“Full, bright, exciting”

Our efforts today started before midnight, as we set up nets to catch storm petrels (Lille Stormsvale) and nightjars (Natravn). Jule was on the night shift, and she stayed up all night doing the net checks. We all hoped to be awoken in the night with news of a bird in the nets, but unfortunately we didn’t catch anything. The morning teams said goodnight to Jule as we headed to the field and she headed to bed for some much-needed rest. 

I took the morning count from World’s End 3 while Julian, Simon and Páll ringed at Kabeltromlen. There weren’t crazy numbers of birds on the ocean but it was interesting overall with a few Mediterranean Gulls (Sorthovedet Måge) and a Little Tern (Dværgterne) on the beach. A Eurasian Hobby (Lærkefalk) streaked in and made a low pass over the beach, sending the gulls and terns out to sea in a frenzy, and an Arctic Loon (Sortstrubet Lom) cut across the tip high up. The main highlight came along with a slight bit of frustration: in the last hour I picked up on a large shearwater (skråpe) flying northwest close to the horizon. Watching it at a distance through the heat haze, it was difficult to be fully certain of an identification, so I left it as a Great/Cory’s/Scopoli’s Shearwater (Sort/Atlantisk/Scopolis Skråpe). Exciting, but a bit disappointing.

The ringing team caught four Icterine Warblers (Gulbug), a Marsh Warbler (Kærsanger), a Yellowhammer (Gulspurv), and a young Black Redstart (Husrødstjert). They also had a flyover Eurasian Green Woodpecker (Grønspætte), rare out this far on the peninsula, and the Cinereous Vulture (Munkegrib) passed by overhead on its daily foray out to Grenen. 

Juvenile Black Redstart (Husrødstjert) in the hand

After we all returned, we had a new arrival: Sofie, who will be staying and volunteering for a few days at the station! Welcome! We all took naps and then we got ready to go on an exciting venture: the wildlife rehab center had received a Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Stor Hornugle), and we would be ringing it! But before then Simon needed to drive one hour away to pick up rings from another Bird Ringer since we did'nt have the right siize among the otherwise many different ring types in our stock. A large crew drove down to help and watch: the station volunteers, Simon and Lisa, Knud and Inge Pedersen, our guest Søren, and Mette from the station cafe. At the center, first Jule ringed a juvenile Herring Gull (Sølvemåge) also at the center, and then Simon went into the enclosure to catch the owl! It was quite cool to be able to see such an impressive raptor up close, and it was also a species that Simon had never hold before.

Eagle Owl (Stor Hornugle) at Jerup Rescue Center (Vildtplejestation)

Simon with the newly-ringed owl

After, everyone returned home, while Páll, Jule, Juliane and I headed to Jerup Strand to look for shorebirds. It was fun to finally be able to see shorebirds on the ground, and in numbers! Feeding on the mud were dozens of lapwings (Vibe), golden-plovers (Hjejle), redshanks (common/Rødben and spotted/Sortklire), ringed plovers (Stor Præstekrave), whimbrels (Småspove), bar-tailed godwits (Lille Kobbersneppe), dunlin (Almindelig Ryle), and oystercatchers (Strandskade), among other shorebirds. Not only that, but there were also six Eurasian Spoonbills (Skestork) sweeping their bizarre bulbous bills through the water, a lifer for Juliane and I! Jule was able to read the color ring on one, so perhaps we’ll find out where it's been. My lifer Corn Bunting (Bomlærke) sang from the grasses, and it was my first time seeing the godwits in their striking orange breeding plumage. Juliane saw her first Black-bellied Plover (Strandhjejle), and Jule was excited about a Marsh Harrier (Rørhøg) flying over. Juliane brought a collection of beautiful shells back as well.

After we returned, Juliane made dinner, and we quickly ate before heading out to set up nets on the beach. We’ll try again for storm petrels and nightjars again tonight, hopefully with better luck than last night!

The team setting up storm petrel nets

This was Juliane’s last day at the station before returning to Germany in the morning, and although it was quite busy, it was a good day to end on! She described it as “full, bright, and exciting” in our evening meeting, and I agree.

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

People: Brian Browne, Juliane Rößler, Páll Kærbo, Jule Tappe, Simon Kiesé, Simon Christiansen, Lisa Vergin, Knud and Inge Pedersen, Sofie Bugge Kobberø, Søren Roed, Mette Christensen, Jeppe Therkildsen Madsen.