Thanks to a generous local birder I had the opportunity to explore a bit of Northern Zealand.
Considering that half my readers are still in Canada - to be honest I thought you would have all left by now (thanks for staying)! - I think it might be a good idea to show you where that is. Not many people in NAmerica really 'know' where Denmark is on the map let alone Zealand. To be honest I didn't either until about a month before coming here.
So, here's the geography lesson:
Denmark is in Northern Europe, directly North of Germany and right next to South Western Sweden - within 4 km at one point):
Now find Copenhagen. It's on the central east coast of the island in the center - that island happens to be called Zealand (Sjaelland in Danish):
A closer look at the island and the place marker shows you where I was:
And in real life:
Finally some real ocean, not that wimpy calm stuff that I've had to put up with for the last 3 months around Copenhagen!
Anyway, maybe I've got you excited for some new great birds? Well you're out of luck today. It was a bit of a slow day but great company and exploring new areas compensated for the lack of birds.
Nevertheless, the bird highlights included several Goldcrests (the equivalent to Kinglets in NA), some heard only Common Crossbills (aka Red Crossbills - my first for Denmark) and 9 adult Gannets which I thought was late but apparently some of them actually winter in the Baltic Sea (that's the sea next to Denmark - I can see some Danes shaking their heads right now)!
And in the other direction of the Gannets was this small house where the setting of Hamlet took place:
What do you think the next two photos have in common?
Answer to come another day...
An article about the effects of global warming on bird migration. Something that many people have trouble seeing the direct effects of but for birders it can be painfully obvious.
