This week’s photo was captured from the Beleef de Lente kestrel cam a few minutes ago. I didn’t get much work done this afternoon because I’ve been watching a few of the chicks take turns sitting on the ledge, watching their parents fly by, nipping at bugs and preening in the wind. I’m hoping to see a fledge – I’ve got six chances.
I’ve been spending way too much time watching the birdcams from Vogelbescherming’s Beleef de Lente site lately. Vogelbescherming is the Dutch BirdLife partner and Beleef de Lente roughly translates to Experience Spring.
There are six cams this season. I’ve been most interested in the pair of Common Kestrels (Torenvalken) raising six chicks. The sixth hatch was on 25 May so they should all fledge within about two weeks (typical fledge is 27 to 32 days).
Like the other cams on the site, highlights are mentioned on the left side of the screen so you can catch up on what was missed. The highlights for this nest were the laying of all six eggs (two days apart each) and the hatch dates (between 23 and 25 May).
Highlight videos are linked on the right side of the streaming cam. These are great to watch and sometimes there are cute or funny captions added by the webmaster. You can watch the chicks get ringed (zes torenvalken geringd), a Barn Owl ‘visiting’ the nest box (kerkuil komt weer kijken) and many more.
Today we visited Madurodam, the smallest city in the Netherlands. The popular tourist attraction near the Hague is a model of a Dutch town at a 1:25 scale, composed of typical Dutch buildings and landmarks. There were a lot of Jackdaws walking around the tiny streets and buildings. This was actually quite funny to watch and with a little imagination they were like giant birds straight out of a bad monster movie.
For the third year in a row the Dutch White-tailed Eagles at Oostvaardersplassen in the Netherlands have successfully hatched, and this time there are two chicks. Until recently it was thought that Europe’s largest bird of prey would never breed in the Netherlands again. Twelve years ago the WWF tried to introduce the eagle back into the Netherlands, but this plan never materialized. The birds in the Oostvaardersplassen have come to the Netherlands on their own and have received much media attention.
A webcam that was placed at the nest recorded one chick in 2006 and another one in 2007. This year the eagles decided to nest somewhere else and left the cam-fitted nest. This week two new chicks were spotted by chance in photos made from a bird-counting plane of Staatsbosbeheer, an organization that controls and conserves Dutch forests. This is the first time that two little White-tailed Eagles were born at the site.
Source: Twee zeearendjongen in Flevoland
A 70-year-old Belgian was arrested by Dutch police in Liempde last Saturday for possessing 32 illegally-held birds. The birds, including Chaffinches and two types of lark, were found to be illegally ringed. The handler was fined €1250.
The birds were confiscated by authorities and will be examined. If they are healthy the birds will be released into the wild.
In recent years the Netherlands has seen an increase in illegal bird trade. In this case the police were tipped off by a citizen.
An original copy of one of the world’s most valuable books, John James Audubon’s Birds of North America, is on display at the oldest museum of the Netherlands. The exhibit Vogels van Formaat runs at the Teylers Museum in Haarlem until 20 January 2008.
The proprietor of the museum at the time the book was published in the early 1800’s purchased one of the original Double Elephant Havell Editions of the book. Read Arthur’s account of our visit to the exhibit.
The town of Meppel has won the first ‘Stadsvogelprijs’, or City Bird Prize. BirdLife (Vogelbescherming) in Holland has created the City Bird competition to stimulate bird life in city centers.
The town of Meppel has won the prize for the new Berggierslanden subdivision, a new neighborhood with space for both people and birds. Swallow nest holes have been built into new home roofs, bird perches have been hung though the neighborhood and the gardens have been planned with city birds in mind.
Other cities nominated for the prize this year were Capelle aan den IJssel, Hardenberg and Utrecht.
The Dutch wildlife protection agency Het Flevolandschap is working on a scheme they are calling “Plan Roerdomp” (Plan Bittern) The plan has been devised to create more suitable habitat for such vulnerable species as the Great Bittern, Western Marsh Harrier, and Great Egret.
The existing reedbed in Flevoland is too dry for most marsh birds. By dredging along the reed-bed in the western part of the Lepelaarplassen, the area should become wetter and a better habitat for birds.
Preparations for the first dredgings are underway. Het Flevolandschap will try to limit disruptions to walking and cycle paths, and of course to the birds and animals that live in the area.
The Black Grouse used to be a common sighting in the Dutch Veluwe natural area, but the bird has virtually died out there. The bird is only seen now in the Sallandse Heuvelrug, but there is a plan to reintroduce the bird to Gelderland.
Thirty Black Grouse (25 females and 5 males) were released in Gelderland earlier this month. The bird has declined in the Netherlands due to loss of heathland habitat.
This Sunday songbirds and their keepers are welcome in the Natuurhistorisch Museum in Rotterdam. Owners are advised that the birds must be kept in a cage.
A special songbird show will take place in the museum on Sunday. Film, audio presentations and live music will accompany the show, and the addition of live songbirds will add to the atmosphere.
The exhibit is based on a recent study by the University of Leiden that shows difference in the singing patterns between city birds and country birds. City birds have been noted to sing much more loudly than country birds, for example.
Visitors to the exhibit that bring along a pet bird will be granted free entrance.
Source: Met je zangvogel naar het museum
