Little rain has fallen recently, and that is disastrous for birds, Vogelbescherming warns the Netherlands. In Drenthe, the drought also has negative consequences for the birds, despite the rain of recent days.
“Normally there is more rain in the spring,” says bird connoisseur Hans Dekker. “The rain of recent days cannot fully recover the drought of recent weeks.” The water birds also notice this. “I see that there are fens in all kinds of places. You will notice the drought especially in nature reserves that are naturally dry,” Dekker continues.
The red -necked pulp lives on the Dwingelderveld. According to Dekker, this bird is also bothered by the drought. “It is a breeding bird that loves shallow waters. The bird builds its nest on the water and likes to eat water insects. On the Dwingelderveld I saw one that had laid eggs in her nest, but dried things up. Due to the drought there is no more food for herself and her possible youngsters and the bird has left its nest.”
The problem is not just that waters will be dry. Plants also suffer from drought, so there are fewer insects. This ensures that birds have less food. “In this way the structure collapses. The general nature quality is currently under pressure due to the drought,” says Dekker.
The shallow puddles on the Dwingelderveld fall dry once every year, but normally this only happens around August. “Then the breeding birds that love water have already left. The drought is extremely early this year, namely during the breeding season, and that is unfavorable for the birds.”
Another species that suffers from the drought is the crane. This bird likes to breed in places that are surrounded by water. This makes it difficult for predators, such as foxes to be nests. “Because the water has now dried up, the fox can walk through the area and the nests are no longer safe. Foxes steal the eggs and sometimes also grab a young.” According to Dekker, the cranes on the Dwingelderveld are doing the early drought this year.
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