The numbers are rising

Observations:

Easterlies since the early morning, along with clear skies, good visibility and no precipitation proved to be good conditions for shorebird migration.

Over 550 Red Knots, 100 Redshanks, 250 Bar-tailed Godwits, 26 Greenshanks and 200 Oystercathers helped to build up the numbers in the migration wader counts. Ducks also gathered good numbers, with over 3000 Common Scoters, 12 Eiders or 2 Shovelers. A couple of Red-necked Grebes migrating south were very nice for the Spanish observers.

A couple of Caspian Terns proved to be a good sighting, but the main highlight of the day was an adult Pectoral Sandpiper migrating south with three Sanderlings, that briefly stopped just by the shore. Six observers were lucky enough to see this 1st for Blåvand!

Ringing:

Today marked a record in captures for recent days, with 25 birds newly ringed and 4 recaptured. The highest numbers were in Tree Sparrows: it appeared that many juvenile birds had flown from their nest. We caught two new species for this season, a Garden Warbler (Sylvia Borin) and a Eurasian Blackcap (Sylvia Atricapilla). As the weather was very nice, we kept the nets up for some time after the standard period, during which Strummer and I made efforts to catch a very interested Wood Pigeon (Columba Palumbus), but we unfortunately failed. Strummer also came very close to luring a Wood Pigeon into the Helgoland-trap, but it was always too smart.

One of the juvenile Tree Sparrows (Passer Montanus).

A molting Greater Whitethroat (Curruca Communis).

 
An Oak Eggar (Lasiocampa Quercus) in the moth trap that Leon and Anton set out last night.

Today's totals:

At the station: Alba, Johan, Strummer, Ida, Henrik, David, Lois, Nico, Miguel, Leon, Anton