There is still a last year’s (since 1.1.2014 ) Ivory Gull (Pagophila eburnea) in the middle of this Danish fishing port. The gulls sits often on the kai, which can be reached from the northern side street of Kai Lindberg Gade. Sometimes it sits on the 2.5 meter high perimeter wall on the northern edge – unfortunately positioned directly against the bright sky. But sometimes it also flies around in the habour.
After many Birder visit the site over the weekend between Christmas and New Year, I could now see the seagull very well on New Year’s Day 2014 and photograph it well. A Danish Birder fed them occasionally, with fish remains and this is perhaps why it is there quite steady .
Ivory Gull at least in the middle of Europe is anything but a familiar sight. And also if you look at the their breeding range e.g. Spitsbergen / Svalbard, it is still not easy to photograph a specimen close enough. The birds are not extremely shy to humans, but they often stay in their breeding area on inaccessible areas.
Here in the fishing port the photographic conditions are extremely good, very close shots could be taken. In addition, during the period of my visit at least 2 Little Gulls (Hydrocoloeus minutus), a Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides) were present as well. A few days earlier also 2 Glaucous Gulls (Larus hyperboreus) could be admired in Hanstholm Havn, too. Other points of birding interest were a Velvet Scoter (Melanitta fusca) on a lake in Hanstedreservatet and a young female Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) located in the south of Hanstholm Hanstedreservatet or in Helbak Slette.
If you are also interested in these Palearctic rarities, you should not hesitate to go there. During my visit, I saw already Norwegian, Hungarian, Dutch birders with the many Danish birders as well. It might be advisable to stay close by. For this purpose, the reasonably cheap and clean hotel Harbor Inn directly vis-a -vis to the harbor ( Harbour Inn, Kai Lindberg Gade 71 , 7730 Hanstholm , Denmark, +45 97 96 11 45 ) is perfect.
In order to meet the growing demand for top images of the rarer species of Palaearctic Bird-lens.com has specifically made trips to remote places like the coastal mountains of western Norway or in the winter to a secluded harbor in Denmark. This to do everything to ensure excellent photos of the Birds of the Western Palearctic . The yield of pictures also of rare Western Palaearctic birds is very good. The beautiful pictures that you see in the gallery is just a first impression of what you will find behind the tab “Picture- Shop” very soon are. Just give a notice if you need a picture of a bird before the new images are online.