Osprey nest, flowers, spoonbills in Dutch Biesbosch

This 12 June 2016 video is from Biesbosch national park. For the first time ever in the Netherlands, as far as is known, an osprey couple built a nest there this year. It is said that three young birds have hatched.

You cannot see the young ospreys yet on this video, filmed at about 450 meter from the nest. However, at about 30 seconds into the video, you can see a young osprey defecating, in a curve over the side of the nest. About ten seconds later, the male bird arrives, to bring fish to the nesting female and the youngsters.

In the video, you can also hear edible frogs call.

On 18 June 2016, we went to the Biesbosch, to see the ospreys and other wildlife.

Water and land interlock in the Biesbosch estuary scenery, creating opportunities for many wildlife species.

As we arrive, we see a male roe deer and a flying common tern.

We hear a Cetti’s warbler sing.

A sedge warbler.

Male and female reed bunting.

A male marsh harrier.

An osprey flies. A lesser black-backed gull tries to drive it away, though ospreys eat fish, not birds.

Crow garlic flowers.

A willow warbler sings.

Swifts flying.

A wren flies across a ditch. Beneath it, a coot couple and their three chicks swim.

A spoonbill foraging.

Tufted ducks.

A greenfinch sings.

Yellow flowers: common bird’s-foot trefoil.

Two great crested grebes.

Pink flowers: hare’s-foot clover.

We arrive at the ospreys’. One of the parents sits on the nest.

This 4 June 2016 video by Luuk Punt is called Ospreys feeding their chick. First time seen in the Netherlands ever.

A cuckoo calls.

A juvenile white wagtail. Two little ringed plovers on the bank.

Two Egyptian geese flying.

Canada geese.

A northern lapwing. A great egret.

Then, we see about eight ruffs in summer plumage. Rare in the Netherlands!

We walk to a hide. We can see swifts and sand martins fly over the water.

There is a mural on the inside of the hide: depicting a kingfisher, pintail duck, spoonbill, great cormorant, black-headed gull, wren, robin, great egret, tufted ducks and other birds.