It seemed like someone planned to make this day a bit slow to give us more time for doing several indoor tasks and having a nice breakfast. Beside of that we were out in the field to follow our daily activities: ringing and counting.

Since there were not many birds around, the ringers did not get really busy. Following to that, a male Fieldfare (Sjagger) was appreciated even more!

If we would have ignored the Red-throated Divers (Rødstrubet Lom) and Ducks (And) at Nordstrand, there would not have been any birds left to count. Fortunately, at least the Diver and Duck counters had enough to do to not get bored. The others just enjoyed the chilled morning. When two adult Shags (Topskarv) passed by, the atention of everybody was back on the Sea. Scanning the ducks got rewarded with several Shovelers (Skeand), three Scaups (Bjergand) and six Long-tailed ducks (Havlit).

After having a nice breakfast with nice (Easter) Eggs, we were productive entering data, put our clothes in the washing mashine or taking a needed nap. Later Simon Sr. came around to check sheets and our first guests of the season arrived. They are very nice and joined our evening meeting. Afterwards, Hanelie and I set up a net in the old lighthouse garden in hope to catch a Short-eared Owl (Mosehornule) later. I think a Shorty in the hand would be one of the absolute greatest things now, I love those birds. Wish us luck, happy Easter!

Ringing (Kabeltromlekrattet):

Dunnock

Jernspurv

1

RI

Goldcrest

Fuglekonge

14

RI

Chiffchaff

Gransanger

7

RI

Reed Bunting

Rørspurv

1

RI

Blue Tit

Blåmejse

6

RI

Robin

Rødhals

10

RI

Wren

Gærdesmutte

8

RI

Fieldfare

Sjagger

1

RI

Blackbird

Solsort

4

RI

Redwing

Vindrossel

2

RI

Total: 54

Ringing (Jennes Sø):

Lesser Redpoll

Lille Gråsisken

3

RI

Chiffchaff

Gransanger

2

RI

Goldcrest

Fuglekonge

10

RI

Common Redpoll

Nordlig Gråsisken

21

RI

Total: 36

Ringing (Nordstjernevej):

Great Tit

Musvit

1

RI

Chaffinch

Bogfinke

1

RI

Total: 2

Today’s observations in Dofbasen from observers in the area.

Sum of the raptors in the area based on observations typed into Dofbasen the same day.

People: Hayley Land, Isis Khalil, Hanelie Sidhu, Magnus Houen Lauritsen, Jonas Pedersen, Simon Kiesé, Knud Pedersen, Simon S. Christiansen, Lisa Vergin, Michael Anker

After yesterday's evening meeting, we decided that Jonas and Simon (SK) should go counting with Knud at Nordstrand. The counting started pretty well, with fine numbers of ducks and passerines. After about an hour, a black kite turned up for five minutes, before it migrated further away - out of our view. It was nice seeing it for the first time this year, and was the first semi-rare raptor for the spring, except for the Golden Eagle.

 Meanwhile at Kabeltromlen, Hanelie, Hayley, Isis and I went ringing, but without the greater numbers of birds. Despite the low amount of birds, it was enough to get me calibrated to Lars Svensson. So now - if I should say it myself - I am able to go ringing on my own hand.;-)

 The best bird in the ringing was Reed Bunting (rørspurv), which was enough to get us smiling.

 Sadly, the fog turned up at Nordstrand, and forced the counters to stop early. The ringing also stopped early, due to the low number of birds (only three birds in the last 1,5 hours). 

 After the ringing, I decided to go to worlds end one, to see if there was any migration going on over sea. Sadly, it turned out not to be the case. But I saw a firecrest, cranes and might have heard a Serin (gulirisk), but RoC and I weren't sure.

 The afternoon was spent in the lighthouse, before having dinner.

 Ringing (Kabeltromlen)

Wren Gærdesmutte 6 RI

Dunnock  Jernspurv 1 RI

Robin Rødhals 6 RI

Blackbird Solsort 2 RI

Chiffchaff Gransanger 2 RI

Goldcrest Fuglekonge 8 RI

Blue Tit Blåmejse 3 RI

Chaffinch Bogfinke 1 RI

Redpoll Gråsisken 3 RI

Reed Bunting Rørspurv 1 RI

Total: 33

Firstly a big happy birthday to Magnus!

After such a crazy day at Kabeltromlen yesterday, today felt very quiet. But despite the lower numbers ringed, we still had a very nice morning and caught some great birds. Hanalie and Isis dragged themselves up at 4am to open the nets and were already busy counting the migrating Sparrowhawks (Spurvehøg) before Simon Sr, Lisa, Simon Jr and I all joined for the first round.

We were lucky enough to catch a Goldcrest (Fuglekonge) with a Swedish ring. It will be really interesting to find out exactly where and when this individual was first ringed. We also caught two more Treecreepers (Træløber) this morning which are always nice to see.

Another highlight flew into a net on the final round. A beautiful Mistle Thrush (Misteldrossel)! These are the largest of the European thrush species and have stunning plumage which you can see in the photos below. Lisa was particularly excited as it was the first of this species that she has seen in the hand. It is also only the third ringing record of this species for the station!

Whilst we were ringing, Magnus and Jonas joined Knud at Nordstrand again for the migration count. It was also quieter than yesterday, but they did see two Arctic Skuas (Almindelig Kjove) and two Merlins (Dværgfalk). They also saw a Rough-legged Buzzard (Fjeldvåge). And as it is Magnus’ birthday there was also plenty of cake at the count!

In the afternoon we sang happy birthday to Magnus in several different languages, then opened the nets in the lighthouse garden and caught four Common Redpoll (Stor Gråsisken). Around 20 visitors came to watch as we ringed the birds and explained all about what we were doing and why.

In between checking the nets, we got on with entering data. Magnus’ family then arrived and we were treated to some delicious Danish birthday cake. A great way to celebrate!

Now Simon Jr and Lisa are out with the thermal and hope to catch the Hoopoe (Hærfugl). Fingers crossed they'll be successful!

Ringing (Kabeltromlekrattet):

Wren	Gærdesmutte	16
Dunnock	Jernspurv	4
Robin	Rødhals	4
Mistle Thrush	Misteldrossel	1
Goldcrest	Fuglekonge	20
Blue Tit	Blåmejse	7
Treecreeper	Træløber	2

Total: 54

Ringing (Fyrhaven):

Common Redpoll	Nordlig Gråsisken	4
Robin	Rødhals	1

Total: 5

Ringing (Jenne Sø):

Robin	Rødhals	1
Goldcrest	Fuglekonge	12
Common Redpoll	Nordlig Gråsisken	69

Total: 82

Ringing (Nordstjernevej):

Chaffinch	Bogfinke	1
Common Redpoll	Nordlig Gråsisken	1

Total: 2

Today’s observations in Dofbasen from observers in the area.

Sum of the raptors in the area based on observations typed into Dofbasen the same day.

People: Hayley Land, Isis Khalil, Hanelie Sidhu, Magnus Houen Lauritsen, Jonas Pedersen, Simon Kiesé, Knud Pedersen, Simon S. Christiansen, Lisa Vergin, Michel Anchor

We thought yesterday’s numbers were amazing, but today proved to be even more crazy! Although the amount of species was not super high, we did have loads of Goldcrests [Fuglekonge]. Hayley, Hanelie, and I tore our eyes open at 04.00 in the morning to open the nets at Kabeltromlen, oblivious to the chaos that would befall us shortly after… All of our nets were full! Full of Goldcrests [Fuglekonge]. Luckily Simon (Big) was there to help us with ringing while some of us wrote and others continued doing net rounds. There were so many birds that every net round just blended in with the next, there was no time to take any breaks. In the end we had 219 newly ringed Goldcrests [Fuglekonge] at Kabeltromlen, Simon (Big) said it might even be one of the best days we have had for March ever! In addition to all the newly ringed birds, we had plenty of recaptures today, including one foreign recapture from Arnhem, Holland. A large flock of 36 guests took part in an easter tour, guided by our very own Magnus and Anders Østerby around our working area. They got to experience some of our ringing work at Kabeltromlen this morning and I,'m sure they enjoyed the flurry of Goldcrests [Fuglekonge] floating around. 

 

Goldcrest [Fuglekonge] from Arnhem, Holland.

 

Simon S. Christiansen addresses a crowd of curious individuals.

 

But that is not all! Two adult Sparrowhawks [Spurvehøg], one male and one female, tried to make a quick snack out of the birds we had caught, unfortunately for them, it ended up in a tangle of nets and feathers. Do not worry though, no one was injured during these processes. They were both absolutely stunning, and some perfectly timed visitors even got to participate in releasing the male! 

 

Adult female Eurasian Sparrowhawk [Spurvehøg].

 

Adult male Eurasian Sparrowhawk [Spurvehøg].

 

There was one last surprise during ringing today –although I believe all birds are very interesting and worth mentioning, it would be entirely impossible to give every single bird a moment under the spotlight of this blog entry. While closing the nets we noticed a little bird that did not quite look like all the rest with a pale belly and a curved bill… wow! A Eurasian Treecreeper [Træløber] was sat in the net gazing back at us. What a day. 

 

Eurasian Treecreeper [Træløber].

 

While all of this was happening at Kabeltromlen, Simon (Little) and Jonas were equally hard at work with Knud at Nordstrand. With high numbers of migrating birds, in particular: Eurasian Chaffinches [Bogfinke], Common Scoter [Sortand], Common Wood Pigeon [Ringdue], and Mistle Thrushes [Misteldrossel]. Around 19 THOUSAND Eurasian Chaffinches [Bogfinke] were counted this morning. They also managed to spot a migrating Great Grey Shrike [Stor Tornskade] and even some Bearded Reedlings [Skægmejse]. After counting, Simon (Little) came to join us at Kabeltromlen to provide some (very much needed) help along with Lisa Vergin. 

 

After all of this, it was still only late noon. We went back to the apartment for a very needed lunch (although we had to scrape away at whatever scraps we found in the fridge since none of us had the time nor energy to grab some quick groceries). After lunch, Hayley, Hanelie, and I got straight to work entering all the ringing data for the day. Then we had a little time to rest before our evening meeting and received a few updates from Simon (Big). 

 

Finally, after a long long day, Hayley made some delicious pasta for us, we all enjoyed an early dinner and lots of fun conversation as always. Let’s see what surprises tomorrow has in store for us…

 

Ringing (Kabeltromlekrattet)

Wren (Gærdesmutte) 19

Sparrowhawk (Spurvehøg) 2

European Robin (Rødhals) 21

Eurasian Blackbird (Solsort) 5

Dunnock (Jernspurv) 2

Song Thrush (Sangdrossel) 1

Common Chiffchaff (Gransanger) 7

Goldcrest (Fuglekonge) 219

Eurasian Blue Tit (Blåmejse) 1

Great Tit (Musvit) 3

Eurasian Treecreeper (Træløber) 1

Total: 281

Ringing (Jenne Sø)

Common Chiffchaff (Gransanger) 2

Goldcrest (Fuglekonge) 9

Eurasian Siskin (Grønsisken) 1

Common Redpoll (Nordling Gråsisken) 52

Total: 64

Ringing (Nordstjernevej)

Common Redpoll (Nordling Gråsisken) 32

Goldcrest (Fuglekonge) 1

Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Skovspurv) 1

Total: 34

Today’s observations in Dofbasen from observers in the area.

Sum of the raptors in the area based on observations typed into Dofbasen the same day.

People: Hayley Land, Isis Khalil, Hanelie Sidhu, Magnus Houen Lauritsen, Jonas Pedersen, Simon Kiesé, Knud Pedersen, Simon S. Christiansen, Lisa Vergin

When we left the lighthouse one hour before sunrise, there was no sign that with the rising sun there would be loads of songbirds around. All bushes were filled with Goldcrests (Fuglekonge) and overhead you could hear the flight calls of Chaffinches (Bogfinke) and Mistle Thrushes (Misteldrossel). Soon the Goldcrests also flew into our nets to be taken out carefully and be ringed for our scientific work. Over the morning a fantastic total of 80 Goldcrests (Fulgekonge) got a brand new ring. Even if it was bit expected, a Firecrest (Rødtoppet Fuglekonge) was a nice surprise.

 

During ringing, we noticed the huge numbers of migrating passerines, but we were to busy to count those. Fortunately, that was no problem, because the counters at Nordstrand did a great job. Together with Knud and Eric, all the seabirds and the passerines got noted down in the notebook. Finally, raptor migration startet with some Merlins (Dværgfalk) and the first Rough-legged Buzzard (Fjeldvåge). Several thousands Woodpigeon (Ringdue) headed east and the Chaffinches (Bogfinke) summed up to 7550. After the standardised four hours the Mistle Thrush (Misteldrossel) number was alreadz very high, but there was some potential, Magnus noticed. In the following three hours he continued alone to finally reach the 3000 Mistle Thrushes! A new Skagen record!!

 

The afternoon was filled with setting up new nets and ringing in the old lighthouse garden, having nice looks at the still present Hoopoe (Hærfugle) and looking at the age of some birds with Simon Sr. Finally Magnus and I went for a nice nightcatching round with wet feet and without any birds. Much effort and no birds, but maybe it will be the other way around the next time.

 Ringing (Kabeltromlekrattet):

Goldcrest

Fuglekonge

80

RI

Firecrest

Rødtoppet Fuglekonge

1

RI

Chiffchaff

Gransanger

3

RI

Robin

Rødhals

1

RI

Dunnock

Jernspurv

1

RI

Wren

Gærdesmutte

5

RI

Blackbird

Solsort

2

RI

Redwing

Vindrossel

1

RI

Total: 94

Ringing (Jennes Sø):

Common Redpoll

Nordlig Gråsisken

20

RI

Robin

Rødhals

1

RI

Chiffchaff

Gransanger

2

RI

Goldcrest

Fuglekonge

10

RI

Total: 33

Ringing (Nordstjernevej):

Lesser Redpoll

Lille Gråsisken

1

RI

Goldcrest

Fuglekonge

1

RI

Chiffchaff

Gransanger

1

RI

Total: 3

Today’s observations in Dofbasen from observers in the area.

Sum of the raptors in the area based on observations typed into Dofbasen the same day.

People: Hannes Schäfer, Hayley Land, Isis Khalil, Hanelie Sidhu, Magnus Houen Lauritsen, Jonas Pedersen, Simon Kiesé, Alfred, Knud Pedersen, Eric Christophersen, Simon S. Christiansen.

Last night Simon and I went nightcatching once again. There were only a few birds in the meadows but we got lucky with a Meadow Pipit (Engpiber).

Ringing started at 05:15 in the morning so Hayley, Isis and I got out of the lighthouse and started our walk to Kabeltromlen. The weather wasn't to bad but it was cold. At the ringing site the singing Bitterns (Rørdrum) accompanyed us while we opend the nets. Simon sr joined us for the first rounds which was good, because there were quit some birds around. The calls of Goldcrests (Fuglekonge) and Wrens (Gærdesmutte) were present for the whole ringing session. So were the birds. We had quite a hard time handling the little wigglers with our at this time really cold hands (0°C) While we were busy ringing Simon jr and Magnus made their way to Nordstrand to start the migration-count. While the first hour was not to bad, but still not that exiting, they had a hard time sitting at the beach because there was not to much happening. Lucky for them they got some company by other birders. Not only Knud was around but also Alfred, a 11 year old boy, was there and helped them quit a bit by counting the migrating Sommon Scoters (Sortand). Great work here!

Ringing ended with 68 new birds ringed and is to that day the best day this spring. We made our way back to the lighthouse where we took a rest and had our second breakfast. After counting Simon jr was just about to lock his bike and join us when he quickly checked some gulls flying over and was able to find a Iceland Gull making its way to the harbor! Magnus was still outside and got lucky relocating the Hoopoe (Hærfugle) which is still around.

Later Simon sr picked us up and we went to drive to the harbor to have a look at the gulls. We weren't able to find the Iceland Gull (Hvidvinget Måge) again but saw a Greater Black-Bagged Gull (Svartbag) with a ring. It was ringed as a pullus in southern Norway in 2022, and was already seen by me 2 days ago at Nordstrand.

When we arrived back home Simon sr had a presentation about how to age birds. It really helped understanding the different moult strategies.

Tomorrow morning I will take the train back to Germany. It was a short time up here but I really enjoyed it. There are so many nice people around and nature isn't to bad as well that I might use some southern winds the next years to migrate up here again :)

Ringing (Kabeltromlekrattet):

Goldcrest

Fuglekonge

19

RI

Chiffchaff

Gransanger

9

RI

Blue Tit

Blåmejse

4

RI

Robin

Rødhals

11

RI

Wren

Gærdesmutte

21

RI

Blackbird

Solsort

3

RI

Redwing

Vindrossel

1

RI

Total: 68

Ringing (Jennes Sø):

Goldcrest

Fuglekonge

8

RI

Chiffchaff

Gransanger

1

RI

Lesser Redpoll

Lille Gråsisken

1

RI

Common Redpoll

Nordlig Gråsisken

47

RI

Total: 57

Ringing (Nordstjernevej):

Goldcrest

Fuglekonge

3

RI

Blue Tit

Blåmejse

1

RI

Total: 4

Today’s observations in Dofbasen from observers in the area.

Sum of the raptors in the area based on observations typed into Dofbasen the same day.

People: Hannes Schäfer, Hayley Land, Isis Khalil, Magnus Houen Lauritsen, Simon Kiesé, Alfred, Knud Pedersen, Simon S. Christiansen.

Yesterday evening Simon Jr and Hannes went out with the hand net and thermal hoping to catch something. They were very successful, catching not just one but two birds!

The first was this stunning Rock Pipit (Skærpiber)

On their way back they also caught a Jack Snipe (Enkeltbekkasin).

The colours on its back were amazing!

After such an exciting evening, it was the usual early start for us all in the morning.

Isis, Hannes and I went ringing and had a very nice steady morning. It seemed to be a day for little birds; we caught a lot of Wrens (Gærdesmutte) and also Goldcrests (Fuglekonge) and Chiffchaff (Gransanger). We also caught this stunning adult male Blackbird (Solsort) who had an amazingly bright orange beak.

We also had a young visitor to the ringing this morning. He enjoyed seeing the birds up so close and then went to find the Hoopoe (Hærfugl) which is still in the area.

Simon Jr and Magnus went to World’s End 3 this morning to do the migration count with Knud. The Glaucous Gull (Gråmåge) is still on the beach and is always nice to see. They also saw two Black-throated Divers (Sortstrubet Lom) and two Sandwich Terns (Splitterne). The strange Common Scoter (Sortand) with white on its breast was also spotted again.

Back at the station we had a very nice lunch of leftovers from Magnus’ birthday lunch yesterday. Later in the afternoon Hannes went to the harbour and saw a Purple Sandpiper (Sortgrå Ryle). Isis and I also enjoyed a walk into the town to get some groceries.

Simon Jr and Hannes are now heading out again with the hand net and thermal. Hopefully they’ll be as successful as last night!

Ringing (Kabeltromlekrattet):

Wren	Gærdesmutte	9
Dunnock	Jernspurv	1
Robin	Rødhals	3
Blackbird	Solsort	2
Redwing	Vindrossel	1
Chiffchaff	Gransanger	3
Goldcrest	Fuglekonge	8

Total: 27

Ringing (Jennes Sø):

Wren	Gærdesmutte	1
Robin	Rødhals	1
Blackbird	Solsort	1
Chiffchaff	Gransanger	2
Goldcrest	Fuglekonge	8
Common Redpoll	Nordlig Gråsisken	38
Reed Bunting	Rørspurv	1

Total: 52

Ringing (Nordstjernevej):

Chiffchaff	Gransanger	1
Goldcrest	Fuglekonge	1
Common Redpoll	Nordlig Gråsisken	12

Total: 14

Today’s observations in Dofbasen from observers in the area.

Sum of the raptors in the area based on observations typed into Dofbasen the same day.

People: Hannes Schäfer, Hayley Land, Isis Khalil, Magnus Houen Lauritsen, Simon Kiesé, Knud Pedersen.

Before it was time to celebrate, we went out – early as always – to follow our passion in the field. The earliest ”birds” of the days were Isis and Hayley, who went to Kabeltromlen for the daily ringing session. Only the early singing Bittern (Rørdrum) made their early start some concurrence. A bit later but still before sunrise, Hannes, Magnus and I passed the ringing area to start our count from World’s End 1.

The ringing was good, even if the numbers were not to high. Two Chiffchaffs (Gransanger) made it feel like summer, while three cute nordic Long-tailed Tits (Nordlig Halemejse) with their snowball-like head reminded of the coldest time of the year. Look how cute they are!

 

In the meanwhile, the count was pretty slow but we still got good species! Due to Hannes effort we could proof that there were two different Glaucous Gulls (Gråmåge) roosting on the beach. A small flock of Parrot Crossbills (Stor Korsnæb) was also nice. One odd gull landed on the beach. It’s size, body coloration with paler whitish primaries reminded us of a Glaucous Gull, but the face looked weird and the bill was blackish instead of the pink one with a black tip, Glaucous would show. The general impression fitted well for a ”Vicing Gull” – a hybrid between Glaucous and Herring Gull, but the bill pattern is untypical for those. Hopefully someone will find the bird again and take some pictures of it! It’s very obvious, you would not miss this bird!

Since Hannes and I went out with the thermal last night (it was worth it – we saw 3 Jack Snipes (Enkeltbekassin) and 6 Woodcocks (Skovsneppe)) we were all a bit tired, but now, after completing the standardised count, it was time to make a break and eat something.

Then Magnus familiy showed up. His birthday is in five days, but this was the only opportunity for his family to visit him, so they decided to celebrate earlier with a nice brunch. Fortunately, we were all invited. The danish food was super tasty and we had a very nice time with them. We also found out, that ”Hayley does not look like a pig” in reference to the danish pig Yorkshire – the area where Hayley is from. The weather was great, too, so we could sit outside. A really nice break from the hard work.

 

After a short session of data entry Knud came to pick us up and go with us to Skarvsøn to cut some reeds. To keep some parts of the area open does not just help us to count the birds on the lake, but also saves the open areas some wildfowl need. A Bittern (Rørdrum) motivated us with its deep voice and surprisingly a Kingfisher (Ijsfugle) flew by. This species is scarce up here, so it was very appreciated. After around one hour we finished the task.

Ringing (Kabeltromlekrattet):

Long-tailed Tit (ssp.caudatus)

Halemejse, Nordlig (ssp. caudatus)

3

RI

Chiffchaff

Gransanger

2

RI

Goldcrest

Fuglekonge

1

RI

Bluetit

Blåmejse

12

RI

Robin

Rødhals

3

RI

Dunnock

Jernspurv

4

RI

Wren

Gærdesmutte

3

RI

Blackbird

Solsort

1

RI

Song Thrush

Sangdrossel

1

RI

Total: 30

Ringing (N/V):

Common Redpoll                         Nordlig Gråsisken

16

RI

Total: 16

Today’s observations in Dofbasen from observers in the area.

Sum of the raptors in the area based on observations typed into Dofbasen the same day.

People: Hannes Schäfer, Hayley Land, Isis Khalil, Magnus Houen Lauritsen, Simon Kiesé, Knud Pedersen.

Hi there!
Nothing too special today but still some nice variety overall. For me it was time to do the migration-count together with Magnus after we participated in ringing yesterday. That meant a bit more time to sleep than yesterday. The start of the day wasn't hard at all, because we got welcomed by a nice sunrise at Worlds End 1 and pretty nice weather with less wind than expected. On our way there we met Simon, Isis and Hayley at Kabletromlen who were about to go on the first round of ringing for today.

Counting started with some nice variety of birds. We counted 47 different species in the first hour heading north to reach their breeding areas soon. Highlights were 3 flocks of pink-footed geese (Kortnæbbetgås), 4 flocks of Whooper Swans (Sangsvane), 3 Tundra Bean Geese (Tundrasædgås) and around 410 jackdaws (Allike) trying to migrate overseas and giving me some headaches splitting up and going back and forth several times. I also really enjoyed the dunnocks (jernspurv) "jingeling" up in the sky with their nice calls. Unfortunately because of the blue sky the passerines started to migrate really high in the sky, so we weren't able to locate the birds but just heard their calls. The migration of waterfowl got a bit better and we counted 1892 common scoters (sortand) in the last hour of counting. Ringing was nice so Simon told me. He, Isis and Hayley ringed a total of 21 new birds including a reed bunting (rørspurv) and 3 nice bullfinches (dompap).

After ringing and counting we got back to the lighthouse and enjoyed a second breakfast. As the message reached us, a Golden Eagle (Kongeørn) was seen close by to the lighthouse at Elle Krattet heading SW, Simon and I decided to go for a walk and maybe relocate the bird.

Golden Eagle (Kongeørn) - picture by Knud Pedersen

Unfortunately we couldn't find it, and only found some common buzzards (Musvåge) and a young white-tailed eagle (Havørn) up in the sky. But the walk was fun anyways because we stumbled over an adder (Hugorm) and common lizard (Skovfirben) enjoying the sun just like us!

After returning we were able to ring 6 mealy redpolls (stor gråsisken) in the lighthouse garden. At first we struggled a bit at ageing them correctly but were lucky to have some birds to compare and could see the differences. That was fun :)

Ringing (Kabeltromlekrattet):

Wren	Gærdesmutte	2
Dunnock	Jernspurv	1
Robin	Rødhals	1
Blackbird	Solsort	7
Blue Tit	Blåmejse	3
Chaffinch	Bogfinke	1
Common Redpoll	Nordlig Gråsisken	6
Bullfinch	Dompap	1
Bullfinch	Dompap, Lille (ssp. europaea)	4
Reed Bunting	Rørspurv	1

Ringing (Nordstjernevej):

Robin	Rødhals	1
Great Tit	Musvit	1
Common Redpoll	Nordlig Gråsisken	8

Today’s observations in Dofbasen from observers in the area.

Sum of the raptors in the area based on observations typed into Dofbasen the same day.

People: Hannes Schäfer, Hayley Land, Isis Khalil, Magnus Houen Lauritsen, Simon Kiesé.

It was an early start for my first day back at the station. Magnus, Hannes and I were up well before sunrise to get the nets open at Kabeltromlen and then Simon Sr joined us for the first round. It turned out to be a very quiet morning with only eight new birds ringed in total but it was still so nice to be back!

It was Magnus’ first time at the ringing so there was plenty of time to show him the process and all the measurements that are taken. There was even time to play a game: I’m a migrant! This was a lot of fun and will hopefully help us remember the moult strategy of Blackbirds (Solsort) which is the species we caught the most of today. Whilst we were ringing we also spotted several Sparrowhawks (Spurvehøg) and two Red Kites (Rød Glente).

Meanwhile, Simon Jr and Isis were at World’s End 1 doing the migration count. It was a very quiet morning for them too. Their highlights included a Hawfinch (Kernebider) and large numbers of migrating Chaffinches (Bogfinke). The Glaucous Gull (Gråmåge) was spotted again and they were also very happy to see a Goshawk (Duehøg).

On our way back from Kabeltromlen, we heard over zello that the Hoopoe (Hærfugl) had been spotted again near the car park at Grenen so we went to look for it. Sadly we didn’t manage to see it this time.

Back at the station we enjoyed a very different sort of afternoon. We all attended the opening of the new lighthouse exhibition downstairs. It was so nice to see so many people there.

We really enjoyed the cake too!

And then we had a lot of fun exploring the exhibition itself.

Thank you to the lighthouse team for inviting us!

Later on, Simon and Magnus went shopping and heard that the Hoopoe (Hærfugl) had been spotted yet again, this time to the south of the lighthouse. After returning with the much-needed groceries they headed out again to try and track it down, this time prepared in advance with the hand net. Let’s hope they are successful!

Ringing totals (Kabeltromlen):

Gærdesmutte (Wren) - 1

Solsort (Blackbird) - 1

Rødhals (Robin) - 1

Bogfinke (Chaffinch) - 1

Blåmejse (Blue Tit) - 1

Today’s observations in Dofbasen from observers in the area.

Sum of the raptors in the area based on observations typed into Dofbasen the same day.

People: Simon S. Christiansen, Hannes Schäfer, Hayley Land, Isis Khalil, Magnus Houen Lauritsen, Simon Kiesé