Night adventures.

The day started (in fact didn’t finish until) at 12am, with us all waiting in the dark for nightjars to fly into mist nets. Unlike last week our catch rate was only 1 bird for the entire time we were there, but just seeing one in the hand was a great experience for all of us, despite the fact we’d done this less than a week ago.

4 hours later (!) Michele and Kirstine were opening the observatory garden nets, for a brief attempt at ringing. 2 birds were caught. I on the other hand was leading a tour for a pair of American tourists, who also managed to see the bird ringing before we went. As expected it was a quiet tour, but as they were not from Europe, pretty much all the birds were new for them. The eider were their particular favourites. The most important and generous part of the morning was when Arne Rasmussen donated two bikes in very good condition to the Observatory. Michele was most pleased, especially as he had to cycle back from the cormorant with a totally flat tyre today! Thank you Arne, they’ll be a great help.

After our respective duties, we all hit the sack for some much needed shuteye, after
less than four hours sleep! Refreshed, we undertook the weekly cleaning of the apartments, a job made much easier by the fact that there were three of us to share the tasks. Michele and Kirstine then headed to the cormorant colony to undertake the bi weekly counts and then to town for much needed supplies, both edible and electrical. I updated the daily log. Kirstine cooked us some delicious veggie burgers for dinner (very nice not to be the only vegetarian in the Obs, even if only for a week).

The weather was looking particularly bad for the morrow, so with ringing (if any) restricted to the Obs garden, I decided tonight was a good night to go out listening for spotted crakes, or Savi’s warbler or even better maybe a river warbler!

I was wrong. The wind was too strong and I heard no birds at all. However mammals were well represented with four hares, and roe deer AND my first ever live polecat! Presumably the same individual Morten saw several weeks ago. Great sighting however and well worth the birdless bike ride!

Birds Ringed

Blackcap – 1
Lesser whitethroat - 1