Sortterne!

Hej allesammen,

we as the part of the team who was going observing today already prepared everything for a long long count yesterday evening, as we were expecting a good morning today. It turned out to be a bit slower than expected, but still we got some really nice highlights, the main highlight today was definitely the Black Tern (sortterne)! To my mind it is an amazing species and the record today was the first record for Skagen this year. So all of us were glad to see it.

Despite the Black Tern (sortterne) we also got Little Gulls again (dværgmåge) as well as a White Billed Diver (Hvidnæbbet lom) in breeding plumage (and a nice variety of Raptors, including Pallid Harrier (steppehøg) and Steppe Eagle (steppeørn).

The other part of our team went ringing at Kabeltrommeln, where they were also accompanied by Dorte and Anders Østerby, they stay at the station in the guest apartment for this week. You can look up the ringing totals in the end of the blog entrance.

Ringing at Kabeltrommelen. Photo: Anders Østerby.

Besides us watching, counting and ringing birds on this sunny dazy, we also noticed that nature just starts getting more and more dynamic these days, after the long winter in Skagen. While counting at Nordstrand in the morning, we had an observation of White-beaked dolphins and in the field we also saw a lot of insects, adders (hugorn) and a giant individuum of a Sand lizard (markfirben).

In the afternoon, some of us were out for a trip to Råbjerg Mose, where Magnus not only found a gylden jagtrovbille (Dinothenarus pubescens) but we also saw five Whinchats (bynkefugl), heard a Green Woodpecker (grønspætte) and enjoyed the atmosphere in the amazing area. Afterwards we also had a stop at Råbjerg Mile, before we went back to the station where we were welcomed again with a delicious dinner.

Can you spot Hanelie in this picture?

Ringing (Kabeltromlekrattet):

Sangdrossel 1
Løvsanger 6
Gærdesanger 10
Rødhals 2
Jernspurv 1
Munk 16
Bogfinke 5
Rørspurv 1
Gransanger 2

Todays observations from observers in the area.

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

People:  Hayley Land, Isis Khalil, Hanelie Sidhu, Magnus Houen Lauritsen, Johanna Veentjer, Simon Kiesé, Mira Kieckbusch, Simon S. Christiansen, Jørgen Hulbæk, Knud Pedersen and our guests Dorthe and Anders Østerby