Thursday, May 29, 2025

Dogger Bank 09-13 May 2025 - Spring migration on a windfarm

I spent about a week on the Dogger Bank C development and once again there were quite a few birds to see. Maybe it had something to do with the size of the vessel (MUCH larger than the usual ones I work on) but the "island effect" was obvious with a disproportionate number of "good" birds compared to the commoner species.

A female Marsh Harrier sivhauk turned up on the evening of the 10th May and was present again the following morning.

Good numbers of insects and moths seen - the birds took advantage of these and seemed to catch quite a lot.

Gannet havsule - small numbers most days

Kittiwake krykkje - small numbers most days

Fulmar havhest - small numbers a few times

Marsh Harrier sivhauk  - female seen 09-10.05

Kestrel tårnfalk - a female present on 10.05

Peregrine vandrefalk - one hunting around the vessel on 12.05. Not the first time I've seen these on Dogger Bank - it could be that these birds regularly hunt far offshore?

Wheatear steinskvett (one male on the helideck 09.05)

Robin rødstrupe - one turned up on 13.05

Common Redstart rødstjert - a male onboard 12-13.05

Black Redstart svartrødstjert - a cracking male was seen on 13.05

Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper - a female turned up on 12.05 and stayed until the next day

Tree Pipit trepiplerke - one onboard 12-13.05

Swallow låvsvale - one on 11.05

Willow Warbler løvsanger - one onboard 12.05

Chiff-chaff gransanger (including singing birds and a potential tristis) 2+ present daily

Common Whitethroat tornsanger  11-12-05

Reed Warbler rørsanger 11-12.05





Male Black Redstart svartrødstjert

Chiff-chaff gransanger with tick




Female Marsh Harrier sivhauk

Female Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper

Some Racing Pigeons brevdue turned up as they so often do

Male Common Redstart rødstjert

Reed Warbler rørsanger with a freshly caught moth - I saw it catch several during it's stay onboard

Tree Pipit trepiplerke



Tristis Chiff-chaff sibirgransanger candidate. Looked good in every way but I didn't hear it call
A rare spring sighting! Normally these are an autumn thing....


A couple of the moth species seen onboard
Answers on a postcard please:)
Angle Shades (thanks Alf Tore!)




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