Summer Wanderings

My big plans last night to do a whole night of owling did not come to fruition as I slept through all my alarms, as did Juliane. That meant that instead we slept to a luxurious 7:30 and woke up well rested. Rasmus and Magnus awoke early to seawatch from World’s End 3, but the ocean was slow and the only highlight was good numbers (200+) of swifts (Mursejler) overhead. They returned to the lighthouse just as I was about to leave.

With a late start and reports of a slow ocean, I decided to head in a big loop, doing some passerine birding at Batteriskoven and along the edge of town before making my way up to “The Pencil”. Then I would walk the beach back from Nordstrand all the way around Grenen to the lighthouse as it got hotter, checking for shorebirds and pipits and looking for plover nests. Birds were not particularly active, but in the pine stands at Batteriskoven I found my first European Robin (Rødhals) since arriving and near the nature center I saw my first Long-tailed Tits (Halemesje). 

An adorable Long-tailed Tit (Halemesje)

Along the path that cuts through the marsh west of Batterivej, there were a pair of Common Cranes (Trane), probably one of only four breeding pairs in the area, and five Red-backed Shrikes, two of which seemed to have a nest. Once I reached the beach I kept my head down, stepping gingerly as I assessed each patch of pebbles underneath me in fear of crushing a clutch of plovers as I walked through the dunes. Although I saw at least 15 Common Ringed Plovers (Stor Præstekrave), I was unable to find any nests. However, I did see my first Sanderlings (Sandløber) of the season, resting and avoiding the tourists on a small sandbar off the beach. Finally I reached the tip at Grenen to find hundreds and hundreds of people enjoying the warm weather. However, the gull flock had moved to the water and I was able to pick out a decently close second-year Mediterranean Gull (Sorthovedet Måge).

Mediterranean Gull (Sorthovedet Måge)

Meanwhile, Rasmus and Magnus had ventured out to the trails behind the nature center after I passed by and went on a walk, highlighted by an Osprey (Fiskeørn) and a singing Common Rosefinch (Karmindompap). After returning they went on a nicke walk along the beach. In the afternoon Juliane struck out for Skarvsøen, where she was excited about some nice looks at a Redpoll (Gråsisken) and saw a Black Kite (Sort Glente). Julian has been hard at work all day finishing up computer work before he leaves on Wednesday.

Sunset over the heath

Finally, we all went out in the evening to our nightjar nets in Storsig to tear them down and relocate them to another location closer to the lighthouse. The mosquitoes were abundant and vicious as the sun set and my foolishly bare legs, arms and feet got massacred. But before too long we had packed it up and walked over to the old lighthouse garden where we will set up the nets and try for nightjars (Natravn) tonight. However, when we took it back out, the carefully packed net was hopelessly tangled and looped. We were at a loss as to how it happened, and spent an hour in the dark deknotting and looping while the mosquitoes feasted. Eventually we had to give up and bring out another net. Hopefully we catch some nightjars!

Julian and Magnus work to take down the net

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

People: Brian Browne, Julian Helbig, Juliane Rößler, Páll Kærbo, Magnus Lund Christensen, Rasmus Matthiesen-Juhl