Residents of the Asserwijk Marsdijk have probably been freed from the nuisance rooks since the spring. This week, the municipality of Assen started removing the nests from the main colony, on the Andrej Sakharovweg. In addition, the municipality prunes the trees so that the rooks cannot build their nests in the trees again next year.
The colony is protected and the nests cannot simply be removed from there, but the municipality has received an exemption from the province of Drenthe.
The municipality of Assen is doing the pruning now, because the season for it has started. “In the autumn there are no leaves in the trees and we can remove the nests. In addition, the breeding season is in the spring, so we have to prune and remove everything before then,” says a spokesperson for the municipality.
They do the pruning to make the area less attractive to the rooks. “That if the rooks return here, they will no longer be able to find the nests. Then this is no longer the suitable place.” What would be a suitable place is the place in Loon. Last year the municipality tried to attract the birds there, but that was not entirely successful.
Because there were still nests on the Andrei Sakharovweg, the rooks did not go to Loon. “There was still plenty of room here. And because the rest of the rooks are still here, the others keep coming here too. And they don’t go to Loon to nest. They have been there to check and sniff the place.” , says the spokesperson.
In addition, there is a lot of food for the animals at the intended location in Loon. The municipality therefore hopes that after removing the branches and nests, the rooks will move to Loon.
View the report below with the municipality of Assen about the pruning of the trees on the Andrej Sakharovweg.