Rottumeroog island birds and flowers

This video is about avocets and common terns, nesting next to each other on Rottum (or: Rottumeroog) island in the Netherlands.

The wardens of desert island Rottumeroog reported recently about how island wildlife reacted to the unusually cold spring this year.

There are about 150 great cormorant nests. Probably, for the first time ever, there are over 100 spoonbill nests this year.

Much about the birds’ nesting season is still unclear, as the wardens don’t want to disturb nesting birds. So, this year, when almost everything happens later than normally because of the spring cold weather, bird nesting surveys were postponed.

This also meant less butterfly research than usually at this time. Only one grayling butterfly was seen. Also few small white butterflies, usually abundant on the island.

Late butterflies may be linked to late flowers this year. The first dune pansy flower, was on 1 May; on 2011 on 12 April. The shore bindweed started flowering on 28 June; 20 May in 2011. The first flixweed flowers were on 30 June; vs. 1 June in 2011.

Update 2014: new hide on Rottumeroog. See also 2016 update, here. And here.

April 2018 update: here.

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