Michele’s first diary post!

Today there is definitely a lot of wind, and this does not allow us to open the nets for ringing. So at 9.30am I go to monitor the cormorant colony, this is not easy in the strong wind but at least it is sunny. There are new empty nests, probably predated by the red fox. Other species observed at the lake include red necked grebes, that also seem to have lost their nests, common gulls, herring gulls, great black backed gulls and various other species including a passing honey buzzard. I go back to the lighthouse around 11am and find Peter and Simon working on their computers for the various indoor tasks and I join them to transcribe the cormorant data.

In the afternoon, Peter goes to a tower not far from the station to make observations. Simon has a meeting with Terje Axelson from Store Færder Bird Observatory to discuss radio tracking. I rest an hour and then I go into town on the bike. It was not very easy in the headwind, but on the way back I did it in a sprint! For dinner this evening Peter decides to experiment with a kind of spicy minestrone, it was very good! Accompanied by an excellent red wine. In the evening there is still the strong wind which has lasted all day, and tomorrows forecasts are not good, but we are positive!