Arrived Just in Time for Nightjars

Yesterday was my first day at the observatory here in Skagen, and it was a great start! I arrived around midday, and Simon was kind enough to pick me up and gave me a small introduction to the station and the surroundings.

Soon after I met the other volunteers Hanelie, Andrew and Cora, who all welcomed me. It didn’t take long before we were eating together and preparing for the evening’s big adventure: nightjar catching.

We headed out into the field around 9pm, equipped with nets, headlamps and plenty of excitement. Even though the mosquitoes almost got the best of us, the night didn’t disappoint - we caught 7 European Nightjars (Natravn), which is a new record we're really proud of! Finding out that one of them was a recapture and had already been caught in 2023 was really exciting for all of us.

On our way back, the surprises didn’t end. We came across a Natterjack Toad (Strandtudse) and even found a Moor Frog (Spidssnudet Frø) along the path. To top off the night, we heard the call of a Common Quail (Vagtel) from the field right next to and we were able to identify it just by the sound. 

Moor frog (Spidssnudet Frø)

After a well-deserved sleep-in this morning, we had a very productive day at the station. The team worked together on data entry, making sure everything was correctly documented, and we even managed to fit in a short birdwatching session in the evening. Our highlight of this trip was spotting some Northern Shovelers (Skeandænder). 

It’s already clear to me that Skagen is full of surprises—both during the day and at night. I’m really looking forward to what the rest of my stay will bring! 

Special ringing activity:

Nightjar catching

Natravn (European Nightjar) – 7 individuals (including one recapture, not included in ringing numbers)

Highlight of the observations:

Northern Shovelers (Skeandænder)

Common Quail (Vagtel)

Today’s observations in Dofbasen from observers in the area

People: Pauline Nähring, Simon Sigaard Christiansen, Hanelie Sidhu, Tue Baaner, Andrew Jacobs, Cora Köberle and our guests Jeppe and Linda