Late august seabird bonanza!

We thought it was over but then it wasn’t.

Today started with me being rudely awakened by Frederik at 0545, reminded me that we were getting late for migration count, but we still managed to be there at 0618, just in time. It was a quiet morning, but in the far distance we see a fishing trawler heading towards Skagen harbour, surrounded by fulmars (Mallemuk) and gulls maybe something else could be following it? I said “let’s see who finds the rare shearwater first” he answers “let the best man win”. Well, he won, at 0906 while counting fulmars, he called out “Sooty Shearwater (Sodfarvet Skråpe)” and I get on the bird, it looks like Balearic Shearwater (Balearskråpe)! Apparently he also had said it for himself (We heard it on his Dictaphone), so we put it on Zello as a possible, and then it landed. When it flew up, we got good views again and got it filmed as it disappeared towards VNV. Another rarity! Two rare seabirds in three days is almost unheard of, especially considering it follows in the heels of the Brown Booby from 26/8. This bird, if accepted by SU (the rarity committee in Denmark) would be 98^th record for Denmark and 38^th record for Skagen, and the first in seven years for Skagen. What a day.

But now I got that out, the ringers went to Kabeltromlen and there plenty of birds in the bushes and they caught 25 birds, an adult Pied Flycatcher (Broget Fluesnapper) was exciting.

After the migration count we went back to the station to look at videos and I got ready for potentially my first guided tour this season! As a large cruise ship came into the harbour, we were advertising for a Bird Walk tour around in the nearby area, but sadly nobody wanted, even though the sign should have pulled in at least one aspiring birdwatcher, but c’est la vie.

Would join a bird walk, when reading the sign?

The rest of day was admin work, chores with Rosa having trouble with the hose and some light birding at Højen Fyr to see if a hattrick could be achieved, but not today. Hans had also been out and about, counted all the sanderlings between Grenen and Nordstrand, picking up his wife in Aalborg and managed to find a Black Kite (Sort Glente)! We are waiting for it to arrive up here.

Squeezing the last juice out of the day at Højen Fyr

We got some ice cream to celebrate for everyone and we got to say hello to Hans’s wife Birthe, who is going to stay here till Friday. Also good to see new faces around here, tomorrow we will be joined by Augustin, who has been here before, new old faces are also always good! Now its late in the afternoon, Rosa and Ezra have gone out night catching, hopefully they succeed, but you’ll find out tomorrow!

Ringing (Kabeltromlen):

Kærsanger (Marsh Warbler) - 1

Rørsanger (Reed Warbler) - 5

Gærdesanger (Lesser Whitethroat) - 4

Tornsanger (Common Whitethroat) - 6

Havesanger (Garden Warbler) - 1

Gransanger (Chiffchaff) - 2

Løvsanger (Willow Warbler) - 6

Broget Fluesnapper (Pied Flycatcher) - 1

Total: 26

Link to today's observations from observers in the area

People at the station: Ragnar Smith, Rosa Hicks, Fredrik Johansen, Ezra Sherwell, Simon Sigard Christiansen, Hans Christophersen, Birthe Christophersen.