Danish bird news for April

A summary of Danish bird news for April, courtesy of Rolf Christensen based in Skagen (the northerly tip of Denmark and one of the best spring migration sites in Europe).

Hereby April 2009 Danish Bird News,

The 4th Bonaparte's Gull for Denmark (a first summer) - and the first away from Nordjylland harbours - was claimed flying past four observers at Rørvig, Vestsjælland on 21st. An adult drake Black Scooter was photographed
off Danzigmand, Læsø, Nordjylland on 11th-12th and 16th (perhaps the 2007 individual there, and therefore the 3rd Danish record?). An Alpine Accentor was photographed and supsequently twitched at Spodsbjerg, Nordsjælland on
12th. Amazingly, during April-March up to about 10 each of Great Nothern Diver and White-billed Divers were seen from a ship off the island of Anholt in the sea of Kattegat. A very unseasonal Balearic Shearwater flew past
Hirtshals, Nordjylland on 24th (the is just one earlier spring record, from May, and all other records are from July-October) . A record 29 Shags were at three Nordjylland sites during April including 27 past Skagen (probably
flying from Sweden to Norway) with flocks up to 10 (following two flocks of 13 in March). An adult Purple Heron was photographed at Værnengene, Vestjylland on 25th. A Short-toed Eagle flew past Aborrebjerg, Møn on
29th. A 2nd cal Spotted Eagle attempted to migrate out to sea towards Sweden at Skagen, Nordjylland on 25th. A 2nd cal Steppe Eagle was claimed near Haslev, Sydsjællad on 27th. The 2nd cal female Snowy Owl (regarded as
the Dutch bird) was still at Nordjylland at no less than four sites during 3rd-18th up to 200 km. apart, and on 23rd April a 2nd or 3rd cal male was photographed at Skagen, Nordjylland before migrating out to sea towards
Sweden in the evening (it was by some identified as the Belgian bird from this winter). A Black-winged Stilt was at Vest Stadil Fjord, Vestjylland on 17th-20th. A Short-toed Lark was at Korsør, Vestsjælland 26th, and a record
19 Firecrests were ringed during March-April at Gedser Fyr, Falster.

Other April birds include six Yellow-billed Divers, three Great Northern Divers, a new Danish record 325 Black-throated Divers past Hyllekrog, Lolland on 20th, an unseasonal Sooty Shearwater past Sydlangeland, Fyn (in
the Baltic Sea) on 27th, a record 18 Great White Egrets, four Little Egrets, just four Black Storks, two Lesser White-fronted Geese, two Black Brants, two Red-breasted Geese, a drake American Wigeon at Tipperne during
31st March to 6th April, Vestjylland, five drake Green-winged Teal, a drake Ferruginous Duck, ten Red-crested Pochards, a drake Ruddy Duck, a near record 13 Pallid Harriers, two Lesser Spotted Eagles, three 2nd cal Gyr
Falcons, the earliest ever spring Grey Phalarope past Skagen, Nordjylland on 27th, five 2nd cal Iceland Gulls, two Caspian Terns, four Gull-billed Terns including two near the former breeding site at Fanø, Vestjylland, six
Hoopoes, two Bee-eaters, the sole remaining Crested Lark in Denmark still at Hirtshals, Nordjylland during 1st-24th, a very early Tawny Pipit on 15th past Rørvig, Vestsjælland, five Red-rumped Swallows, eleven singing male
Savi's Warblers, a perhaps record early 2nd cal Collared Flycatcher at Gribskov, Nordsjælland on 19th-23rd, six Nutcrackers, a late Coue's Arctic Redpoll ringed at Blåvand, Vestjylland on 13th and just two Ortolan Buntings.

Source: Netfugl.dk, DOFbasen.dk

best regards,
Rolf Christensen/ Skagen Fuglestation