Migration starts again

Sitting at the breakfast table we could already hear the wind blowing very strongly. We therefore thought it would become a day with almost no migration. We talked a bit about our wishes for the day-horned lark (Bjerglærke) or how about a white-billed-diver (Hvidnæbbet Lom)? We saw none of them, however it still was a day full of highlights.

On our way to the counting point, we already registered some movement in the air. It continued when we started our counting and especially in comparison to yesterday´s count it was a good migratory day. The birds arrived blow upon blow. It was almost hard to detect all the incoming swans. In the four hours we counted almost 500 whooper swans (Sangsvane) that tried to migrate.

Counting birds all over the place

During our count a yellowhammer (Gulspurv) appeared only four meters away from us and we could watch it very well. In the morning, we also had many migrating passerines. There we were able to see some new species for our Skagen list.

It was not that cold and in the end of our countings the sun appeared. That was nice and also motivated some raptors to fly over. In the end of our count we saw at least 28 common buzzards (Musvåge) in the sky. Due to the warm weather there were also some other animals. We could watch an adder (Hugorm- Vipera berus) and a moor frog (Spidssnudet frø-Rana arvalis).

In the evening we did our fulmar survey for the week. For that we walked on the beach, looking out for dead fulmars (Mallemuk). We could not find any, instead we found some dead porpoises (Marsvin). On the beach we also found a 3cy. (3k) glacous gull (Gråmåge) eating a seal and feathers from a dead Barn Owl!

Glaucous gull still with bloody face photographed by Roman

We had put some apples in the garden for the thrushes. When we came back from the survey some of them disappeared and we could watch some birds feeding on them. In the evening Ragnar Smith arrived on a visit the next couple of days.

The weather forecast for tomorrow looks very good so we are looking forward to a nice day of birding. Our oracle predicts some interesting species for tomorrow.

Highlights

• 2 Great-northern-diver (Islom) 
• 1 Glaucous gull (Gråmåge) 
• 5 bewick's swans (Pibesvane)
• 1 Pochard (Taffeland)
• 57 species during the count

Link to today´s observations in Dofbasen in the Skagen area

Sum of the Raptors in the area based on observations typed into Dofbasen.

People: Lucas Corneliussen, Simon Sigaard Christiansen, Cora Köberle, Janna Ouedraogo, Roman Spilldooren, Ragnar Smith