Spring is here (sort of)

Moin fellow bird enthusiasts! After nearly a week of lurking in the shadows of my fellow volunteers, it's high time I formally introduce myself. As the current station's team has already a resident chocolaholic, a lawyer, a master chef for aubergines and a budding gymnast, my dedication to list making completes the skill set. I am Lisa, a conservationist from Germany, and so excited to be at Blåvand for three weeks. This is one of the few places where I can camouflage my obsession for anything list related as important conservation work of serious significance.

But despite a fresh notepad and a sharpened pencil waiting in my coat’s pocket, the weather of the last few days has not yet brought the high counts during the morning sea watch that were so enthusiastically predicted. My pencil remains relatively sharpened after a rainy morning. However, a stroke of luck let us discover a forlorn Little Tern on the beach, looking utterly bedraggled by the harsh weather. As if we needed a more promptly reminder, thunder rumbling overhead provided the perfect soundtrack to retreat indoors.

Despite the dull weather, today’s guest Rune Søe Neergård braved the elements. Rumour has it that he possesses a sixth sense for gull identification, a skill as rare as finding a needle in a haystack (or a gull in a storm). After much deliberation, Rune proudly announced his conquest: a 3K Yellow-legged gull and an impressive count of 13 Caspian Gulls on the beach.

Our bird ringers were happy with todays’s work of ringing 36 birds, among which some “First’s of the season” got everyone leaving the house in a instant: Yesterday, we were teased by the elusive calls of the first Willow Warbler, playing a game of avian hide-and-seek. But today, victory was ours! We caught and ringed the first Willow Warbler of the season. An appropriate moment to refresh our Chiffchaff vs. Willow Warbler ID skills that had become rusty over the winter. Other highlights followed with the first Lesser Redpoll of the season and another Common Redstart. The Blackcaps are now becoming regular visitors.

So, there you have it – a day filled with rain, birds, and the unbeatable spirit of bird enthusiasts. As finally the sun (and not rain) goes down in Blåvand, I say good night to all my fellow feather-fanatics out there.