Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Nucifraga caryocatactes @ Wageningen!



100 meters from work, bird is there for several days already, an overcast but no rain, cold but not too cold; conditions seemed ok for some serious twitching.

Sunday, October 28, 2018

Holy Grails





Thinking of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, I wouldn’t pick any of these two… (thanks Jasper!)

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Urban refugees









A neighbour destroyed their nest just before any eggs were laid. But those eggs were coming and the couple found refuge on our balcony. No time to build a nest. Around here, if not disturbed, exposed eggs like these usually get predated by Magpie Pica pica or Carrion crow Corvus corone.

Saturday, July 28, 2018

While we were in the way

















Total lunar eclipse July 27/28, from a Dutch dike, through some dirty lenses, while we were surrounded by a million mosquitoes.

Monday, June 25, 2018

Gulls on solar energy (Update on the roof nesters)

























Today a visit to the top floor revealed that both Black-headed Gulls Chroicocephalus ridibundus and Common terns Sterna hirundo have large young. A small number of Black-headed gull chicks has fledged by now (I ran into one in the street below a couple of days ago). The solar panels seem to provide a useful shelter to the chicks. The Herring gull pair from the previous post (no solar panels present) lost all its chicks shortly after hatching.

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Roof nesting gulls and terns in Amsterdam







Possibly the first known colony of Black-headed Gulls Chroicocephalus ridibundus on a roof in Amsterdam (Hoofddorppleinbuurt, 5 June 2018). The total number of nests remains unknown as they nest there between solar panels. A best guess... about 10 nests??  (update: turns out they're already nesting 'in good numbers' on roofs in the Westhaven area (annually?) and Amsterdam Zuidoost (2 pairs in 2015, thanks Ruud!).



About three pairs of Common terns Sterna hirundo nest among the Black-headed Gulls.






Herring Gulls Larus argentatus (photo above) and Lesser black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus also nest in the area, but their nests are more widespread and difficult to detect.

Friday, April 6, 2018

Commuting Peregrines









What I see on a daily basis. Unfortunately also one of many things that will forever remind me of someone who recently passed away. Someone who meant an awful lot to me (and to these birds) the past two decades.