Today was a very foggy day at Blåvand. For observations, a catastrophe, it can be okay for ringing, but also the night was rather foggy, and there was no movement at all.

View out of the window. Where is the lighthouse?

We caught one new Blackbird “Solsort” and recaptured two birds from previous rounds. Otherwise, we walked a lot to see empty nets.

Such days are not so exciting, but at least I got some of the work done that I still have to do for uni from the previous semester.
Paula and I had talked a bit about different feather groups as well as moult yesterday evening, and we used the foggy day to watch SSCs video about moult and aging of European Passerines. The weather for the next few days won´t be great, but it looks like the next week will bring some better weather!

At the station: Paula Feuchtmeyer and Hanelie Sidhu

Yesterday I (Paula) arrived at the station to join the ringing team. Coming from the southern of Germany I am really excited for the danish birdlife.

It felt like I brought some good weather with me: the morning started off a bit foggy, but as the day went on it cleared and turned into a sunny day. There weren´t many birds in the nets, but that meant there was plenty of time for Hanelie to show me around and explain everything. Because of that, I was able to ring my very first bird today – a Song Trush "Sangdrossel".

Later we realized that I wasn´t the only new arrival at Blåvand. Along with me, we also welcomed the first Bullfinch "Dompap" and the first Yellowhammer "Gulspurv"of the season.

First Bullfinch "Dompap" with the first Phigalia pilosaria "Fjer-måler" of the season in Blåvand in the background. Don´t worry, we did not feed it to the bird ;-)

Yellowhammer "Gulspurv"

All it all, it was a great first day at the station, with sunshine, lots of new impressions, and several different bird species.

Paula blowing fat on a Yellowhammer "Gulspurv"

At the station: David Manstrup, Sverre Dahl Porsgaard, Paula Feuchtmeyer and Hanelie Sidhu

Morning observations:
When Böhmer arrived today he was all smiles. On his way to the morning obs he had seen a wolf! A wonderful grey creature, beautiful from ears to tail. We  did the morning obs, which primarily consisted of 47 bar-tailed godwits (lille kobbersneppe), and then went for a walk in the heath area. We all wanted to see a wolf, but found nothing but potentiel footprints. Still a nice walk with the songlarks singing us hello.

A wolf seen and photographed by HBØ

After the quick mammal detour we looked for wagtails, and as the fog cleared out throughout the evening i enjoyed a nice walk in the dunes. Tomorrow i will leave the station again to go back to the east coast. I really enjoyed spending the weekend in the beautiful area, all be it a bit foggy. Until next time! And as always another great day in Blåvand with good company:)
- Sverre

Ringing:

Ringing numbers are very low at that time of the year, but for that, it was okay conditions.

In total I had 14 new birds and 3 recaptures, with that it was the best day so far here for ringing this season.

I mostly had Blackbirds “Solsort” in the nets, one male had some white feathers, but only around the eyes.

Blackbird "Solsort" with some leucistic feathers around the eyes

I had two Wrens “Gærdesmutte” in the nets today, let´s see, there should also come some more.

I like the little bright Wrens "Gærdesmutte", even in hand although they are so figety.

At the station: Henrik Bøhmer, David Manstrup, Sverre Dahl Porsgaard, Thomas Kristensen and Hanelie Sidhu

Morning Obervations:

Kaspian Gull "Kaspisk Måge" by Henrik

I (Sverre) went to the obspoint at 7, shortly followed by Thomas, Henrik and David. The weather looked quite dull and foggy, so with an intense overcast we set out to brace the elements yet again. With a sight of less then two kilometers it was easy to miss a lot of the migrating seabird, but Henrik quickly found a peregrine falcon (vandrefalk) going south. Half an hour later we had a white-tailed eagle (havørn) over the ocean followed by one behind os over land. Twelve bar-tailed godwits (lille kobbersneppe) resting on the beach were also enjoyed in the slight morning sun.

David, Sverre and Thomas at the obs by Henrik

After the obs we went for a walk on the beach, where the gull-enthusiasts quickly located eight caspian gull of varying age. Followed by a walk through the bog area and back along the beach we can confirm that the stonechats (sortstrubet bynkefugl), songlarks (sanglærke) and ringed plowers (stor præstekrave) have returned to Blåvand for the spring season. As always another great day in Blåvand, and i am excited to be back at the station for a couple of days! :)
- Sverre

Ringing:

The overcasted weather helped to get birds in the nets! This morning it it took longer to get light. Some minutes after opening time the rain stopped and there were just very few drops, so I could open the nets. There was nearly no wind and when I came down from the lighthouse garden, I already heared a Songthrush “Sangdrossel” singing close to the station.

Songthrush "Sangdrossel"

I also found a three of them in the nets today. Now, in the afternoon it got foggy and a bit rainy and some of the birdbags are washing in the machine, the most caught species so far is the Blackbird “Solsort”, and they usually make the bags quite dirty.

At the station: Henrik Bøhmer, David Manstrup, Thomas Kristensen, Sverre Dahl Porsgaard and Hanelie Sidhu

The first ringing days in March were actually not that bad for it being so early in spring. But now it is very slow with birds in the nets. Today I had 4 new and one recapture.

Henrik was out observing and in the bog. The highlight were eight resting Caspian Gulls “Kaspisk Måge”.

4K Caspian Gull "Kaspisk Måge by Henrik

In the afternoon I cleaned up a bit especially in the ringing labs. Now David arrived and is on a walk in the bog and later Sverre from the autumn team will come for a weekend.

At the station: Henrik Bøhmer, Thomas Kristensen, Sverre Dahl Porsgaard and Hanelie Sidhu

The morning started sunny and cold with low southeasterly wind. The weather was too good to give a good ringing day. I had many zero rounds. In one net finally I found three birds! All female Greenfinches “Grønirisk”, one with a ring. I already caught some Greenfinches this season, so I was expecting it to be one of mine from the last days. But when I had a closer look, I saw that it had a Stavanger ring from Norway! What do you think, did the other birds also come from Norway or did they make friends somewhere on their way?

Greenfinch "Grønirisk" from Norway

Some Mistle Thrushes “Mistledrossel” were around the station Garden today. Between the rounds, I sat on the bench in font of the lighthouse lab and one landed on top of a tree just in front of me. Let´s hope for some more birds in the next days - maybe a Mistle Thrush in the net?

At the station: Henrik Bøhmer, Hanelie Sidhu

My favorite color today was definitely orange. This morning was again beautiful and sunny but also cold, there was frost on the nets when we opend, Joseph helped me today before he went to the obs. Orange because auf the great color of the Bramblings “Kvækerfinke”, I caught three of them today.

Brambling "Kvækerfinke" by Hanelie

At the obs Josephs highlight were some Teals “Krikand” that could not really decide in which direction to fly so they flew in circles very close to him. Bent visited us at the station later in the morning. After closing the nets it was soon time for Joseph to leave back to Fanø, but there was still time for a quick grocery tour and as I had a chauffeur today I could not resist to buy some firewood, the house is still cold from winter and there is nothing that gives a more pleasing warmth than than a fire in the oven, which was my third orange joy today.

Fire by Hanelie

The second was the beautiful orange breast of the Stonechats “Sortstubbet bynkefugl”, which I from time to time see in the bog on top of the bushes close to the road on my way to the lighthouse garden!

Stonechat "Sortstubbet Bynkefugl" by Joseph

At the station: Bent Jakobsen, Joseph Stephan and Hanelie Sidhu

Ringing did not have many birds, but some highlights today: First I found a Firecrest “Rødtoppet Fuglekonge” in one of the nets we had put up yesterday!

Firecrest "Rødtoppet Fuglekonge", picture by Thomas

Another round brought a Marsh Tit “Sumpmejse”, which is a local rarity at Blåvands Huk. In hand, the tail is a very good caracter to distinguish between Marsh Tit “Sumpmejse” and Willow Tit “Fyrremejse”. In the Willow Tit, tailfeather 3, 4 and 5 are of visibly different length, while they are of similar length in the Marsh Tit. Furthermore, TF6 is notably shorter in the Willow Tit, while there is not a big difference to the other tailfeathers in the Marsh Tit. Also the bib is smaller and less spreading to the sides.

Marsh Tit "Sumpmejse" pictures by Hanelie

David and Thomas had just returned to the station from the obs, so the could also see the bird. Finally, I caught a screamy Great Spotted Woodpecker “Stor Flagspætte”.

Great Spotted Woodpecker "Stor Flagspætte"

Later in the morning, Joseph arrived from Fanø. He will be working on the Little Tern “Dværgterne” Project again this year but is this year situated on the island. But he will visit us at Blåvand regularly to monitor the birds here. But as it is still to early for them to arrive from their wintering grounds, this visit is just a birdwatching visit. In the afternoon, we went to the beach and the dunes. At the beach there is a nice group of Snowbuntings “Snespurv” around and also Ringed Plovers “Stor Præstekrave”, Purple Sandpipers “Sortgrå Ryle” and Sanderlings “Sandløber”.

Snowbunting "Snespurv" by Joseph

After we went to Skallingen and Nyeng. Many Curlews “Storspove”, Dunlins “Almindelig Ryle” and Grey Plovers “Strandhjeile were resting at Nyeng also Shelducks “Gravands” and Pintails “Spidsand” one of my favorite duck species. Joseph spotted nice White-Tailed Eagle “Havørn”.

Birdwatching at Nyeng, picture by Joseph

After our trip we went to a short visit at Henriks place, as we planned to go nightcatching but the thermal binocular was at his place. After, we went back to the station with a short stop at Netto and Joseph made a lovely dinner, while I was entering data and starting with this blog.

When all was eaten, we packed ringes, pliers and chacher and the thermal binocular. It was a beautiful and star clear night and waning moon was till quite big. Unfortunately, this is not the best conditions for nightcatching, that a rainy and windy night is much better. We saw some gulls, but did not really come close.

Tired we returned to the station, it had been a long day at Blåvandshuk and surrounding.

At the station: David Manstrup, Thomas Kristensen, Joseph Stephan, Hanelie Sidhu

It was again a beautiful and sunny morning today although still rather cold.

Henrik went to do morning observations today while I went on my rounds in the gardens.

I had some more birds in the nets today although less species than yesterday, mainly Blackbirds “Solsort”, another Songthrush “Sangdrossel” and two Chaffinches “Bogfinke”, a new one and a recapture from last autumn.

Blackbird/ Solsort

While I was closing the nets, members of the steering group of the bird observatory arrived. Today was a working day at the station, tidying and rearranging and throwing out stuff at the station. Henrik and I changed four old and broken nets, and we took a tree out of a net lane. Today and yesterday, I had only 180 meters of the standard nets open, from now on I can open everything. In the evening, we all had pizza together at the station.

Tak for mel!

At the station: Hanelie Sidhu, steering group of the bird observatory

Just in time for the 1^st of March, the official start of the spring season, the sun already managed early in the morning to break through the clouds. That was a big improvement compared to yesterday, when I awoke the first morning at the bird observatory this year and everything was covered by deep fog.

While the standardized spring ringing season already started today, daily observations are starting on the 20^th of March at Blåvand. Nevertheless, Thomas, Henrik and David came to the station to be out for observations from sunrise. A few Caspian Gulls/ Kaspisk Måge were resting on the beach and a White Wagtail/Hvid Vipstjert was a nice sign of spring coming soon.

With a Song Thrush/ Sangdrossel in the first round I could also greed a herald of spring.

Song Thrush/ Sangdrossel

In total, a caught 10 birds, seven of them new. Unfortunately, they were not very well distributed over the five hours, five of them in one round, so it was quite some walking without birds.

Greenfinch/Grønirisk

Spring is coming slowly, the next days will still come with single digit temperatures, but it will certainly come, yesterday on my foggy walk on the beach I already saw quite some Ringed Plovers/ Stor Præstekrave, a bit of migration from the south started already!

At the station: Thomas Kristensen, David Manstrup, Henrik Bøhmer and Hanelie Sidhu