Every Sunday there is also a new episode of the Stuifmail podcast. Listen to the podcast here:
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What grows on the rubber of a car window?
Tatiana Teunissen sent me something funny. A seedling suddenly grew in the rubber of her car door. She didn’t know what it was and asked if I knew, but I didn’t immediately recognize this plant either. At the research institute and natural history museum Naturalis they did have an answer to what is growing in Tatiana’s car window. It is a seedling of the plant Robert’s wort. This plant is mainly found in shady places, such as along walking paths in deciduous forests. That’s why I didn’t immediately recognize it, because you expect something like that on the ground and not near a car window.
On sandy soils, especially poor ones, you often see a red discoloration on the stems and petioles of this plant. Robert’s herb belongs to the stork’s beak family. This cranesbill relative has five-flowered flowers, which produce a striking fruit with a long beak after flowering. Some plant lovers see the head of a crane in it. The name is said to be derived from the color red, but could also be derived from Saint Robert of Molesme (1029-1111). He is the founder of the Order of Cîteaux (Cistercians), who used the plant Robert’s wort as a medicine.
Which mouse showed up on the wildlife camera?
René Elberse filmed a mouse with his wildlife camera. He took a picture of it to find out which mouse this is. I think it’s a house mouse. Because of the long tail, the somewhat larger ears and large eyes, but especially because of the short legs. House mice are nocturnal and like to come into the human world, hence the name. Although many people would rather lose this ‘family friend’ than be rich.
The house mouse is a real family animal and they therefore live in family groups where there is a clear pecking order. Dominant males call the shots and have a territory. They also have one or more females with their young. The latter are therefore fiercely defended against rival males. The house mouse is an omnivore and that is why it quickly feels at home with you. The rodent likes a varied menu. preferably consisting of high-fat and protein-rich foods. That’s why they like to feed on grains, seeds, nuts, insects, larvae and worms in your pantry, but they also eat fruit.
Which bird was under the canopy in Bladel?
Corry and Jan de Kruijf discovered that there was a bird of prey under the canopy at their daughter’s home in Bladel. The couple hesitated for a moment between a hawk and a sparrowhawk. I can imagine that well when you look at the photo. Because it is not an adult, but a young (juvenile) sparrowhawk. They have a different plumage, because these young birds are brown and have brown striped parts.
There are also differences between a male and female. Male sparrowhawks have a dark gray top, reddish-brown cheeks and reddish-brown underside. In addition, a gray tail with four or five cross bands. The females, on the other hand, have a dark, brown-gray top with a whitish eyebrow stripe and brown barred underside.
Which colorful bird always comes to our garden?
Marcel Tiels regularly sees a beautiful colorful bird in his garden. But he didn’t know which strange bird it was. It looks like it’s a jay. These birds indeed have beautiful colors. I also like to look at this colorful appearance when it is in my garden. Nowadays the bird is only called jay, but I still call it jay.
The word Flemish in the name has some cultural history and is probably related to the beautifully colored plumage of the bird. This may be reminiscent of the exuberant clothing style of the wealthy Flemish and Dutch in the 14th century. A second explanation would be that the French name gai flammant, the jay with the flaming colors, has been corrupted into Flemish jay. Jays are resident birds and so we can see them all winter long in our Brabant country.
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Courting jays in front of the house – The Common Tern
Publication: March 20, 2020
We’ll stay with the jays for a while. They also have other names, such as screaming magpie, Spanish magpie, hannebroek or meerkol. It is a strikingly colored, crow-like bird. Originally a rather shy forest bird, but can now also be found in urban areas. Jays have the function of intruder alarms in the forest; many animals respond to their alarm calls and hide. Jays are known for the striking blue-black striped pattern on the wing. The jay’s sound resembles that of a magpie. When in danger he shouts the whole forest together. Hence the name scream magpie. Besides warning other animals, the bird can also sing beautifully.
Another episode of Stuifmail will follow on Sunday with tips and explanations from Frans Kapteijns about everything that blooms, grows and buzzes in nature. Of course, the forester can also be heard on the radio and there is a new episode of the Stuifmail podcast.