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Blåvandshuk

Region of Southern Denmark  >  Denmark

Western-most point of Denmark with sandy beaches, dunes, seasonal wet hollows and heath. Good for migrating birds and a hotspot for rare migrants.

Added* by Henrik Böhmer
Most recent update 28 March 2023

Description

Year-round, the area is good for coastal birds and in the migratory seasons, there is a concentration of migrating birds over both sea and land.

In the winter, you can see great flocks of Common Scoter and Velvet Scoter, and it is a good place for Long-tailed Duck, Sanderling and different species of gulls, including Caspian Gull and sometimes Glaucous Gull.

In the spring, ringing/banding of birds take place at the ringing center. during April and May, many passerines pass through, totalling around 2000 ringed birds every season. Seawatching is good from middle of April and you can observe great migration of Red-throated Diver, wildfowls and terns and occasionally Arctic Skua, mixed with other arctic species.

The spring is quickly replaces with autumn, as the wader migration start in the end of June and peak at the end of July with great numbers of arctic waders. Especially on days with wind from south-east, the colorfull waders are numerous and the mixed flock just keep coming.

The general autumn from end of August is what local and national birds are waiting for every year. With the point reaching out in the North Sea and the long coast line to the north, Blåvandshuk becomes the center for all migration on the west-coast of Denmark. In good weather, thousands of passerines, geese, ducks and other coastal birds pass through. In windy conditions, the scene changes and focus is finding scarce seabirds, such as Leach's Storm Petrel, Sooty Shearwater, Manx Shearwater, Red Phalarope and Sabine's Gull.

The Blåvand area one of the best places i Denmark to find rare birds. The list includes several new-to-the-country, e.g. White-winged Scoter, Green Warbler, Two-barred Warbler, Long-tailed Shrike and Cirl Bunting. The area is known for regular Siberian passerines with severalYellow-browed Warbler and yearly Richard's Pipit.

Details

Access

The is easy access to the area, using the highway and parking at the lighthouse (free parking). Looking to the east from the parking lot, you see the observatory and ringing station as a big, grey building. The station is manned from March to medio June and again from medio July to november - and you are always welcome to say hallo. If you ask nicely, the ringer might even take you on a tour. From the parking lot there is easy access to the best birds points. In the spring, the best place for watching migratory birds is from the high dunes between the parking lot and the beach. In the autumn, the best place is a little to the north, following the outermost dunes. The hot spot is located on a high dune just south of the military watch-tower.

Terrain and Habitat

Beach , Scattered trees and bushes , Grassland , Moors/heathland , Sea , Dunes

Conditions

Sandy , Dry , Open landscape , Flat

Circular trail

No

Is a telescope useful?

Can be useful

Good birding season

Spring , Autumn , Summer

Best time to visit

Spring migration , Autumn migration

Route

Paved road , Unpaved road

Difficulty walking trail

Average walk

Accessible by

Foot , Bicycle , Car

Birdwatching hide / platform

No

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