From Dawn to Dusk: Embracing Nature's Beauty at the Fuglestation

The day began with Strummer, Louis, and me setting up the mist nets. After that, Louis and I headed to the beach for our usual morning observation. While we walked towards the "Pælerækken," a gentle southwest breeze (4m/s) accompanied us, along with a breathtaking sunrise that painted the sky in captivating shades of red. During our observation, we saw a total of 66 Oystercatchers (Strandskade), 153 Red Knots (Islandsk Ryle), 49 Redshanks (Rödben), 25 Turnstones (Stenvender), two Ruffs (Brushane), five Arctic Skuas (Almindelig Kjove), one Kestrel (Tarnfalk), and one Osprey (Fiskeörn), all migrating southwards. The most exciting part was witnessing a Skua mobbing an Osprey which was trying to migrate – an incredible sight. You can find a comprehensive list of all observations here.

A Skua mobbing an Osprey - Photo: Louis Poulsen 

Bent and Strummer caught 25 birds today, which included two Common Whitethroats (Tornsanger), three Garden Warblers (Havesanger), one Chiffchaff (Gransanger), one Willow Warbler (Lövsanger), nine Tree Sparrows (Skovspurv), two Common Chaffinches (Bogfinke), and four Bullfinches (Dompap). Due to a heavy rain shower, we had to close the nets at 10:30 AM.

Just as we finished closing the nets, Louis, who was sitting north of the lighthouse in hopes of spotting a Dotterel, called to inform us that a Honey Buzzard was flying over the dunes. We rushed to Louis's location and were fortunate enough to see this stunning raptor in action – a lifer for both Strummer and me.

Returning to the station, we reviewed the photos from today's observation, entered the collected data, and took a well-deserved nap. Afterwards, I hopped on the bike to grab some pizzas for dinner. As the day wound down, we enjoyed the food and cold drinks, reflecting on the awe-inspiring encounters with nature and wildlife that Blaavand generously provides. We are so thankful for the chance to work and reside at the Fuglestation, and are curious to see what the day will bring tomorrow.

People at the station: Louis Poulsen, Strummer Edwards, Joseph Stephan