Windy day brings forth the sandpipers

I (Mathilde) arrived to the station on Monday to stay until the end of the week. I have been spending the time so far getting reacquainted with Blåvand, which I have missed over the winter. It is so nice to be back for a taste of early spring birds and spent time with people at the station.

Today was another windy day - with wind up to 14 m/s as well as rain we could not open the nets today either. Instead, I went on a walk when the rain stopped mid-morning out over the heath and through to Reginevej, where I found a singing robin.

Hanelie saw a woodcock (skovsneppe) in the station garden, so hopefully we could catch one in the nets soon enough!

Clara counted the resting birds at the beach, when they returned after the worst of the stormy morning.

Todays observations can be seen here.

Later Hanelie and I went out to Grønningen where there were a range of birds foraging in the wet fields.

Mathilde watching the Purple Sandpipers "Sortgrå Ryle". Picture by Hanelie

The golden plovers (hjejle) were numerous with a flock of 28 and currently changing to their summer plumage, as well as lapwings (vibe), turnstones (stenvender), wigeons (pibeand), teals (krikand) and starlings (stær).

Lapwing "Vibe", picture by Hanelie

We found a group of purple sandpipers, which were nice to see so close and interesting to see them not at the coast - perhaps they sought shelter because of the strong winds and high waves. On the way back there were grey herons flying and a multitude of gulls as we biked back against the wind.

Hanelie looking for birds on the fields. Picture by Mathilde.