Crowds of long-tailed skuas and people

Today’s blog has to start with a supplement. Yesterday, after some of us had gone to sleep already, Hannes went on a mission: Finding Natterjack Toads (Strandtudse). They are a rare toad species but common around the lighthouse. And he was successfull and took this very cute photo:

 A very cute Natterjack Toad (Strandtudse). Foto: Hannes Schäfer.

Right after waking up in the morning, I checked the weather forecast and was happy to see that only small rain showers would come up throughout the moring so we could go ringing at Kabeltromlen normally. So Pauline and I rode our bikes to KAB, opened nets and were soon accompanied by Simon and a number of other people: There is a high school class from Germany visiting us this week, collecting data both at the count and at the ringing. Five students of the class came with us on rounds today. The courses’s teacher is Martina, a former volunteer from here.

There were also three families, our guests in the apartment and some passers-by watching the ringing, so it was a full area today! Luckily, we also had some birds, especially Robins (Rødhals) and all common Sylvia warblers. A highlight was also a Pied Flycatcher (Broget Fluesnapper) in the first round. Even though it’s already a bit late in the season, I hope we’ll still get more of them!

 Young visitors admiring a bird being ringed by Paulina in the tent. Foto: Jule Tappe.

Hannes, Mio and Knud had a good time counting from World’s End 3 and the two rainshowers didn’t impress them in the slightest. They saw Long-tailed, Arctic and Great Skuas (Lille Kjove, Almindelig Kjove, Storkjove), among them even a first-year Great Skua, several Little Gulls (Dværgmåge) and two Rock Pipits (Skærpiber).

Afterwards, they read rings in the tern (Terne sp.) flock, and among the gulls (Måge), mostly from Sandwich Terns (Splitterne) and Kittiwakes (Ride).

Back at the station, we all entered data and rested before Simon came for the day’s meeting in the afternoon. While preparing social media posts (please follow us and check out the latest posts!), Simon showed the German class the station and our great library and lab.

 Simon showing the German class around the bird observatory. Foto: Mio Brix.

In the evening, Hannes and I went on separate walks (by coincidence). Unfortunately, only he got Purple Sandpipers (Sortgrå ryle) flying over Kattegat while I practiced my cricket ball throw with the stones on the beach. Loyal readers of the blog might remember my newfound passion. Then Pauline made delicious pancakes for everyone and we had a proper dinner cooked by Hannes. It was a Greifswald classic consisting of three different kinds of pasta and four different kinds of pesto, three of them green basil ones. Then we enjoyed a cosy evening in the lighthouse while the wind roared outside.

Link to today's observations in the Dofbasen from observers in the area.

People: Mio Brix, Hannes Schäfer, Knud Pedersen, Pauline Nähring, Jule Tappe, Simon S. Christiansen, Kurt Håkonsson, Marianne Mølgaard