Grassland birds this year, report

This Dutch video is about 25 grassland bird species and their sounds.

Today, warden Jenny van Leeuwen reports about this year’s nesting season for grassland birds in nature reserves De Wilck and Westeinde.

Nesting couples in De Wilck numbers: 72 black-tailed godwit; 30 redshank; 32 oystercatcher. All about the same as last year. For northern lapwings, there was a decline from over 80 to 75 couples, because of unusual frost in the spring.

There was an increase for skylarks, with this year 7 couples. There were three yellow wagtail couples; zero in 2017.

This year for the first time there was a solar pump regulating water levels. It helped to attract three black-winged stilts, for the first time. Also, young little ringed plovers fledged.

In Westeinde, there was an increase to now 13 black-tailed godwit, five redshank and 10 oystercatcher couples. Unfortunately, northern lapwings declined to 17 couples.