Category Archives: Europe

Game Warden Arrested For Illegally Moving Pheasants

by Amy Posted on 6 December 2006

A 62-year-old game warden from Assen, the Netherlands, was arrested last week for having 40 pheasants in his car. The police were conducting a routine ‘control’ (random traffic stops) when an officer noticed moving gunnysacks in the backseat of the perpetrator’s car.

Ten sacks each held four living birds. The man was arrested for transporting the birds without having rings and not in proper cages. The warden was in possession of the birds for some days before being caught. It is thought that he planned to slaughter the birds for consumption or resell them.

The man risks losing his hunting license.

Source: Jachtopzichter rijdt rond met levende fazanten

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Posted in Netherlands, Offbeat | Leave a comment

Track Dutch Geese Via www.Goosetrack.nl

by Amy Posted on 1 December 2006

Each year approximately 1.5 million geese overwinter in the Netherlands. The mild weather and abundance of meadows and fields make the birds feel at home. With such a large migratory goose population, the country has some responsibility in their welfare. Through an extensive ringing program, questions about the origins and habits of the geese can be answered.

The geese are ringed either around a leg or the neck. The markings are clear enough to be read through binoculars at a distance, to avoid the need to re-catch the same individuals multiple times.

The Goosetrack program will allow the public to contribute to the welfare of the Dutch geese by taking part via SMS and the Internet. Ring data can be sent to Goosetrack via SMS in the field. The site will open in the fall of 2006 and offer information about geese as well as the tracking information.

Source: Nederland is ganzenland

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Posted in Netherlands, Websites & Blogs | Leave a comment

Birds Don’t Migrate From Record Dutch Heat

by Amy Posted on 30 November 2006

Holland is experiencing the warmest fall season in three hundred years and the migratory birds that normally leave the area around this time aren’t going anywhere. Many migratory birds leave for the south of Europe at first frost. Lapwings, geese and song birds which should have migrated already have remained in Holland.

The mild weather has insured that the birds that have remained in the Netherlands have plenty to eat. Acorns and chestnuts are available in abundance. The warm temperatures also mean that birds don’t have to use extra energy to keep themselves warm.

Insect-eating birds have also had enough to eat in the mild autumn. The good fortunes of the birds remaining in northern Europe can change quickly once the first frost arrives.

Source: Vogels blijven langer door warm najaar

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Posted in Europe, Migration, Netherlands | Leave a comment

Duck Hunting Disallowed In Friesland

by Amy Posted on 23 November 2006

A judge in the Frisian town of Leeuwarden placed a ban on duck hunting last Friday. Frisian government officials had previously granted hunters the right to shoot wild ducks in case the birds might cause damage (to property). The Dutch wildlife protection group Faunabescherming found this allowance too vague and took it up with the courts.

The province must now draft a new law if it wishes to allow duck hunting. The law must be more clearly written.

Source: Streep door afschieten wilde eenden in Friesland

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Posted in Aside, Law, Netherlands | Leave a comment

Unprotected Dutch Natural Monument Is Deadly For Red Knots

by Amy Posted on 19 November 2006

The migratory path of the European Red Knot brings it to the Wadden Sea flats in the northern part of the Netherlands each year. There, the birds feed on cockles before continuing their migration, which can be up to 16,000 kilometers in distance. The flats are protected by two different acts, yet suction dredging was sanctioned by the Dutch authorities until 2004. As a result, the cockles’ meat has diminished significantly, causing a quarter of the Red Knot population to have died out. Read more about the Red Knots at New Scientist.

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Posted in Aside, Endangered, Migration, Netherlands | Leave a comment

Birder Disturbs Osprey Nest, Fined £300

by Amy Posted on 18 November 2006

A birdwatcher in Scotland has been fined £300 for pitching a tent 60 feet from the base of tree housing a nest used by a pair of ospreys. When he was discovered by RSPB officials, the adult ospreys were seen circling around the nest, one with a fish in its mouth, apparently afraid to return to the nest because of the tent. Read more about the incident in The Scotsman.

Fledgling Ospreys in Nest
Fledgling Ospreys in Nest by Mr. T in DC, on Flickr

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Posted in Aside, Europe, Law | Leave a comment

Prince Charles Pledges Albatross Support

by Amy Posted on 15 November 2006

“Estimates suggest that 100,000 albatrosses are inadvertently killed each year by long-line fishing boats, particularly from boats in the Southern Ocean catching highly-prized species like tuna, toothfish and swordfish.” Speaking at a premiere for the film ‘Race to Save the Albatross’, the Prince of Wales spoke of his support for BirdLife International’s campaign to save albatrosses from extinction. Read the full story.

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Posted in Aside, Charity, Endangered, Europe | Leave a comment

Long-Billed Murrelet Lost In The UK

by Amy Posted on 14 November 2006

“A rare sighting of a North Pacific bird has attracted more than 1,500 birdwatchers to a Devon seaside town. Enthusiasts from as far as Durham and Manchester have come to Dawlish for a glimpse of the Long-billed Murrelet. Devon Birdwatch Preservation Society spokesman Mike Langman said it was the first ever sighting in the UK, and the second in Europe.” Read more about the murrelet at the BBC.

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Posted in Aside, Europe, Rare / Vagrant | Leave a comment

Golden Eagle Contender For Scottish National Bird

by Amy Posted on 7 November 2006

Worldwide, 90 countries have adopted a national bird, from the Bald Eagle in the United States, to the Frigatebird of Antigua and the Kiwi of New Zealand. Scotland may soon join those ranks as it is considering naming the Golden Eagle the Scottish national bird. Read more about the process in the Scotsman news article.

Golden Eagle 3a
Golden Eagle 3a by ahisgett, Creative Commons on Flickr

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British Gardening Habits Bad For Birds

by Amy Posted on 3 November 2006

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds says that modern British gardening habits, including paving of front gardens and deck construction, are contributing to a decline in the bird population. By reducing lawns and plants, the availability of insects that birds need when raising their chicks has been limited. The RSPB says this links directly to the dramatic decline of the house sparrow. Read more, including what you can do to stop the trend, in the Telegraph article RSPB links decking to decline in birds.

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Posted in Aside, Europe, Yard Birds | Leave a comment