My last blog before I leave tomorrow…

Today started with a cold bracing wind coming from the East and it was another cleaning day, completing those odd jobs that need doing before the station closes very soon.  

An intruiging way of taking the nets back to get some extra hands for the other bits and bobs - thank you'?' Mara for the pic.

Mara and I started with the nets in the lighthouse garden and taking them down before the predicted rain arrived later. We didn’t have enough hands, but some genius moves resulted in an efficient way of carrying back everything, even if it made me look like I had a muscle score of 3, fat score of 1! A very bird ringing pun there so if you know you know. We sorted the last remaining ringing kit, bird bags and bits so that’s set for next year. Meanwhile, Ragnar cleaned the bikes and Emma cleaned the stairs resulting in a mix of gulls (måge) seen flying by as well as a few Hooded Crows (Gråkrage) too. Then both Ragnar and Emma fixed the tripods whilst I sorted personal photos into the photo archive and inputted colour ringed gulls we recently saw. One of the adult Herring Gulls (Sølmåge) had not been resighted since it was a chick in 2020 and was originally ringed in Norway, where the majority of black with white colour ringed large gulls are from. Jobs were a bit thin on the ground, but Mara finished cleaning windows in the guest apartment. There is not a lot more that needs cleaning now!

A super nice goose species, the Red-Breasted Goose (Rødhalset gås) at Lille Vildmose by Lisa.

Meanwhile, Lisa found a Red-beasted Goose (Rødhalset gås) at Lille Vildmose.  Albeit not in the official recording area it is a very noteworthy species and a crazy find within the Barnacle Geese (Bramgås). Congratulations!!

Shuffleboard - a must play game!

Back at the obs, a little after midafternoon, Simon picked us up for a last group meal in Skagen. We stopped off at the Brewery for a drink before making our way round to the restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious meal. We then came back and played games of Shuffleboard, where Simon won of couse! Thank you, Simon, it was much appreciated and great to have a meal out as the five of us and games too.

One of my personal highlights alongside the dayitme sightings, are the nighttime ones too. Here a Jack Snipe (Enkeltbekkasin) caught for ringing.

It seems like the last two- and a-bit months have flown by and it has been fun in many ways with lots of memories made on this adventure. The birds have been as great as always with personal favourites includied Arctic Redpoll (Hvidsisken), Pine Grosbeaks (Krognæb), Bearded Tits (Skægmejse), Rough Legged Buzzards (Fjeldvåge), Waxwings (Silkehale), a couple of Puffins (Lunde), the passage of geese (gås spp.) and swans (Svanes spp.), a Leach’s Storm Petrel (Stor stormsvale) with ringing highlights including the nightcatching and helping to tag the Blackbirds (Solsort). However, it was super worrying about birds passing, especially passerines, and this seems to be a European wide issue this autumn with great birds around but the numbers far fewer than past for common bits and bobs.

A great team this Autumn and lots of laughs and good times.

Getting back to the best bits, a big thank you goes to the team who have been incredible and there have been many laughs and good times this autumn. It is always great getting to know new people and I wish all of them a successful birdy future and hope to meet up and see them all again in their respective countries and birding spots back ‘home’. Ringing and migration, through some of the coldest, windiest, or sandiest moments have been made fun and there is never a dull moment at Skagen Fuglestation.

Skagen is an incredible place and shared with loved ones is a must!

I have also loved sharing this amazing place with loved ones, sharing this incredible place, and will be back sometime again. This isn’t the last I’ll be at Skagen Fuglestation, this place is captivating in so many way and I aim to come back one spring for raptors and spring migration at its peak but for now thank you to the team, Lisa for all the geese and Simon for letting me help for another season and being super encouraging and an all-round wholesome, super knowledgeable and cool kind of station leader.

Highlights from the observatory:

• A Red-breasted Goose (Rødhalset gås) a Lille Vildmose.

Ringing totals

Jennes Sø – Michael Ancher

Nordstjernevej – Michael Ancher

Overall total: 5

Today’s observations on Dofbasen from observers in the area

People: Thomas Weston, Mara Glane, Ragnar Smith, Emma Fabre, Lisa Vergin & Simon Sigaard Christiansen.