Danish list rockets...150 up!

Moulting adult Black Tern (species 150 for me in Denmark)











Adult Arctic Tern





Waders are now passing through in large numbers with 100s of Knot and 1000s of Lapwing being logged at coastal sites. A Sunday evening visit to the lagoons at Kongelunden and Kofoeds Enge produced 17 species of wader including several new species for my Danish list. On the lagoons were 4 Avocets, 1 Whimbrel, 8 Redshank, 6 Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 5 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Wood Sandpiper (144) 36 Oystercatcher, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 14 Snipe, 12 Ringed Plover, 2 Little Ringed Plover (145), 9 Dunlin, 3 Curlew Sandpiper (146), 28 Knot (147) and 1 Turnstone (148). This lot were supported by a lone Stock Dove (149), a single Black Tern (150) and several Arctic Terns, including 2 juveniles. Not a bad evening. But not as good as the Swedish birders who on 8 July logged a Yellow-nosed Albatross off Malmo harbour - a stunning record (and almost 'scopable' from Copenhagen!). You can see a photo at:

http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=17433

Amazingly this bird was last seen flying inland which is a bit odd but consistent with the UK sightings - in Somerset and Lincolnshire - in the days before this sighting.

Autumn is here!

Autumn is here already! On a dawn visit to Kongelunden and Klydesoen (the southern tip of Amager) today there were signs that, at least for some migrants, the summer is over and they are beginning their trip south to wintering grounds. I flushed 3 Green Sandpipers and a Common Sandpiper at the beach and then, after a nice flock of 8 Bar-tailed Godwits (species 141) flew east, I wandered up to Klydesoen, the freshwater lagoon, where I was treated to over 20 Ruff (142), a handful of Spotted Redshank (143), 3 Greenshank and about 30+ Snipe. These are probably failed breeders that see no reason to hang around breeding grounds any more (a bit like lonely bachelors or spinsters) and begin their journey south a bit early (to secure the best spots by the pool in Africa). Also present were no less than 3 Great White Egrets! The Great White (as we call 'em) is a rare bird in Denmark and 3 together is unprecedented. Always nice to see, especially as I have never seen one in the UK (ok, I'm a dude..). Danish list now stands at 143.

Just married

After just over 3 and a half years, Libby and I were married on 30 June in Middleton, near Pickering in North Yorkshire. We had an absolutely amazing day, surrounded by close family and good friends, despite the rain that came shortly after the service and persisted all afternoon and evening. We have just returned from our honeymoon, a walking holiday in Italy's Umbria hills with a couple of days by the coast on the Portofino peninsula. Female readers will be interested to know that Libby almost dropped her breakfast on the floor when she realised we were sitting on a table next to the actor Colin Firth in a hotel in Camogli. For those of you saying "Colin who?", he starred in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and film Bridget Jones's Diary, among other things (hence the female adoration). I, of course, didn't bat an eyelid... (ahum...)

Back in Copenhagen we heard screams from our flat window yesterday afternoon when the normally jolly and touristy Nyhavn was suddenly hit by a freak thunderstorm. It came from nowhere (seemingly out of the clear blue sky) and lasted just 2-3 minutes but with very sudden and torrential rain that seemed to stop and clear just as fast as it appeared. I have never seen anything quite like it but the silver lining was that it dispersed the crowds and stopped (if only temporarily) the very dodgy band that was playing "classic Danish tunes" as part of the city's ongoing Jazz Festival... Nice...