British osprey becomes father in Dutch Biesbosch

Posted on June 12, 2020 by petrel41

This video says about itself:

Fishing ospreys; filmed in the fall of 2017 en 2018 in De Biesbosch and south Limburg province. Ospreys can dive at speeds up to 80 kilometres an hour, so making this video was extremely difficult. I had more failures than successful takes. All footage was filmed with a Panasonic GH5 and a Canon ef 500mm. Music licensed via Artlist.

Translated from Staatsbosbeheer in the Netherlands today:

12-JUN-2020 – The number of breeding pairs of ospreys in the Netherlands is increasing rapidly. In the Biesbosch this year no less than three pairs were on eggs. The Biesbosch is currently the only nature reserve in the Netherlands where ospreys breed. It is not yet clear how many young birds hatched in the nature reserve this year.

Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) have been breeding successfully in the Netherlands, in the Biesbosch, since 2016. …

Ranger Thomas van der Es of Staatsbosbeheer explains: “The ospreys have built several nests in the Biesbosch, three of which are now in use. The new third pair already started building several nests in the area last year. After returning from Africa this spring they found out that one nest had been hijacked by a pair of peregrine falcons, so the new osprey couple used the other nest.” Ospreys are known to be very loyal to their nesting location and to enjoy nesting close to other ospreys. That is why there are now no fewer than three breeding pairs in one nature reserve. Two pairs are nesting in a tree, another couple is sitting in a power pylon near the quiet, closed basin of Evides Water Company. At the new nest, a creek is temporarily closed to shipping to give the ospreys quiet.

New couple

Of the new pair, the male is from the United Kingdom, and the female from Germany. The male is the first osprey from the United Kingdom to successfully breed outside his home country. …

It is still unknown how many youngsters there are in total. However, observations this week made it clear that young birds have hatched on all three nests. …

The birds successfully catch large roaches and breams daily here.

Euro Birdwatch 2019 in the Netherlands

Posted on October 5, 2019 by petrel41

This 5 October 2019 Dutch video is about Euro Birdwatch 2019 today at the Tongplaat in Biesbosch national park in the Netherlands.

See here.

All the birds seen there that day: here.

The national Top Ten for the Netherlands of bird species and individuals seen today is:

1. Starling 159,905
2. White-fronted goose 69,497
3. Chaffinch 54,344
4. Siskin 47,026
5. Song thrush 31,922
6. Black-headed gull 21,920
7. Meadow pipit 19,081
8. Redwing 16,848
9. Graylag goose 15,533
10. Jay 14,331

Apart from these numerous birds, also rarer birds were seen in this EuroBirdwatch in the Netherlands.

Like a pallid harrier; two penduline tits; a red-footed falcon; an olive-backed pipit.

Really special: a red-flanked bluetail seen in the coastal sand dunes near The Hague.

A total of 208 species.

Mysterious Indian lichen discovery in Dutch Biesbosch?

Posted on June 3, 2019 by petrel41

Chaenotheca biesboschii (photo: Bart Horvers)

Dutch Vroege Vogels radio reported on 31 May 2019 that a lichen species, new to science, had been found.

It was discovered in 2016 on willow wood in the Biesbosch national park. After much research, it turned out to be a new species. It was called Chaenotheca biesboschii, after the place where it was found.

They are small, making them inconspicuous. More research found out that they are not rare in the Biesbosch.

We don’t know where the species came from. The very small spores of this lichen genus probably can travel over long distances. Maybe it is from a country where some lichen species are still unknown. Chaenotheca gracillima from India (which also occurs, rarely, in the Biesbosch) is a close relative. So, maybe, the spores of Chaenotheca biesboschii traveled all the way from India to the Netherlands.