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Arctic Warbler in Haurvig

On October 15, 2024, an Arctic Warbler (Phylloscopus borealis) was found in a holiday house area at Haurvig south of Hvide Sande. This was only the 11th time the species has been seen in Denmark, so it must be said to be a fairly rare bird. But it was far too far away for us to tweet it. We couldn’t get away right away anyway due to work and other tasks. But the Northern Warbler was seen at the same location in the following days. With a bit of luck, it might have stayed long enough for us to get a chance when we were about to go on our fall vacation.

Autumn holiday at the Wadden Sea

It has become a tradition for us to drive to Southern Jutland and the Wadden Sea in October for birdwatching. We thought about starting our vacation with a trip to Haurvig by Ringkøbing Fjord and trying to see the Northern Warbler. But if we did, it would surely have flown on. We decided to stick to the original plan and, drive towards Højer and Vidåslusen.

After some lovely days in the border region, we had now ended up in Ribe. The previous days had been very birdy and eventful. We had experienced the impressive sight of thousands of geese, ducks, and waders on both sides of the Danish-German border. Of course, we had also experienced the “black sun” – when hundreds of thousands of starlings fly to spend the night in the reed beds. This year it took place at Hassberger See, whereas last year it was at Rudbøl Lake, which is a few kilometers away. We got to see some great formations, as a Blue Jay, in the last light of the day, might have been hoping for dinner. Regardless of its luck, it got all the starlings on the wing to the delight of the many “Stare-gazers” in attendance! See the video at the bottom of the post.

It wasn’t all birds. We ate at our favorite Greek restaurant in Niebüll. We visited the Wadden Sea Center, which is highly recommended, and finally, I went shopping for hiking shoes and rubber boots on Rømø.

The bird was still in place

During Tuesday afternoon, the Northern Warbler was again reported on BirdAlarm. So it was still “in place”. It was less than 100 km from Ribe to Haurvig. We were so close to the bird that I thought we had to try to get it. But that would have to wait until the next day. It was getting late and the sun was setting – and we were hungry too!

As we walked through the old town of Ribe, we met our friends Ole and Anne Marie by chance for the second time on the trip. They were also on a birdwatching trip and a few days earlier we met them at Vidåslusen. As they were also looking for a place to have dinner, we quickly agreed to have dinner together. The choice fell on restaurant Sælhunden and it was both cozy and quite excellent.

During the evening, there was no wind and the sky was clear. The temperature had also dropped considerably, but it was still quite mild for the season. We heard several Windroses flying over the campervan parking lot in Ribe. It just so happened that the Northern Warbler, a nocturnal migrant, would take advantage of the night’s perfect conditions and move on!

Searching and waiting

On Wednesday, October 23, 2024, we left Ribe before the sun rose. There was no time for morning coffee before departure, so we bought it during a pit stop in Varde to refuel the car.

It had been light for a while when, after an hour and a half, we arrived at Haurvig and the cottage area. We quickly found the place where the Arctic Warbler had been staying – at least until yesterday (October 22). Although most twitchers and other birdwatchers had long since passed by and “checked” the bird, we were not the only ones this morning. Four others were already in place – including Henrik Knudsen and Ole Amstrup. Both are really good birders, so the chances of finding the bird were good – if it was still there! But no one had seen or heard the Northern Warbler!

For a long time, we stood around the place where the Arctic Warbler had been staying the previous days. Apart from a couple of Goldcrests and a single Chiffchaff, they were quiet bird-wise. We took a walk around the area to spread out the search. This yielded some other small birds and we possibly caught a glimpse of a Yellow-browed Warbler, but no Arctic Warbler.

Finally payoff!

It took more than an hour of searching, listening, and waiting before something finally happened. We were back where we started when Knudsen suddenly shouted: “There it is!”. Fortunately, we weren’t far from where he was standing and we quickly arrived behind him. BEST got a good look at the bird and I caught a glimpse of it just as it took off and flew across the road and disappeared into the bushes!

Yes! Fortunately, the warbler was still in place. But we wanted to see it again, preferably a little better and for longer. Some time went by before we heard the bird calling (and I got a recording of the call). And then it appeared again. This time it was quite cooperative for 5-10 minutes before hiding again. Everyone was happy, and everyone got a good look at the bird and some even got some excellent photos. My photos can best be classified as useful “documentation photos”.

We got a “lifer” and in my opinion a cool one at that. But beyond the “tick”, it was a great experience. Not only because you see the bird – and really well. But also because of the excitement and redemption (when you succeed). And it’s also always really nice to meet and talk to other birders.

We took a chance and twitched an Arctic Warbler (Phylloscopus borealis) in Haurvig – several days after the bird was found. And luckily we managed to see the bird!

All photos and video © Bente Steffensen & Uffe Damm Andersen, unless otherwise stated.