A New Bird in Ringing for SKAF

Another day, another early wake up at Skagen Fuglestation. With the solstice rapidly approaching and the spring standard ringing season starting to come to a close, we are now well within our earliest wakeup schedule (02:45)! Tue and I headed out the door at 3:15 AM to get to Kabeltromelen to open the nets for the morning. 

While we knew there would be raining coming in the morning, we knew we had a few hours to have the nets open and try to catch any late season migrants pushing through the area. It was quite cold this morning, with all the humidity in the air, but we still managed to have a fairly productive day! Several new Marsh Warblers (Kærsanger) and a few Gransanger (Chiffchaff) amongst the birds caught. 

On the last round before we needed to close for the rain, at 06:45 AM, we were about to close the same net that the Cettisanger was in, when I noticed a larger, brown-red colored bird hanging in the net with two other birds. I immediately recognized it as a Common Nightingale (Sydlig Nattergal)! This represents the third individual rung in Skagen and the very first for Sakgen Fuglestation (2 rung birds in the 2000s). This also represents the 16th record foe Skagen! A surprisingly rare bird despite its namesake! We aged the bird as an adult (3k+) which was also fairly surprising, given most of the rarities caught in Skagen are typically immature birds.

Sydlig Nattergal 

The observers also came over to see the Nightingale, after having a nice morning themselves, with a nice dark morph Pomarine Skua (Mellemkjove)! They also had far fewer Fulmars (Mallemukker) than in recent days with only 20 being seen! They were also some of the only observers present today at Verdens Ende, with only one other birder present! Very similar to what we had in March! A far cry from just 3 days ago when 30+ birders were present!

The remainder of the day was fairly slow with the most notable thing to happen being the arrival of former volunteer Haniele Sidhu! She will be here through the remainder of the spring season and into summer!

And so, another day passes at Skagen Fuglestation. What will tomorrow bring? We will have to see!

Highlights: 

Mellemkjove 1

Sydlig Nattergal 1

Hanelie Arrival!

Ringing:

Kærsanger 4

Rørsanger 1

Gransanger 3

Grønsiskin 1

Gulbug 1

Rørspurv 1

Sydlig Nattergal 1

Tornsanger 1

Total: 13

People: Lucas Corneliussen, Cora Köberle, Tue Baaner, Andrew Jacobs, Simon S. Christiansen, Hanelie Sidhu