Vulture for the summer team!

After staying up late the night before, we didn’t go out early today but spent a relaxed morning at the station. There were plenty of tasks to be done and since the wind hasn’t quieted down, it was the perfect day for catching up with them. Julian started to do some computer work, while Brian and I took out some equipment to clean it. All the pliers and tripods got cleaned from rust and sand. They also got an oiling treatment so they now work nice and smooth again. Little did we know, that Julian was just getting a Zello call from Erik Christophersen, that made him interrupt his working session immediately, grab his binoculars and sprint downstairs. When we started to fix the last tripod, Julian came running at us with excitement all over his face. The Cinereous Vulture had just been seen again! Thanks to a call with Simon, Julian knew it must be close to us, so we ran to a spot next to the Lighthouse and scanned the sky over the inland. And just a few moments later, there it was - majestically sailing the warm winds under the midday sun over Grenen. How incredibly lucky we were!

Cinereous Vulture (Munkegrib) next to Common Buzzards (Musvåge)

After it had been seen a few days ago shortly before Brian and I arrived at the station, we haven’t been confident it would come back. But it did return, and what an observation it was! Very close to us, it was circling just above the Grey lighthouse (Det Grå Fyr). We were all bursting with excitement! Trying not to run over each other, we hasted for a scope and a camera and ran up the Lighthouse to get an even closer look at it. Of course we also informed Mette about the Vulture, so she joined us up there. Withstanding the strong wind and surrounded by curious visitors, Brian took some amazing pictures of the vulture while Julian set up the scope. I was standing there, just taking in the fact that beside all the amazing new birds I already get to know here, I was lucky enough to have a Cinereous Vulture from Spain visiting us. Sometimes it was so close, we could even see it’s face, it’s moulting feathers and the ring on it’s leg. Looking through the scope, it was almost too big to get a whole picture of it. For some time it was surrounded by Common Buzzards, which emphasized it’s incredible size even more. The Vulture stayed around for a long time, soaring over Grenen and even the open sea sometimes. We could observe it for more than an hour, before it turned south and vanished from our sight somewhere over the inland.

Julian and Brian observing the Munkegrib on top of the Grey Lighthouse (Det Grå Fyr)

Chilled by the wind but extremely happy, we got down from the lighthouse and returned to our tasks. Mette treated us with a delicious danish pastry and fueled up by that, Brian and I cleaned binoculars and scopes while Julian continued his computer work. In the evening Brian took some rest and prepared dinner for us, while Julian and I headed out again for some birdwatching in the area around Storsig. There wasn’t much special to see, but a Roe deer (Rådyr) with a young one and a hunting Common Kestrel (Tårnfalk) which is always cool to watch, especially in the warm evening light. After a tasty dinner and a short evening meeting, we went to bed, curious if the next day might offer even more surprises.

Roe deer (Rådyr) Doe and Fawn at Storsig

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

People: Juliane Rößler, Brian Browne, Julian Helbig, Simon S. Christiansen, Mette Breede, Lisa Vergin