Category Archives: Europe

Last Sunday a large group of Eurasian Griffon Vultures was spotted in Belgium. On Monday the first birds, a group of 40, flew over the Dutch border. Many more followed.

It is highly unusual to have such a large group of these raptors in the Lowlands. The vultures that have been spotted in the Netherlands normally live in southern Spain.

In 2003 a group of 18 Eurasian Griffon Vultures were seen in Holland. Over Tilburg earlier this week a group of as many as 60 individuals was noted, and another group of approximately 50 birds was seen at about the same time in Zeeland.

Thousands of breeding vulture pairs live in the Spanish Pyrenees. The Spanish birds are struggling to find food in their native land. Due to new EU regulations, cattle cadavers may no longer be left outside to deteriorate naturally. The scavenger birds have been venturing outside of their normal habitat in a desperate search for food.

In May Spanish media reported that starving vultures in the Burgos province were attacking living cattle. In one case a hundred vultures killed a cow and calf. The Dutch BirdLife group does not expect the same to happen in Holland, although the 2003 invaders did kill several young storks.

Dutch birdwatchers have been out in force, noting their sightings of the rare birds at www.waarneming.nl (also available in English) and causing site response time problems due to high traffic. Birders can note the time and place of a sighting, number of birds seen and include GPS coordinates, photos and comments with their sightings.

Source: De gieren komen eraan!

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In the past few decades the number of Cormorants in the Naardermeer wetland area of northern Holland has declined dramatically. In the 1980’s there were five thousand pairs of birds breeding in the area. Today there are just over 1000 pairs.

Cormorants brood in colonies in the Naardermeer area. They feed in deeper water, such as the Markermeer, which has become too turbulent for the birds to fish and hunt.

According to experts, the mass exodus from the Nardermeer by Cormorants has little impact on the Dutch population as a whole. In other areas the number of breeding pairs has increased, leaving the population of Cormorants in the Netherlands relatively stable.

Cormorants dive up to twenty meters below the water’s surface to search for food. The bird lacks the glossy fat that most diving ducks have, which allows it to dive deep underwater but leaves the birds soaking wet upon returning to the surface. Therefore when they are done feeding, Cormorants need to dry their feathers, which they do by standing with their wings spread-eagle in the sun and wind.

Source: Aalscholvers vertrekken massaal uit het Naardermeer

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The Dutch environmental group Natuurmonumenten has prepared an area in the Voorsterbos woods of Flevoland as an idea breeding zone for birds. The area, called Zwarte Hoek, or Black Corner, is 28 hectares.

Over the past winter excavating machines released water into the area. Over 26,000 square meters of earth was moved in order to make shallow ponds and streams – ideal feeding grounds for wading birds.

Visitors can view the new area from a bird hide placed on the Zwartemeerdijk.

Source: Zwarte Hoek na aanpassingen optimaal voor weidevogels

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The butterfly season in the Netherlands began about three weeks earlier than normal due to record high spring temperatures. Migratory birds that breed in the Netherlands will hatch their chicks too late to feed on caterpillars, and may suffer from lack of suitable food.

Information about the butterfly situation was published by a group from the Wageningen University that prepares a Nature Calendar each year. The calendar is used to report the progress of certain species.

Migratory birds like wheatears, cuckoos and swallows rely on abundant supplies of caterpillars each spring to feed their young. Most baby birds will hatch too late this year, after the caterpillars have already become butterflies.

Source: Jonge vogels missen rupsen

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