Today was a quieter ringing day than yesterday with only 20 new ringed birds but still sunny weather. I was ringing together with Hebe, Marie and Simon and we caught 2 male sparrow hawks which was pretty awesome. I haven’t seen them in hand before. Jørgen and Igor visited us again at the ringing spot. I really like them having around :-) And luckily, Oluf Lou supported us during ringing and sparrow hawk aging.

Daniel, Dante and Joakim were at Grenen observing. It was a very, very good day for Honey Buzzard’s – they saw about 100! They also saw Great Northern Diver, Red Footed Falcon and Parrot Crossbill. Fortunately, we were also able to see many Honey Buzzard’s at the ringing spot (even though not as many as the guys).

About noon Rita came and gave us a new bike for the station – thanks a lot for that Rita! :-)

Later the day Daniel and I enjoyed the sunny weather and ate cake at the Café– they just have the best cake Denmark there!

In the evening Hebe’s mom came for a few-day-visit and joined us for the lovely dinner Hebe cooked.

People: Simon S. Christiansen, Daniel Bloche, Hebe Denny, Becks Denny, Marie Heuberger, Dante Shepherd, Joakim Matthiesen, Jørgen Kabel, Igor, Oluf Lou, Lisa Vergin

Ringing (Sardinkrattet):

Spurvhøg - 2

Solsort - 1

Gærdesanger - 4

Tornsanger - 5

Havesanger - 1

Munk - 1

Gransanger - 1

Løvsanger - 5

Total: 20

Today was a quite good birding day. We went to Grenen early in the morning. The sunrise was stunning. We saw a Caspian Tern (Rovterne), a Little Tern (dværgterne) and a Ortolan Bunting (hortulan). I returned to the observatory around 8 o'clock and then we started ringing and had a guided tour. After the tour Joakim and I continuied with the ringing, but we only catched about 6 birds in total - so not a good day. But while we closed the nets, we heared the first Ictrine Warbler (Gulbug) this year. So another new arrival made it to Skagen! Furthermore, Lisa and Daniel arrived, who were volunters here last year an are visting us for one week.

Ringing (Det Grå Fyr):

Rødhals                                                 1

Rødstjert                                             3

Sangdrossel                                        1

Løvsanger                                           2

Total: 7

Folk: Simon S. Christiansen, Daniel Bloche, Hebe Denny, Marie Heuberger, Dante Shepherd, Joakim Matthiesen, Lisa Vergin

Joakim and I had a nice morning at Grenen with 2 Great Northern Divers being the highlight. Hebe and Marie went to Flagbacken. They didn’t see any raptors but saw some ‘pigeons and tits’. They also sent off the blood samples we have collected from African migrants recently. In the afternoon we cleaned after what was quite a busy (and dirty!) few days before. The weather looks much better for tomorrow, lets see what it brings…

People: Joakim Matthiesen, Dante Shepherd, Hebe Denny and Marie Heuberger

Så kom dagen vi alle frygtede....Festivalens sidste dag. Ej, det er bare for sjov, men faktisk er det lidt trist at den slutter nu. Der har været så mange mennesker, som har lagt vejen forbi og dermed støttet festivalen. Vi har snakket med en masse glade mennesker og ikke mindst fået spredt budskabet om hvor fedt det er, at se på fugle! Det har været nogle rigtigt gode dage i selskab med en masse engagerede og glade erferne som uerfarne fuglekiggere. 

Dagen i dag var også præget af det grå fyrs 2 års fødselsdag. Det betød kaffe og rundstykker til alle, som mødte op på pladsen i løbet af formiddagen. Det var der rigtigt mange som gjorde. Gårdspladsen har været fyldt med liv de sidste dage. Folk har prøvet kikkerter, lavet snobrød, snakket om dagens fugle, fået ny viden i Birders Club, været med på de guidede ringmærknings-rundvisninger mm. Ja i det hele taget har det bare summet af liv ved Det Grå Fyr. Senere oppe af dagen kom Gustav Urth og holdte et rigtigt underholdenene trylle-show med rigtigt mange deltagere. Herefter stod jeg for en kort rundvisningen i laboratoriet, hvor jeg fortalte om hvordan og hvorfor vi ringmærker fugle. Igen i dag var der stor tilslutning til turen.

Det blev ikke til så mange fugle i dag dog, men der kan da fx nævnes en fiskeørn, som lagde vejen forbi lige over fyret under festivalens begivenheder. Deruover blev der set en markpiber og hedehøg på Grenen, samt en mellemkjove fra Nordstrand. 

Festivalen har trods en våd start, igen i år været en stor succes! Vi glæder os allerede til næste år!

Folk: Joakim Matthiesen, Dante Shepherd, Simon S Christiansen, Hebe Denny and Marie Heuberger, samt en MASSE gæster og bekendte af fuglestationen. 

Ringmærkning i Fyrhaven:

Rødstjert - 2

Gærdesanger - 2 

Munk - 1

Total: 5 

Der bliver lavet snobrød på festivalpladsen

Gustav Urth holder trylle-show om natur og fugle

This morning began a little earlier than usual, with Joakim, Marie and I heading out to Jenne Sø to open the nets for CES ringing. We were joined By michael and Simon and though we didnt catch a large number of birds, it was a lovely morning with a beautiful Topmejse in the nets being a highlight for the morning!! We were joined by a ringing tour for some time, who were very happy to watch the process!

Meanwhile, Dante spent the morning at Nordsttrand with many other observers; some of the highlights of his morning being a hevepsevåge, Atlingand and one of the first Gøge!

Back at the observatory, we got ready for an afternoon of bird festivalling. It was a good afternoon, with lots of visiters and two Løvsanger in the garden nets during the ringing tour. In the evening, we set up barbeques outside! We were joined by a good number of others, and also a passing Steppehøg!!!! It was a lovely time outside, with good food and lots of laughs!! 

Another really great day here in Skagen.

Ringing at Jenne Søand Det Gra Fyre:

Tornsanger - 1

Løvsanger - 5

Total 6

People: Joakim, Dante, Hebe, Marie, Simon, Michael Ancher

The day started cloudy and rainy. Dante and I headed to North Strand around 4:30 am and at 7 o’clock the official Morning Observation there started, during the morning around 40 other birders joined us. A quiet walk, guided of a local ornithologist, also started at 7 am. We hoped the rain would stop soon, but it rained cats and dogs all day long. While Dante and I stayed at North Strand and saw soooo many birds, although it was raining, Hebe and Joakim were ringing (in the short time period, when it didn’t rain) and catched a Sparrowhawk! Joakim ringed him. I really hope we will catch another one, I would love to have one in my hands! But meanwhile Dante and I saw Marsh and Hen Harriers (Rørhøg og Blå Kærhøg), a Whinchat (Bynkefugl), a Kittiwake (Ride), an Oriole (Baltimore Trupial), a Kestrel (Tårnfalk), a White-tailed eagle (Havørn) and some more.

But the biggest highlight of the day: WE SAW ORCAS AGAIN!! Rolf saw them first at Grenen and then they headed to North Strand. Hebe, Joakim and Simons Mum hurried to see them, and they did. They even saw the white on their heads! How incredible is this?!

In the afternoon we had another tour about ringing in Skagen as part of the program “Frisk I Naturen”, were Simon explained how and why we ring.

Ringing (Det Grå Fyr):

Løvsanger                                           1

Ringing (Sardinkrattet):

Spurvehøg                                          1

Rødhals                                               2

Sangdrossel                                        1

Gærdesanger                                      1

Gransanger                                         1

Løvsanger                                           4

Total: 11

Folk: Hebe, Joakim, Dante, Simon and his Mum, Marie

The first day of the bird festival and at 10am we all piled into the birders club (due to the adverse weather) for the opening. Lene and Simon both gave talks to a very tightly packed crowd and the festival began. A few of the planned events could not take place due to the weather but still several guided tours headed out and some good birds were seen including a Sortrygget Vipstjert and very large flocks of up to 75 Tinksmed! Late in the afternoon the sun broke through the cloud and the birds arrived. 2 Steppehog, a Hedehog, a Mallemkjove and the first Hvepsevage of the year. In the evening Jørgen Rabøl held a talk about bird migration which was very interesting. Bring on tomorrow! 

Folk på stationen: Jørgen Rabøl, Joakim Matthiesen, Dante Shepherd, Simon S Christiansen, Hebe Denny and Marie Heuberger

I dag startede dagen atter tidligt. Hebe og Dante satte sig ud på Grenen for, at holde øje med trækket. Simon, Marie og jeg åbenede nettene på Grenen kl 05:00. Dagen bød på flere fugle i nettene end vi har haft et stykke tid. Dog blev det kun til 28 fugle denne morgen, men sammelignet med de seneste dage var det rigtigt fint. Det er i sær Afrika-trækkerne, som satte sit præg på denne dag. Især løvsanger og munk dominerede i dag. Deuodover fandt også 2 rødstjert og en skovpiber vej til nettene.

Dette gav god mulighed for, at få taget blodprøver af fuglene. Det gør vi for at teste for vest-nil-virus . En sygdom som fuglene kan få en Afrika og bringe med sig hjem til Danmark. Vi samarbejder med universiteterne, som for tilsendt prøverne og analysere dem.

Derudover var det rengøringsdag, så kosten og støvsugeren blev hevet frem for en stund.

Herudover ankom Jørgen Rabøl, som holder et spændene foredrag i morgen om studier af rovfugle.

OGSÅ starter fuglefestival jo i morgen! Det glæder vi os til, og vi håber at se mange af jer! Det bliver super fedt! Det er bare ud og finde nogle fede fugle!

Folk på stationen: Jørgen Rabøl, Joakim Matthiesen, Dante Shepard, Simon S Christiansen, Hebe Denny and Marie Heuberger

Ringmærkning på Sardinkrattet:

Skovpiber: 1

Bogfinke: 1

Rødstjert: 2

Gærdesmutte: 1

Gærdesanger: 5

Munk: 7

Løvsanger: 10

Rørspurv: 1

Total: 28

Her en munk fra i dag. Dette er en hun-fugl, med brun kalot.

It was a lovely start to the day, sunny and a glowing sunrise as usual. It is still so exciting to wake up and see the sea! 

Joakim, Marie, Dante and I headed out to Grenen for observations, where we joined Rolf and many other bird watchers. It was quite a quiet morning again, but we did see some Storkjove (Great Skua) which was very lovely, theyre so big and beautiful!! And also three Rød Glente, which is always exciting. There was also a Bjerglaerke hanging around at the tip which some people also got to see.

At nine am i headed back to the obs with Marie to show her where the old lihgthouse garden nets are, which we opened in preparation for a ringing tour with Simon. I then headed back to grenen for a little while. 

Back at the Obs, we got on with daily tasks. DOF basen, raptor summaries, blogs etc.. and Simon headed out to the post office to send away the blood samples we had taken from african migrants in the pas few days. These will be used to test for west nile virus in their blood, which is a very interesting project for us! 

In the afternoon, we spoke with Simon about the coming bird festival and prepared a little. Exciting! We look forward to meeting any of you who will be coming along!!! 

In other news.. we had the exciting arrival of an Otter at the Skarv Colony!! It was spotted by Michael Fink. A really lovely find. 

Anyhoo!! Another day of bliss at the Fuglestation. Until next time!! 

 Marie and I observing in the morning!! lovely and sunny, but a wee bit chilly!!

Ringmarkening Det Gra Fyr:

Lovsanger - 1

People: Michael Fink, Joakim, Dante, Marie, Hebe, Simon and Rolf.