Welcome to the web-site of Skagen Birding Festival!
Skagen (or the Skaw) - at the very top of Denmark - is famous as the best spot in Northern Europe for observing bird migration in spring. Birds travelling from their winter quarters to breeding sites in Scandinavia and northern Russia pass this way. The season lasts from March to June, and hundreds of birders, including visitors from other countries, come here to enjoy the experience.
In 2005, the local BirdLife partner in Northern Jutland, DOF-Nordjylland, decided to organize a Birding Festival. The idea was to offer a series of activities to birders visiting the area at the same time as creating publicity for BirdLife Denmark, for the town of Skagen and – not least – for the birds themselves.
Rolf Christensen local birder ringen birds at Grenen |
For four hectic days in May a series of events attracted more than one thousand visitors. There were guided birdwalks in the area around Skagen, bird ringing, competitions and a bird race. An information centre was open throughout the festival.
The event proved so popular that it has been repeated on much the same basis the following years. Organizing the festival for 2008 is now in full swing.
The 2008 festival will take place from Thursday, May 1, up to and including Sunday, May 4.
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The old white lighthouse at the northernmost end of the town is the centre of the festival. It will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will house the information centre and an exhibition of paintings and drawings of birds and other themes from nature by a Danish artist. BirdLife Denmark will have a little stall near the lighthouse, where you can buy binoculars, telescopes and books. There will be guided walks and mist nets will be open at certain times of the day so that you can watch bird ringing and ask the ringers questions about their work and about the birds.
The Natural History Museum (Højen Station, near Flagbakken) will be open and admission will be free for the period of the Festival.
If you have any questions about the 2008 Birding Festival you are welcome to contact the festival co-ordinator:
Kurt Rasmussen
Tel.: +45 40 21 64 77
e-mail: kurt@dofnord.dk |
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Read more about the birds and birding in Skagen
Please note that this web-site is still under construction. There may be more information available later on. Last update: February 16 2008.
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