At last, the dusks are migrating and the first Løvsanger of the season in the nets!

Observation : 

The ducks have finally decided it’s the right time to migrate!
It was the first day with real movements and gatherings of migrating ducks (apart from the common scoters [sortand]).
Thomas joined us this morning and his help was precious in continuing to learn the details needed to identify each species, in different conditions and under different lighting. The three of us were just the right number to spot as many birds as possible. There were indeed large flocks of teals and barnacle geese which was really lovely to watch!

Highlights of the day : 
Eurasian teals [Krikand] - 363
Wigeons [Pibeand] - 95
Barnacle goose [Bramgås] - 245
Red-breasted merganser [Toppet Skallesluger] - 52 

Todays observations can be seen here.

Ringing :

Today was windier than expected and Rose and only opened some nets in the station garden. We had a rather quiet morning with few birds in the nets but for that a rather high species diversity. So we took some time to take pictures for you reading the Blog :-)

Lesser Redpoll "Lille Gråsisken", hun. Picture by Rose.

Chaffinch "Bogfinke", han. Picture by Rose.

Gråsisken "Siskin" , han. Picture by Rose.

And although it was a slow morning, already the first round brought us a little highlight which just arrived here from Africa: The first Willow Warbler “Løvsanger” of the season arrived in our nets! What I really like about spring is the arrival of migrants, that we did not see in winter and finding the first species of Africa migrants eighter in the field or catching them in the nets is always special.

The first Willow Warbler "Løvsanger" of the season! Picture by Rose.

Later in the morning, Bent came by at the station to go on his walk and join the observers for a bit. He said, it was a rather early one for the station, so I checked in the database when the first Willow Warblers “Løvsanger” arrived over the last ten years. Last year, I ringed the first here at the station on the 12^th of April. But the year before in 2024, Morten had the first the same day, also on the 9^th. These two were the earliest within the last ten years. In 2021 they arrived at the latest in that period, the first was ringed the 25^th of April!

Bent also found the first Wheatears “Stenpikker” in the dunes at Blåvandshuk, tomorrow I am planning a nice long walk in the bog and am hoping to see some as well! Hopefully, the military area will be open.

The moths:

Catching moths this year at Blåvand was a bit of a test of patience. It was so cold in March and often the weather was not good, so I had very few species and individuals so far. But slowly it is picking up. Today I had six species. One was new for the season and also new for me, the March Moth “Alsophila aescularia”.

March Moth “Alsophila aescularia”. Picture by Hanelie.

In the early evening, Lou arrived, she is an intern at Aarhus university and will check our bat detector. She will be with us for one night and continue checking more bat detectors in Denmark tomorrow.

At the station: Clara Delahaye, Rosemary Fricke, Jorn De Jong, Thomas Kristiansen, Hanelie Sidhu and Lou