The return of the GOAT

Ringing:

Observation:

Northwesterlies. Again. You know what that means: Awesome day for birds in Blåvand! I know it makes no sense but today turned out quite well.

The standardized observation this morning didn't have too many birds. We barely scratched 100 Meadow pipits (Anthus pratensus) and the same with Common Scoters (Melanitta nigra).

The highlight of the morning was myself spotting a shearwater that didn't look like all the others I've been seeing all season. I quickly mumbled to Anton: "Shearwater out there now... Not sooty. It's a Manx!". Anton quickly agreed and we got it reported to the birders around. A lifer for myself and to be self-found was a dream. We've only had one other this season on the 2nd of August seen by the spanish observation team, so all of us on the beach were quite pleased. Additionally this bird came maybe only 50m away from the shore, so the looks were quite a bit better than the majority of shearwater observations.

With the low numbers we decided to evacuate after obs anyway, which also turned out to be quite a good decision. only 10 minutes after arriving back at the station, the seasons first Northern Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) came flying towards the station. I myself ran from my slumber on the couch and saw it land in a tree in our garden, and show off for 10 minutes in the top of our trees. This individual was the subspecies "Thickbilled" (ssp. caryocatactes). These are to my understanding the most common guests in Denmark, but this last week the biggest invasion has been of the siberian "Slender-billed" subspecies. So this made our obs a bit more special than all the other (This is not just me coping for it not going in our nets).

Our very own Northern Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes caryocatactes ). Captured by Anton Ræbild Jensen

A Yellow-browed warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus) was also heard in the station garden around 2pm. As this being the individual ringed earlier in the day can't be ruled, it ends as a footnote on todays blog.

Blåvand x Birds = greatest lovestory of all time

Todays observations:

At the station: Strummer, Johan, Anton, Alex, Bello, Britt