Skagen

Since I have been living in Denmark I have heard so much about Skagen (the northern tip of Denmark) being a magical place in Spring for migration. It has a top class reputation and that is backed up by the records - Black-winged Kite, Bonelli's Eagle, Egyptian Vulture, Greater and Lesser Spotted Eagles, Steppe Eagle, Imperial Eagle, Three-toed Woodpecker, the list goes on and on. One look at a map tells you why Skagen is so good - it is effectively the northern tip of mainland western Europe and the narrow Skagen peninsula funnels northbound birds to the point at Grenen where birders wait with anticipation.

So when Henrik Højholm offered me a place to stay for a few nights in May this year, I jumped at the chance. As with most migration points, much is weather dependent and, unfortunately, my visit coincided with an unusual weather system that has meant that the winds have been predominantly from the north with very cold overnight temperatures - not the best for Spring migration. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and saw some very good birds, too. Diver passage was a real highlight with well over 1,000 Red-throated Divers, several Black-throated and a probable White-billed which, for me at least, was just not seen well enough to clinch. We also saw a female Surf Scoter, two Dotterel and probably Denmark's last Crested Lark at the last-known breeding site in Hirtshals. A young (3 cal yr) Golden Eagle was fantastic to see attempting to migrate several times from Grenen and we found a 2nd calendar year male Montagu's Harrier (see below). A stunning male Lapland Bunting in summer plumage was a great sight coming in off the sea and despite the cold weather there were also reasonable numbers of some of the more common migrants including Wood Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Redstart and, overhead, calling Tree Pipits and Yellow Wagtails were our constant companions. Raptor migration was disappointing (the eagle excepted) and the only falcons we saw were a couple of Kestrels (often at this time of year, especially in easterly winds, it is possible to see Hobbies and, if you are lucky, Red-footed Falcons). The stunning scenery makes Skagen all the more special and I hope I can make it back to experience it again in more favourable weather conditions.

I had fun putting together the video below - a summary of my visit to the tune of The Eels. Thanks to Henrik Højholm and Jimmy 'Skat' Hansen for their excellent company and for being my guides around this great site.

Photos: male Whinchat, Crested Lark and 2nd year male Montagu's Harrier

Birding at Skagen, Denmark from Terry Townshend on Vimeo.