Heligoland is a small rock in the middle of the German Bight (part of the North Sea). In autumn it is used by thousands and thousands of passerines who cut off the German Bight on their autumn migration. The lucky ones that is, one can only wonder how many birds won’t make their short cut and end up in sea… The ones that make it to Heligoland crash in the first bit of land, bush, beach or whatever they can find. Friday was Chiffchaff day. In the Sea-Buckthorn and Rose Hips on the northern beach literally thousands and thousands of Chiffchaffs were feeding on insects. Wherever you looked, you saw these little birds flying, feeding, sometimes even fighting.

The next day we had another look, but almost all Chiffchaffs were gone, replaced by Chaffinches and Bramblings…