Greetings from the East!

For me, it was the last full day at Skagen Fuglestation for my first stay. And well, it really made an effort to make me come back!

 

Observation started slow though, low winds and a calm sea with only few seabirds migrating through. This gave us enough time to also scan for passerines, so we had flyover Water Pipits (Bjergpiber) and Lapland Buntings (Lapværling) and also found a Great Grey Skrike (Stor Tornskade) sitting in the bushes between World's End I and III.

Meanwhile, ringing started very promising. With a reluctant weather forecast yesterday, we were already happy that there was no rain, so we actually could open nets. Here, the low wind was of great advantage.

 

Already the first round yielded a couple of birds including the first of season Twite (Bjergirisk), a beautiful male with a rose-coloured rump. But it was the second round that no one would have expected! At first, a young male Stonechat (Sortstrubet Bynkefugl) was noteworthy. And also a couple of Yellowhammers (Gulspurv) were adorable. But they were all put in the shadow by an even more unsuspected catch: a Dusky Warbler (Brun Løvsanger)!

Breeding in Siberia, these small warblers normally migrate to their winter grounds in south-east Asia. Nevertheless, every year some individuals, especially young ones, somehow chose a different direction and appear in Europe. As they are small brown birds with a very non-descript appearance and an easy to miss short call mostly given from high grass or dense shrubs, they are hard to find. Arguably, this individual might have been easily missed if it hadn't been caught in the nets.

This individual is just the fifth record for Skagen and the second one ringed. It's also the first Dusky Warbler to be found this autumn in Denmark.

Upon examination, it turned out to be in good shape with a big amount of fat deposits. While taking crucial photo and sound recordings, the bird could also be presented to interested birders from the surrounding, before wishing it farewell on a hopefully successful journey to a suitable wintering ground.

 

During the rest of the ringing, there was also another observation of two highly overflying Siberian Nutcrackers (Tyndnæbbet  Nøddekrige). The influx continues!

 

In the afternoon, we celebrated this delightful day with loads of cake! And hope for further great discoveries during this promising and already awesome October!

 

Brun Løvsanger (Dusky Warbler) 1

Lapværling (Lapland Bunting) 11

Tyndnæbbet Nøddekrige (Siberian Nutcracker) 2

 

Gærdesmutte – 9

Rødhals – 1

Sortstrubet Bynkefugl – 1

Vindrossel – 1

Sangdrossel – 1

Munk – 2

Rørspurv – 1

Gulspurv – 3

Gransanger – 4

Brun Løvsanger – 1

Fuglekonge – 1

Kvækerfinke – 1

Bogfinke – 3

Lille Dompap – 2

Gråsisken – 1

Bjergirisk – 1

Subtotal: 33

 

Musvit 6

Blåmejse 1

Munk 1

Skovspurv 2

Gransanger 1

subtotal: 11

 

Stor flagspætte 1

Rørspurv 1

Lille gråsisken 35

Stor gråsisken 10

Blåmejse 3

Musvit 2

Rødhals 2

Gransanger 1

Subtotal: 55

 

Grand total: 99