Ringed plover chicks

Tiny plover chicks!

Hanelie and I opened the nets at Kabeltromlen for our first round starting at 4:45 this morning. It was a steady flow today, and we came back from each round with some new birds to ring! Plenty of our regular species were present, including common Whitethroats (Tornsanger), Chiffchaffs (Gransanger) and a few 1k Marsh warblers (Kærsanger). Simon came by a few times to check-in, as did Jørgen, our guests Jesper and Mette. We had several crossbills flying over during the session as well.

A pretty 1K Icterine Warbler (Gulbug) at Kabeltromlen.

The morning for Markus and Emma started with migration counting at lands’ end III, joined by Knud and Ole, seeing an adult dark morph Arctic Skua (Almindelig Kjove) resting, chasing some common terns. Knud also found a 1^st calendar year Caspian Gull (Kaspisk Måge).

Emma joined in with ringing, leaving Markus to finish the migration count, so she could ring a final few birds before leaving the station for Bordeaux this afternoon, we will miss her! Simon had discovered a new clutch of Common Ringed Plover (Stor Præstekrave) chicks at Grenen beach, so after our ringing session Hanlie, Emma and I went searching for them. Hanelie caught two of the young chicks singlehandedly (well done!), we might go for another visit in the coming days to see if there are any more chicks cropping up.

A freshly ringed Ringed Plover (Stor Præstekrave) chick.

Meanwhile, Simon and Markus headed from Kabeltromlen at the end of the ringing session around the Skagen area, in search of some rare shrikes. No rarities but they found 12 Red-backed Shrikes (Rødrygget Tornskade), as well as 4 Red Kites (Rød Glente), 7 Common Buzzards (Musvåge) migrating.

Hanelie has been running some moth traps around the obs, which had a Poppelsværmer in it today.

Poppelsværmer moth.

This afternoon we welcomed our new volunteer at the station, Sarah Partridge, who will be here for most of the autumn season. So together we fixed one of the nets, and set up the beach nets with Alfred for the night netting for storm petrels (Stormsvale) and nightjars (Natraven). Wish us luck!

Setting up the nets on the beach for storm petrels (Stormsvale)

Ringing totals Kabeltromlen
Gransanger 8
Kærsanger 3
Gulbug 1
Gærdesanger 1
Løvsanger 1
Rørsanger 1
Munk 5
Tornsanger 9
Rørspurv 2

Ringing totals Grenen beach:
Common Ringed Plover (Stor Præstekrave) 2

Total:33

Highlights in the field:
Caspian Gull (Kaspisk Måge)
Arctic Skua (Almindelig Kjove)
Red-backed Shrike (Rødrygget Tornskade)

Highlights ringing:
Icterine Warbler (Gulbug) 1K

At the station: Emma Fabré, Markus Kemp Clément, Rosemary Fricke, Hanelie Sidhu, Sarah Partridge, Simon S. Christiansen, Alfred Godsk Geckler, Knud Pedersen, Jørgen Kabel, Ole Christiansen, and our guests Jesper and Mette.