EXTRA BLOG - Interview with a volunteer

What has been your best experiences, both special events, but also across the whole season?

My best day of the spring was undoubtedly June 14^th - the day we caught both the Blyth’s Reed Warbler and the Paddyfield Warbler. In a weird twist of fate, I had delivered a presentation on Acrocephalus warbler identification and ageing just the day before and then to catch both these species and put all those skills into practice was brilliant. I was particularly proud of how, as the C permit ringer in charge that day, I handled the situation with identifying both the species, taking all the measurements and wing formula and putting the news out.

Did you make the right guess? Lauren holds a Firecrest (Rødtoppet Fuglekonge), which is not very frequent at Skagen.

Throughout the season, I have enjoyed the morning observations the most. It has been incredible seeing tons of Pallid Harriers, Rough-legged Buzzards and Honey Buzzards (species I would never see in this number back home in the UK) as well as thousands of Yellow Wagtails, Whooper Swans and migrating finches.

What has been your biggest surprise?

I think my biggest surprise has been the amount of responsibility I have taken on at the station. I was given my C ringing permit in early May and have, since then, led both the ringing at Kabeltromlen and CES multiple times a week. I sometimes found it challenging, especially when managing lots of visitors and volunteers who are completely new to ringing but I definitely learnt a lot during this process.

A Day at the Office at ”Kabeltrolmlen”. All birds caught are measured and weighed. Here, Lauren works together with Michael Colley from Gambia and Jeppe Madsen from Århus.

What is your most important take home meeting?

I think volunteering at Skagen Fuglestation has helped me massively improve as a birder. As I mentioned, I enjoyed the observations in late April and early May the most and I have grown so much more confident identifying a wide range of species on call as well as identifying distant raptors.

What will be your main birding focus in the next months/years?

I will be starting a PhD in September studying foraging and chick growth in Manx Shearwaters and so my main birding focus will be conducting fieldwork on a remote Welsh island and GPS tagging adult birds as well as monitoring nests, feeds and chick growth. In my spare time I will be joining a new ringing group who focus on canon-netting waders and I hope to progress to my British C permit.

What has particularly triggered your curiosity the most?

I have been particularly interested in the identification, ageing, numbers and movements of the raptors through Skagen. I have seen many new raptors species here, including Eagles, Harriers, Griffon Vulture and Red-footed Falcons, and I have thoroughly enjoyed learning to identify and age these species. I have also been interested in the change in the populations of the species which migrate through Skagen and speaking to local birders who say, for example, the numbers of Rough-legged Buzzards in Skagen is now just a fraction of those which used to pass through.

Where do you see the potential for the station for further development?

I would have liked to have more lectures and taught sessions. Remember Simon gave us an excellent session on Phylloscopus Warbler identification and ageing and I gave a presentation on Acrocephalus Warbler (where I definitely learnt a lot whilst making it). I found these sessions extremely helpful and I think it would be great to incorporate even more of that kind.

Lauren Evans is 22 years and from Bristol, England. In 2022, Lauren completed her Bachelor in Biology, and since then she has worked with bird monitoring and ringing at the Shetland, Orkney and Faroe Islands. She has a particular interest in Seabirds and Raptors.

A happy bird ringer with a Buzzard (light phase), before a GPS sender is mounted.

Note: All volunteers at Skagen Fuglestation are involved in the bird ringing activities. Bird ringing licenses are issued by the national Danish Authority on this topic, the Natural History Museum at University of Copenhagen. Some of the volunteers are very new in this, others have substantial experience, e.g. 32-year old Michael Colley from Gambia has for several years been involved in the bird ringing at Kartong Bird Observatory. He came to Skagen as part of the international network, which Skagen Fuglestation is part of. After ending his stay at Skagen, he is now back in Gambia, where he will take part in a project about Vulture Conservation.

Note: alle frivillige ved Skagen Fuglestation involveres i ringmærkningen. Det er Statens Naturhistoriske Museum, der udsteder ringmærkningstilladelserne. Nogle frivillige er nye udi i ringmærkningens verden, mens andre allerede har en lang erfaring med sig i bagagen, f.eks. har 32 årige Michael Colley fra Gambia i over ti år hjulpet til ved ringmærkningen på Kartong Fuglestation. Han kom til Skagen som en del af det internationale samarbejde Fuglestationen har med andre lignende fuglestationer. Han er nu tilbage i Gambia, hvor næste trin for ham bliver at lave projekt med gribbe.