The last few days have been pretty changable, just like today. We have some rain regularely, but then suddenly the sun is shining again. As I am typing this, it is sunny while it is raining. And this shower hasn't even been mentioned at the forecast...

This morning I went out for nightcatching again. With 4 new birds, the score isn't that bad, and some variation as well. I had one yellowhammer, skylark, a young tree pipit and a linnet. I normally ring them in the field, but this time, just when I wanted to ring the linnet, an unexpected shower came by, and I was luckely close to the station, so I ran back and savely ringed it there.

I also went out this afternoon to see if I could find the shrike pair that I have been seeing a few weeks back, but then suddenly not anymore. Luckely, soon after my arrival I saw the male. Unfortunately, this bird has the habit to just disappear into nothing, so I didn't see it for to long. As I was looking for the shrike as it had just disappeared, I saw a white tailed eagle flying over the beach, always impressive to see this awesome bird!

We are still waiting for the weather to make a change. Michael and I are hoping for at least a few more days to have the chance to do some ringing before the spring ringing season officially ends this saterday. With the strong winds no nets were open today and it looks like most days/mornings this week ringing will be obstructed by winds and potential rain.

In the night Michael went out again and had some success catching birds. Most notable was the catch of a Meadow pipit, which was a first for Michael to have in the hands!

Early in the morning while making some coffee there was a surprise visit from David, who had done some morning observations. David had hoped for some action with the strong northwestern winds but unfortunately that turned out not to be the case.

After dinner Michael went out to the beach to try and read the rings of some shorebirds. He spotted some gulls with colour rings of which he managed to read the rings of two lesser black-backed gulls, both turned out to be with German rings. And while at the beach Michael checked on the fenced off breading area and managed to ring four ringed plover chicks!

People at the station: David, Michael and Maxim

This night I went out for night catching again. It was a very good night, because I caught 5 birds in total, 3 new skylarks, the wheatear from 2 days ago and a yellowhammer from last year. At the beginning of the morning I also almost managed to catch the bluethroat that has been there for the last month, but not this night yet. But one of these days I will hopefully manage to catch it, as it is singing really early close to the path.

When I came back, the wind was still too strong to open the nets, but after a few hours of sleep, I decided to open the nets because the wind decreased a lot. Right after opening the last net in the station garden, I immediately had a 1k crested tit in the net. I am absolutely fascinated by this beautiful bird, only my second time ringing it.

I also opened in the lighthouse garden, where I caught a 1k coal tit, also not a bad species for here, and for me as well! besides that I had 3 1k great tits, 1 1k blackbird, 1 2k greenfinch, a control of a songthrush, willow warbler and common whitethroat. Not a lot of birds, but for these days not too bad. Unfortunately, coming days don't look good again for opening the nets as it is windy again.

Last night Michael went out again to find some birds. This time he caught a Water rail! The third one to ever be ringed here in Blåvand.

Michael's catch of the night: a Water rail

The net stayed closed for yet another day due to the strong winds, which gave me time to work on my project and Michael to catch up on some sleep. During the day Kim and Bent stopped by to check out the breeding area of the Little terns. High tides were predicted and so they raised the fence for the time being so it could withstand the water and wind. When they came back to the station, we sat down with some coffee and cake. I understand from Kim that each year the number of Little terns that come to the fenced off breeding area keeps increasing. This year is no exception!

Bent, Kim and Michael looking out over the breading area 

It took quite a while for the tide to recede so I waited until later in the evening to put the fence back in order.

People at the station: Bent, Kim, Michael and Maxim

Last night I went out pretty late, or early, depends on your perspective of course. I went to sleep early and woke up around 23:45, to go out and catch some birds with the thermal vieuwer, a torch and a carp net, hoping to catch more than 1 bird, and maybe something like a wader. I have done this before, but ony for 1 hour. I didn't chose this night randomly, I checked the weather and it turned out to be a horrible day for opening the nets today with a lot of rain and to much wind. 

I was looking for birds and in the first hour, I missed a song thrush and a skylark, but then I saw a bigger white dot moving around. At first I thought it was a rabbit or young hare, but it was moving weird for that. It turned out to be a grey partridge! I walked towards it and it came walking to me as well. As I was shaking, the bird stopped, looked around and was just standing there. I walked a little bit closer and landed the net on the ground. Missed! I was screaming inside and was hoping if I would return later, it would be around again. But 2 minutes later, I saw it walking around again 100 meters from the spot I missed it. I walked towards it again with the light, and it started walking towards me again, I just stood still, and waited for it to stand in front of me again. The same situation occured as the first time, the only difference was, I didn't make a mistake this time! I dropped the net and got it. Amazing catch! 

While I saw the partridge, i saw another bird in the same area as well. I checked, and it was still there. It turned out to be a wheatear, which I caught and ringed as I had the partridge in a bag for a minute. It was a 2k male, always a nice bird to catch. At the end of the night I also had a new skylark. As I was ringing it I heard a waterrail calling, which was unreachable, and a bluethroat singing, but when I tried catching it, it flew off to quick, it was probably to light already. 

The rest of the day was boring, as it was raining almost all day and too windy, also when it stopped raining. So, I prepared for another night out with taking some rest...

With much calmer weather conditions the nets opened this morning during standard time. Just before the 5 hours were over rain started to pour down and so the nets were closed. In total 9 bird were ringed and 5 recaptured. With practically no more migrating birds in the nets Michael and I are very happy that the newly hatched birds in the area are starting to fly out of the nests and into the nets. The past two weeks or so have been filled with rounds of empty nets, but today in most rounds atleast one bird turned up in the nets.  Of the ringed birds 5 were juveniles: 2 Blackbirds, Song Thrush, Green finch and Lesser whitethroat.

Two juvenile Blackbirds that were ringed together.

The first juvenile Lesser whitethroat of the season if I am not mistaken.

The rest of the day the weather was quite precarious which did not give us much chance to go outside to enjoy ourselves. It seems uncertain what the upcoming days have in store for us. For now there are strong winds predicted and there is possibility for rain in the morning.

People at the station: Michael and Maxim

This morning, we probably had the strongest winds of the season, with gusts of winds as high as 22 m/s. Naturally this meant we were not able to open the mist nets today. Instead of walking the rounds in the gardens I went for a walk in the dunes and on my way back to the station I checked on the fenced off breading area of the Little terns. Part of the fence did not withstand the high tides and the strong winds of late. With a little afford and some time I hoisted the fence back up. In the process of fixing the fence I learned that the electrical current that goes through the fence, protecting the breading birds from predators, works just fine. The rest of the day was quite uneventful. Michael and I lazed around the station and I did some work on my project.

The weather predictions for tomorrow say that there will be some rain early in the morning and a westerly wind of 9 m/s. It remains to be seen if we will be able to open the nets.

People at the station: Michael and Maxim

This morning Maxim and I opened the nets at the standerd time and for a change, we caught some birds. in total we caught 2 controls and 7 new birds. One of the controls was a 1k blackbird from last week and 4 of the new birds where young tree sparrows, of which one we caught with a spring trap. 

After ringing I went to the beach to see if there where any new ringed plovers to ring. I came across the first young little terns of the season in the enclosure. I also ringed 2 young ringed plovers in a walk of about 2 km over the beach. 

After the walk over the beach, I discovered the first scarce chaser of Blåvand. Unfortunately, I didn't have a my camera with me and when I came back with my camera, I couldn't find it anymore. 

With the weather prediction of strong winds this morning I woke up knowing that the possibility of opening the nets was slim. And to no surprise this was correct. It was surprising however that Michael was already out in the dunes searching for birds to ring. And he had some success! Ringing a juvenile Skylark and recapturing one he ringed the 17^th of May.

Juvenile Skylark caugth in the early hour of the morning - Note the long toe nails

With no ringing in the morning Michael and I went back to bed to catch up on some sleep. Later in the morning I worked on my project while Michael went back out in the dunes where he heard a Bluethroat singing on the north side of the “lake”. Michael also found a bush where a Shrike pair are supposed to nest, but he had no luck finding the actual nest just yet. In the afternoon Bent came by to see how the two of us were doing before heading out to the coast to check on the fenced off breeding area of the Little terns and Collared plovers.

Later in the afternoon the wind died down a bit and so the nets were opened in both gardens. This resulted in ringing 4 juvenile Great tits and three recaptures.

One of the juvenile Great tits of the day

People at the station: Bent, Michael and Maxim