Due to the heavy rain this year, fens have formed in the Maashorst nature reserve: large puddles in the heath. Normally the Maashorst is a dry area, but since the lakes have been added, volunteers have been seeing special bird species and other new life here.
Although many people were not happy with this year’s wet weather, the rain has actually been good for the birds and nature. “We have seen at least 28 species this year that do not normally occur here,” says John Hermans, who has been a volunteer at Vogelwacht Uden for over forty years. “Some only stay for a short time, but they are all birds that we would otherwise not have seen here or would only have seen once.”
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Stopover or breeding ground?
Many of the birds spotted in the nature reserve for the first time this year come from the south. Most are on their way to Scandinavia and use the Maashorst as a stopover. “Normally these birds would fly on, but because of the puddles they stay here,” Hermans explains.
The puddles allow the herbaceous grass to grow well and attract many insects to the Maashorst. An ideal buffet for these birds. “Moreover, they feel at home in the spicy grass,” says Hermans. This year, species such as the bluethroat, white-eyed duck, common teal and reed bunting could be admired, which normally fly past the Maashorst. “There were even two species that never come here at all, which had been here for a while now. That makes it very special.”
Promise for the future
Hermans hopes that this is the start of a more biodiverse Maashorst. “A highlight was the group of 15 to 20 summer teals, birds that are normally hardly found due to intensive agriculture. Now they were here for weeks.”
What is special is that the temporary lakes are located exactly in the same places as in 1900, as shown by old maps. “That shows that this area should be this way by nature,” says Hermans. “If it stays wet, we can expect even more bird species in the future. Maybe some will even breed here.”
The Bird Watch looks back on this top year with a smile and hopes that biodiversity in the Maashorst will continue to grow. “With a bit of luck, in a few years, not two, but five or ten new species will be added,” Hermans says hopefully.