storkjove)
European Shag (Topskarv)

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

People: Janna Ouedraogo, Sarah Partridge, Gabriel Axelsson, Florian Hatt, Miles Scheuering, Amira Nuseibeh, Simon Christiansen, Knud Pedersen and our guests David, and Søren and Karen Marie Leth-Nissen.

This night it was raining. When the rain stopped, the ringing crew- Sarah, Gabriel and Amira- headed out to open the nets. After the rain, many birds were active and the ringers had a busy day. Especially in the first round the nets were crowded. Sarah was very happy about the many Robins (Rødhals). 26 of them were caught today so that was the top species during ringing. In total 95 birds were ringed today- a record for at least the last weeks. Also, the variety of birds in the nets was remarkable. Goldcrests (Fuglekonge), Wrens (Gæardesmutte), Pied Flycatchers (Broget Fluesnapper)… Amira came back very happy and told us about the first Redpoll (Lille Gråsisken) she had seen in the hand.

Nevertheless, I was very happy to be at the observation today. We had a great migration day! When we headed out this morning, we were motivated to see some cool birds, but we did not know what a day would follow. The count started with many Kittiwakes (Ride) that came in from Kattegat. We used the first minutes to watch the many Waders that were hanging out in a puddle at the beach. After an hour, Miles spotted a strange looking gull. A Sabines Gull (Sabinemåge)!! Under good light conditions we were able to follow this beautiful bird for a longer time. It sat down on the water and then moved on to Northwest. Later in the day, we heard on Zello that it was seen again not far from here.

The very concentrated, very happy counting team

We just recovered from the great Sabines Gull sighting, when Knud called out a Sooty Shearwater (Sodfarvet Skråpe) that flew by relatively close. Flo and I had just seen our first one some days earlier- very far out. Therefore, it was very nice to see one close enough to see the lighter underwings and some other details. We could follow the bird for a longer time- going up and down, surfing in the waves and showing its flying abilities. And this one should not stay the only Shearwater for the day. In total we saw four of these beautiful birds. Probably tomorrow the Great Shearwater (Storskråpe) that is at the Moment resting at the Swedish side of Kattegat will follow. At the ringing, the others were able to see two of the four Shearwaters.

Record shot of the Sooty

In general, there was not much time between the sightings of some special birds. When no Sabine Gulls (Sabinemåge) or Sooty Shearwaters (Sodfarvet Skråpe) flew by, a Skua (Kjove) did. We assume that we saw the same individuals several times. However, at least four different individuals were in the area and we could see them quite often. Besides the Arctic Skua (Almindelig Kjove) a Great Skua (Storkjove) moved with heavy wingbeats through our field of view. In the end of the count, a Merlin (Dværgfalk) flew over- always a nice bird. In the last hour, we heard a Red-Throated-Pipit (Rødstrubet Piber) flying over. We had talked about this bird the past days and it was a highlight to hear one in the field. After the end of the count, we stayed a bit to use the good conditions. Later on, I wanted to leave to check some trees in the inland for passerines. Every time when I started to pack up my scope, another nice bird flew by and I had to stay. Shortly after I left, the others saw a nice but very far out Long-Tailed-Skua (Lille Kjove).

What a Day! In the inland, I made a slight detour to Skarvsøen- always a good place. There I heard a Rock Pipit (Skærpiber) flying over and some Finches. A small checkup of Ellekrattet revealed no birds, so I went home.

In the afternoon we went for a swim and after that, it was time for Sarah to pick up her friend David in Skagen. Meanwhile, the others of us ate some Apple Crumble and prepared for the rest of the day. Shortly after that, Amira went on a walk through the heath to Batteriskoven. Flo, Miles and I started our way to Skagen to meet Sarah and David. On our way we saw Simon and Gabriel, giving a Tour to some volunteers from Thy. We went by and stopped for a longer time at Batteriskoven. There we could see some groups of passerines, hiding from the wind. We continued our way and met up with Sarah and David at a pub in Skagen. It was very funny over there and also interesting to talk a bit less about birds and a bit more about politics and other non-birding topics. On our way back, we almost flew with strong tailwind and Flo, Miles and I checked Batteriskoven again. When we came back to the station, the guests Karen Marie and Søren had cooked some nice dinner and we had a fun and vivid dining with ten people around the table.

Landscape around Batteriskoven

My last day here passed so quickly. It was certainly one of the best migration days and I really enjoyed it. I can´t believe that I am leaving tomorrow. The time up here is moving in a strange way. The days are so entertaining and fly by. At the same time, looking back, so much has happened. We saw many cool birds, talked about interesting topics, played games, went on a swim and had a good time. It was interesting to see the station in autumn and meet so many cool people here. I learned a lot and will really miss it. So I have to come back soon :).

Vi ses

Ringing (Kabeltromlen):

Rødhals 26

Lille Gråsisken 2

Gæardesmutte 3

Gærdesanger 1

Rødstjert 4

Jernspurv 11

Sortmejse 8

Broget Fluesnapper 1

Munk 20

Røspurv 1

Havesanger 1

Lille Dompap 3

Bogfinke 1

Blåmejse 1

Fuglekonge 2

Gransanger 10

Total new birds: 95

Highlights from World’s End 3:

Sabine Gull (Sabinemåge)

Sooty Shearwater (Sodfarvet Skråpe) 4

Red-Throated-Pipit (Rødstrubet Piber)

Long-Tailed-Skua (Lille Kjove)

Great Skua (Storkjove)

Link to todays observations in Dofbasen from the Skagen area

People: Gabriel Axelsson, Florian Hatt, Janna Ouedraogo, Sarah Partridge, Amira Nuseibeh, Miles Scheuering, Simon Christiansen, Knud Pedersen and our guests Søren and Karen Marie Leth-Nissen, David

Today was windy so the whole group got to go observing at World’s End III. We made sure everyone was fitted with bikes and scopes and everything we need, and after a nice breakfast together we all headed over where we met Knud. Karen Marie and Søren also joined us a little later. It was loud in the wind and it was very cute with everyone shouting birds at each other over the wind. It was a pretty busy day for migration, with many Lomvie (Guillemots) and Alk (Razorbills), Ride (Kittiwakes), Sandløber, and some Mallemuk (Fulmars) who I have not seen for a few days now. A bit of interest about Fulmars—where does this word come from? They shear water too, but have a different name. It comes from old Norse ‘Full’ (stinking, foul) + ‘mar’ (gull), named for the extremely smelly oil they project when threatened. This oil can be highly toxic to predators because it removes the waterproofing from an attacker’s feathers, causing them to eventually die. The Danish "mallemuk" I am not sure about; Simon said a Malle is 'kind of a fish' but I think there is more to the story. Does anyone know? Please tell us! 

It was also nice to see an Arctic skua (Almindelig Kjove) very close to us flying in from Kattegat, and then shortly after a Long-tailed skua (Lille kjove). I was excited to see two Bar-tailed godwits (Lille Kobbersneppe) relaxing on the beach with some gulls. We also saw a sooty shearwater (Sodfarvet skråpe) although it was quite far out. “SOOTY SHEARWATER” was shouted down the row of observers several times to make sure no one would miss it!

After the count, I went to read some gull rings before the flock got flushed, and Janna and Amira went to admire the large quantity of Ederfugl resting in Kattegat. Some of us then went for a very cold swim before lunch, and we were surprised with a delicious cake waiting for us in the apartment. When we found out it was Simon who magnanimously brought the cake we all thanked him profusely and he said without looking up “now you can remove ‘eat cake’ from the To-do list.” But you can never eat enough cake.

After lunch Karen Marie kindly brought us to Skarvsøen to finally collect the poor neglected CES table, which has certainly seen better days, but happily many spiders have found a home to build their nests so the table is not being wasted. There we did a bit of birdwatching, and although we did not see the Citrine Wagtail (citronvipstjert) again (because we forgot to bring Florian the Citrine magnet), we did see a spoonbill (Skestork) flying overhead and a juvenile water rail (Vandrikse) which I always love, and Florian saw a Cuckoo (Gøg) without us. Now we do some office tasks while Florian cooks us a nice-smelling ratatouille. But no dessert because we are already out of cake!

Highlights from World's End III

Sodfarvet skråpe

Lille kjove

Mallemuk

Lille Kobbersneppe

Toppet Skallesluger

Ride

Link to today's observations in DOFbasen.

People: Gabriel Axelsson, Florian Hatt, Janna Ouedraogo, Sarah Partridge, Amira Nuseibeh, Miles Scheuering, Simon Christiansen, Knud Pedersen and our guests Søren and Karen Marie Leth-Nissen

Gabriel and Sarah did another night shift to keep an eye on the storm petrel and nightjar nets for us. The nets had to be checked again for a last round late in the night. They moved along the beach, focused on the nets, trying to detect every movement in there. Did you see that? There's a bird in the net! We got a Storm petrel (stormsvale)! Gabriel and Sarah sped up, getting closer to the net. Wow, there it is! But wait, it looks a bit different. No, this isn't a Storm petrel. It's a cute little Robin (Rødhals). Between the joy of finding a bird and the disappointment that it wasn't a Storm petrel, the Robin was of course measured, ringed and released again. Have a good time, little friend!

I heard this story in the morning after I woke up tired and the others had just returned from their last round of net checking. They went to bed, while Janna, Oscar and I went to Worlds End III. There was no ringing today at Kabeltromlen due to the strong wind. Michael Ancher had slightly better wind shelter in Jennes Sø, where he saw a nightjar (Natravn) in the net in the morning! Unfortunately, the bird flew out again when he tried to approach it.

During the migration count, we had a very quiet morning with little bird activity. However, this gave us more time to observe and study the birds that were here. For example the Kittiwakes (Ride) are always nice to seee. Twice, an unidentified skua (Kjove sp.) briefly appeared in the distance before immediately disappearing again among the waves. The same thing happened with a possible Fulmar (Mallemuk), also extremely far away.


Beautiful sunrise at Verdens Ende III

Later, our guests Karen Marie and Søren joined us for the migration count. Suddenly, a Goldeneye (Hvinand) flew in. We haven’t seen any of them the last two weeks. Even though it was difficult to see it among the Common Scoters (Sortand) and kept flying around, we had enough time to show it to our guests. Unfortunately, a heavy rain shower was approaching, so we couldn't count the last 1.5 hours and headed home before the rain started. Noon passed, some took a nap and others did some relaxed work. Sarah, Janna and I went for a quick swim despite the strong waves and wind.

We had to say goodbye to Oscar, who is already leaving after just one week. Even though it was only a short stay, it was such a nice time! He now has to focus on his master's thesis, in which he will work on the colours of bee-eaters, among other things.

Afterwards, Janna, Gabriel and I walked from the Sandormen Track to Skarvsøen. There were several passerines active in the bushes, which is always exciting to watch. At the small lake, we spotted three Spotted redshanks (Sortklire) flying around and calling. Suddenly, we heard a sharp call of a flying wagtail. As I had studied the calls in detail just a few days ago, I immediately noticed that these calls sound very much like a Citrine wagtail (Citronvipstjert)! Janna managed to see the bird landing, so we got some nice views of it sitting in the vegetation. That definitely deserved a high five between all of us! It was again a 1K bird so maybe the same as some days ago at Grenen.


Juvenile Citrine Wagtail (Citronvipstjert) at Skarvsøen, what a nice surprise!

We came a bit late to our evening meeting and then had a delicious dinner together with our guests and the new volunteer Amira, who we had welcomed just before.

No ringing today at Kabeltromlen

Ringing (Jennes Sø)

Gransanger 1
Løvsanger 1
Blåmejse 7
Musvit 3
Gråsisken, Lille (ssp. cabaret) 6

Total 18

Highlights from todays observations

Citronvipstjert (at Skarvsøen)
Skægmejse (at Skarvsøen)

Today’s observations in Dofbasen from observers in the area

People: Gabriel Axelsson, Florian Hatt, Janna Ouedraogo, Sarah Partridge, Óscar Pachá Guerras, Amira Nuseibeh, Simon Christiansen, Michael Ancher and our guests Søren and Karen Marie