Never know how the day is going to end

This morning, the team woke up to the sound of the rain. Therefore we could not open any nets and also could not do migration count. At least everyone enjoyed a bit more of sleep. Later in the morning, the rain stops and some of us went out for a walk and do some birding, and they have been able to enjoy a nice sighting of a Rough-legged buzzard (Fjeldvåge) !

Rough-legged buzzard in flight. Foto : Mio Brix

In the afternoon however, Me, Jule and Sarah went with Simon to ring Barn owls (Slørugle) chicks nesting in farms nearby Skagen. With were accompanied by Svend Erik Frandsen and René Larsen, who have been monitoring Barn owls in danish farms for 25 years. They have build around 156 boxes for owls to nest ! This year, they decided that the new chicks should be ringed, so they contact Simon to teach them. The goal for the mis to obtain there own ringing permit for owls so they can ring future chicks next season !

Barn owl (Slørugle) chick. Still not in fully grown plumage. Still stuffed with down. Foto : Simon S. Christiansen

Climbing the ladder to bring down the Barn owl chick in order to ring it. Foto : Louis-Marie Gourmelon

In the mean time, Cora and Moi were also in the field. They went birding around the station and made a very nice observation of a Yellow-browed warbler (Hvidbrynet Løvsanger) !

Yellow browed warbler (Hvidbrynet Løvsanger) in the trees. Foto : Mio Brix

The Yellow-browed warbler (Hvidbrynet Løvsanger) is originally from the siberian taïga and there breeding range are spreading far away on East (from Oural to Okhotsk sea) and they winter in South East Asia. Most of the time, rare birds that are seen are first year birds that are still inexperienced, but somehow still as to go on a thousands kilometres migration to the wintering grounds. That is why they can get lost easily with storms or simply flying to the wrong direction.

Then in the evening we came back from the owls ringing and had a delicious meal cooked by Jule. Cora and Moi were in the field but this time for night catching… and they came back succesful with two Woodcock (Skovsneppe) !

Now we go to sleep knowing that tomorrow could be a good day of ringing and counting.

Highlights of the observation: