Good wheatear news from Terschelling island

This is a 2012 northern wheatear video from Ukraine.

Translated from Dutch Vroege Vogels TV:

Terschelling Wheatear Paradise

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Of all northern wheatears that nest in our country more than a quarter do so on Terschelling. What is the secret of this island?

It’s been bad for years for the wheatears’ breeding in the Netherlands. It is estimated that there are no more than 270 wheatear couples in our dunes and other sandy areas. Terschelling foresters of the Forestry Commission counted during the last breeding season at least seventy couples. “And that’s probably an underestimate,” says ranger Joeri Lamers.

According to Lamers wheatears on Terschelling benefit from the extensive grazing taking place there. “Using, eg, goats and horses we stop overgrowth of the dunes. As a result, there is sufficient young marram grass, which in turn attracts insects, which in turn attract wheatears. We have sufficient open dune places where rabbits dig holes. The wheatears again need old rabbit holes to make their nests”.

Related articles

• New bug species discovered on Texel island
• Good wheatear news from Texel island
• Hen harrier news from Terschelling island
• Helping wheatears, butterflies on Texel island
• Snowy owl moves to Terschelling island
• Birds counted on Terschelling island
• Wall lizard on Texel island
• Rare musk orchid found in the Netherlands
• Rare mushroom discovery in the Netherlands