Forest ranger Frans Kapteijns shares his knowledge of nature every week. Anyone can submit questions via [email protected]. This time Frans pays attention to, among other things, a very high nest, a strange droppings and a foaming snail. Part one of this Stuifmail was already published on Saturday.
There is also a new episode of the Stuifmail podcast every weekend. Listen to the podcast here:
A large pile including reeds seen in Vinkeveen. What animal makes something like that?
Hans de Vries came across a large pile of reeds on the water in Vinkeveen. He wondered what animal makes something like that. I think two coots were involved in this. These water birds, belonging to the rail family, can build surprisingly high and unusual nests.
The nests are generally built on floating platforms or close to the shore. In urban environments or where many people visit, such as the Vinkeveense Plassen, unusual nests are often built. Unfortunately, people leave a lot of waste there, such as plastic, but also telephone earphones and straws. The coots process all the waste in their nests together with many reeds and other aquatic plants.
Normally, a coot’s nest in a natural environment is 20 centimeters high, but in urbanized areas it can reach half a meter. Sometimes in cities they nest on floating objects or structures, such as fountains. This immediately leads to height differences. In fact you can say that they build on everything that sticks out above the water. In addition to fountains, these can also be floating crates and even shopping carts.
By the way, they use the same nest every year if possible. A coot nest in the Amsterdam canal Rokin has been in use for thirty years. That nest is a very well built and stable nest. And which bird built the largest nest ever? That prize goes to a pair of bald eagles who built a nest in Florida that was 6.1 meters deep, 2.9 meters wide and weighed 2,722 kilos.
Seen something strange in the tall grass during a walk, is it feces?
Dorien Sledsens saw something strange during her walk in the tall, wet grass. She initially thought it was animal feces. Later she thought it might be a dead animal. When I saw the photo, I immediately thought of something that I have come across before among the questions asked to me.
I think it is feces and in this case from a stone marten. It could also be from a pine marten, but they are less common in our country. Unfortunately I don’t know in which area Dorien found this feces, but I think it was the stone marten. Stone martens love to eat the berries of yews. The female yew trees have bright red berries, like the color of the droppings.
Birds and martens love these berries. By the way, only the red flesh on the outside is edible. The kernel, but also all other parts of the plant such as the needles and bark, contain the deadly substance taxine.
In addition to the red flesh, the stone martens also eat various cherries, including those of the American bird cherry. As a result, many feces have a red color.
Furthermore, apples, pears and various berries are also on the menu at the end of summer and autumn. The stool is therefore somewhat mushy and not in the shape of a nice turd. Of course, the beech martens are mainly carnivores and the main part of their menu consists of rodents, birds and insects throughout the year.
I’ve seen two magpies together for days, can that be true?
Nel Kinds has been seeing two magpies sitting on a tree behind her house for days. She wonders if it’s normal behavior. Nel also says that she has a soft spot for magpies and that is very special, because many people don’t like magpies.
It is completely true that there are already two magpies together. Magpies already pair up in December. And not only pair formation, but they also immediately start nest preparations. You can already see them busy with twigs and twigs while they defend their territory. Nest maintenance must start in December, because they often start breeding in February. Last year’s nests are inspected and the necessary repairs are then initiated.
Such a nest must also be firmly constructed, because the nests are often high in the trees. The covering for the nests must also be of good quality. The nest also serves as a permanent base. From here the pair explores and defends their territory. They mainly explore in the early morning hours.
Strange snail spotted full of foam. What’s going on?
Marion Dirx was working in the garden when a snail crawled out from under the plants. It was not just any snail, but one with a special appearance. These houses were, in her words, ‘vibrant’. She saw bubbles coming from the snail everywhere.
The antennae were clearly visible, but otherwise there were all kinds of bubbles on the snail. I also encountered this phenomenon once and looked it up.
In that case, the snail is stressed or the animal suffers from irritation. To defend themselves, they fill themselves with foam or ensure that they remain moist. This can happen, for example, if they are disturbed while digging in a garden. During such a disturbance they produce a lot of foam with large bubbles. They also do this when faced with other threats, for example when an animal attacks them. The foam then comes out in larger bubbles than with a normal slime trail. Sometimes this also happens during long, warm and dry periods, because then they protect themselves against dehydration with that large mass of foam.
Beautiful photos section
In the beautiful photos section, this time a photo taken by Jenny Wiedlewsky. During the beautiful winter months, the great spotted woodpeckers are already active. The new year has already started for these birds.
Nature tip
Experience the dark forest on Saturday, January 3 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM and learn all about the mysterious tawny owl and other nightlife. In the evenings, the ghostly sound of the tawny owl is of course extra intrusive. A unique opportunity to experience the Oisterwijk Forests and Fens in the dark.
Nightlife
The most famous owl call is that of the tawny owl. The deep ‘oo-hoo-hoo-hoo’ from the male is often answered by a more melodious ‘ke-wik’ from the female. With a bit of luck we will hear these sounds, but of course nature cannot be controlled. It is certainly a special experience to be able to spend some time in the nature reserve after sunset, because that is normally not allowed.
More information
- Registration is required and can be done via this link.
- Costs are €9.45 for members of Natuurmonumenten and €13.50 for non-members.
- Departure point Visitor Center Oisterwijkse Bossen en Vennen Van Tienhovenlaan 4 5062 SK Oisterwijk.
- This evening walk is aimed at adults. Older children are welcome if accompanied by an adult.
- (Flash)lights are not allowed, we walk in the dark.
- Wear sturdy walking shoes.
- Wear clothes that suit the weather.
- Always check yourself for ticks.
- Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed.
