Skuas and sparrow hawk out to attack

Observationer

I fear i am starting to sound like a broken record, but today was yet another day with northwestern wind. Today 9 meters per second. I started the Observation alone, but after half an hour Åge joined me for the lookout. Bent also joined me in the last hour. That was very needed, as it had been a slow morning without company. Together the three of us sat there counting oystercatchers (Strandskade), Red knot (Islandsk ryle), Dunlins (almindelig ryle) and whatever else might show up. In total we had 22 different species, with the most prominent being a forraging kestrel (tårnfalk) and five arctic skuas (almindelig kjove). We had three light skuas and two dark, one in particular had a beatiful light colorscheme and have been around the area for a couple of days. We also had some nice Teals (krikand). Bent told me more ducks will show up during the week, as hunting season is about to start and that drives the ducks south along the coast.
After the morning observation we went back to the station for a glass of homemade sea-buckthorn juice. On the way we met Barbara who will be ringing at Skagen birding observatory next week. We showed her the station and she went with Lua and Lise for a couple of rounds and the station:)
Tomorrow the wind will be only three meters form direct south, so i am looking forward to that!
- SDP

Ringmærkning

The morning started of windy and the first birds we caught were recaptures including some familiar faces like a little female redstart who just always seems to be around! We got the first gold crest of the season, which was quite exciting.

Then things picked up when I ( Lua) was ringing a garden warbler and just happened to look outside at one of our garden nets. There a Sparrow hawk had been caught in the net, trying to get an easy meal out of the previously caught dunnock!!!

The tiny garden bird did survive the attack and after some rest it was very lively and happy to fly away!

Folk på stationen:
Lise Mastrup, Lua Koplin and Sverre Dahl Porsgaard