Warbler Wonderland

First day here in the Skagen Bird Observatory to participate in the first Constant Effort Site (CES) session of the year. The aim of the CES is to better understand and investigate changes in breeding bird populations through standardised procedures! Yonathan, Lauren, Michael, and I cycled to the site, with faint lights starting to paint the morning sky orange at 4 am. The atmosphere while we were cycling was peaceful, and we reached the site and began opening nets around the area. Simon brought a table to set up the ringing station, and we soon began our rounds around the site.

The ringing session was very fruitful, and I saw all the birds in person for the first time in my life, which was very exciting after being able to see them online. The birds were less colourful than the ones in Singapore, but they had a lot of personality, and some were quite feisty despite their duller appearances. We caught 44 birds, including several willows and chiffchafs and a recaptured Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia Curruca) caught back from 2019 at the same location.

The highlight of the day was definitely the male Bearded Reedling (Panurus biarmicus), the first of the year in the station, making the extra early wake-up call for everybody worth it.

The birds were fascinating to observe, and we also heard 2 Grasshopper Warblers (Locustella naevia), Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus scirpaceus), Sand martins (Riparia riparia), Sedge Warblers (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), Bitterns, Water rails (Rallus aquaticus), Cranes, and many more in the beautiful reed landscapes.

Towards the end of our rounds, we did a cormorant count in Cormorant Lake and found several active nesting sites, with a lone, Red-Necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena) amongst the water dance of Grebes, with both species plunging into the lake to feed.

The day was full of learning opportunities. picking up many skills, from setting up the net to identifying species, differentiating their sex, holding, and releasing a bird. Everyone on site was kind and offered guidance to ensure we followed basic rules and protocols.

Meanwhile, Dante, Snäphor, and Martin, among other birders, observed a high sighting of a bird at 2600m altitude with laser binoculars.

After the ringing session, we went back to enter data from the morning's CES ringing session. We spotted an European Adder snake on our way out, which is the only venomous snake here in Denmark. So please stay on designated trails to stay safe while you're out!

We concluded the day with a sharing session, setting up expectations and plans for tomorrow. I left the day feeling amazed at the experience, feeling very positive and eager for what’s to come!
P.S. There is a bike missing from our station, do let us know if you know where it is at :-) Thank you!

People: Yehonatan Ben Aroia, Michael Colley, Dante Shepherd, Lauren Evans, Simon S. Christiansen, Snäphor, Toh Ying Ying, Martin & Kristine.

Today’s observations in Dofbasen from observers in the area

Ringing (Skarvsøen CES):

Wren (Gærdesmutte): 3

Robin (Rødhals): 2

Sedge Warbler (Sivsanger): 1

Lesser Whitethroat (Gærdesanger): 1

Blackcap (Munk): 7

Chiffchaff (Gransanger): 13

Willow Warbler (Løvsanger): 15

Bearded Reedling (Skægmejse): 1

Reed Bunting (Rørspurv): 1

Total: 43