Birds and plants on biodiversity day

On 31 May 2014, there was biodiversity day in Cronesteyn park in Leiden, the Netherlands. One symptom of biodiversity there then were these marsh woundwort flowers.

As we started walking along the old woodland, originally belonging to medieval castle Cronesteyn, a blackcap sang.

In a ditch, a gadwall duck couple.

An Egyptian goose on a fence in a meadow. Below it, on the meadow: gray leg geese, domestic geese and Canada geese.

In a schoolchildren’s garden, plastic bottles protected plants from being eaten by pheasants.

A greenfinch singing.

Bishop’s weed flowering.

A chiffchaff on a tree.

In Cronesteyn, there are about forty grey heron nests. Three spoonbill couples nest among them.

After some years of absence due to harsh winters, this year fortunately there is a kingfisher nest again.

Black-tailed godwit, redshank and northern lapwing nest year after year on the meadows.

On the other side of the ditch, an Egyptian goose couple and three pheasants.

On a sycamore maple leaf, red spots: mites have caused galls.

Next to it, flowering marsh woundwort, mentioned already.

We pass a nestbox where blue tits have nested. Other blue tits had their nest in a hole in a tree not far away.

A jay on the other side of the ditch.

11:20: we hear a great spotted woodpecker.

Along the bicycle track, many flowers. Like this grass species.

And this tall oat-grass.

And this English plantain.

And this greater yellow-rattle; visited by a large earth bumblebee.

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