Category Archives: Europe

Distracted by Common Kestrels

by Amy Posted on 12 June 2008

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.

Common Kestrels get ringed in the Netherlands
eyas-napping in zes torenvalken geringd
(more…)

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Posted in Netherlands, Webcams | Leave a comment

BirdLife Malta Volunteers Face Danger in the Field

by Amy Posted on 24 April 2008

Volunteers working in the field for BirdLife Malta have faced danger as they report on illegal hunting and trapping activities. Earlier this week a car belonging to volunteers of the Spring Watch Camp was vandalized. Two tires were cut and the windshield was smashed.

In a separate incident this season, vandals left pieces of wood with nails in them along the path of volunteers’ cars, in an attempt to puncture the tires. The volunteers are reporting on direct violations to the EU Birds Directive.

Source: Spring Watch Camp volunteers face increasing threats and attacks

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Posted in Europe, Law, Malta | Leave a comment

Black Lark Attracts UK Twitchers

by Amy Posted on 23 April 2008

A Black Lark has been spotted by British birders at the sand dunes of Winterton-on-Sea. The bird was first reported by a Winterton-on-Sea resident on Sunday afternoon. Since the sighting was posted online, hundreds of twitchers have come to Winterton-on-Sea to try and get a glimpse of the rare bird.

The Black Lark is native to Russia and Kazakhstan. It has only been seen in the United Kingdom twice before: once in 1984 and again in 2003.

Source: What a LARK! Twitchers throng lonely coastline as rare bird visits Britain for only third time ever

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Posted in Europe, Rare / Vagrant | Leave a comment

Birds Before Wind Farm in Scotland

by Amy Posted on 22 April 2008

wind turbine and birdsPlans for the construction of a £500m onshore wind farm in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland have been rejected by Scottish ministers because of the significant adverse impact it would have on rare and endangered birds in the area. The wind farm, which would be one of Europe’s largest, had been objected to by nearly 11,000 islanders and has been in the middle of a controversy since 2005.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) says the wind farm could wreak havoc on an environmentally sensitive area. The Golden Eagle is one of the protected bird species in the area.

Source: Endangered birds come first: Scottish ministers say no to huge wind farm on Lewis peatland

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The Giant Jackdaws of Madurodam

by Amy Posted on 18 April 2008

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.

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Posted in Netherlands, Offbeat | 1 Comment

Two New Baby White-tailed Eagles

by Amy Posted on 18 April 2008

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

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Fine for Illegal Birds in Dutch Liempde

by Amy Posted on 3 April 2008

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.

Source: Flinke boete voor illegale vogels Liempde

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Posted in Asia, Law, Netherlands | Leave a comment

Bird Nest Leads to Family Deaths in Germany

by Amy Posted on 1 April 2008

A bird’s nest in a chimney in a home in Herne, west Germany, has lead to the death of three family members. A 41-year-old woman, her 18-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son died from carbon monoxide poisoning when the bird’s nest prevented proper air circulation in the home.

Authorities revealed that there were high concentrations of carbon monoxide in the victims’ lungs. The species of bird nesting in the chimney was not revealed.

Source: Vogelnestje leidt tot familiedrama

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John James Audubon’s Birds of North America

by Amy Posted on 10 December 2007

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.

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Posted in Aside, Books, Museum, Netherlands | Leave a comment