Anyone wandering through the Walcheren countryside in spring may occasionally spot them gliding low over the reeds or circling high above the fields: birds of prey. For many nature lovers, they are impressive sights, but for the members of the Walcheren Birds of Prey Working Group, they are above all a subject of research. Year in, year out, they monitor the nests of birds of prey with great dedication and record the breeding success of these remarkable birds.<\/p>\n
The Birds of Prey Working Group is part of the Walcheren Bird Working Group<\/a>, an association with around 150 members who are actively committed to the protection and monitoring of birds in Zeeland. In addition to the Birds of Prey Working Group, there is also a Barn Owl Working Group. Furthermore, members are involved in monitoring meadow birds, protecting coastal breeders and carrying out bird counts for Sovon<\/a>, the national centre of expertise for wild birds. The association also organises excursions, lectures and courses for bird enthusiasts.<\/p>\n The work of the Birds of Prey Working Group begins in the spring, when the birds start their breeding season. Volunteers search for nests and then monitor the progress of the breeding period until the young birds fledge. At the end of the season, the data collected is forwarded to the Zeeland Birds of Prey Working Group, the Netherlands Birds of Prey Working Group and Sovon.<\/p>\n This information forms a vital link in national bird research. By combining data from different regions, developments and trends in birds of prey can be tracked over longer periods. This provides an increasingly accurate picture of the status of birds of prey populations in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n One of Zeeland\u2019s most distinctive birds of prey is the Montagu\u2019s Harrier. This elegant bird has a distinctive way of nesting. Unlike many other birds of prey, it does not build its nest in trees, but on the ground. It prefers expansive reed beds for this purpose, but when these are not available, it falls back on cereal fields.<\/p>\n This is precisely what makes the research complicated. Nests hidden amongst tall reeds or in a vast field are difficult to locate without disturbing the birds. Moreover, it is often not possible to simply walk through a grain field in search of a nest.<\/p>\n For this reason, the research group has recently started using a drone fitted with a thermal camera. From the air, researchers can locate nests without setting foot on the grounds. This not only yields better data, but also prevents unnecessary disturbance to the birds.<\/p>\n Technological developments are constantly advancing. Modern drones can be fitted with thermal or infrared cameras. These enable the detection of nests that are barely visible with a standard camera.<\/p>\n This offers major advantages, particularly for species that hide well in vegetation. A thermal camera detects temperature differences, often revealing breeding birds and young chicks, even when they are completely hidden from view.<\/p>\n Moreover, the possibilities are not limited to the Montagu\u2019s harrier. Other birds of prey also benefit from this technique. For example, the less common Eurasian hobby often nests high up in trees, in places that are barely accessible even with a camera mounted on a long pole. Using a drone fitted with a thermal camera, such nests can be surveyed much more efficiently and accurately.<\/p>\n A drone equipped with a thermal camera does not only benefit the Birds of Prey Working Group. Within the Walcheren Bird Working Group, there are also volunteers dedicated to the protection of meadow birds and colonial birds throughout the Zeeland Delta. Among other species, they monitor the spoonbill, the great white egret and a relatively new arrival in Zeeland: the cattle egret. A thermal camera can also be a valuable tool for this research. Nests, resting places and young birds can be located more quickly, whilst disturbance is kept to a minimum.<\/p>\n Flying drones requires knowledge, experience and a meticulous approach. The Birds of Prey Working Group currently has two certified drone pilots. They have been flying for bird research since 2020 and ensure that their licences are renewed regularly.<\/p>\n For every survey, at least two people are deployed and the applicable rules are strictly adhered to. In addition, the pilots have expressly committed to using the drone exclusively for bird research.<\/p>\n This professional approach is in keeping with the care with which the working group carries out its research. As well as supplying data to national organisations, the group compiles a comprehensive annual internal report documenting all research findings. And every month, the group publishes a summary of sightings on its website, accompanied by stunning photographs.<\/p>\n For the volunteers of the Walcheren Bird Working Group, it is ultimately about more than just technology. The aim remains the same: to gather reliable knowledge about birds and contribute to their conservation.<\/p>\n A drone equipped with a thermal camera is a valuable tool in this regard. By locating nests more accurately, further minimising disturbance and being able to study more bird species, researchers gain a better understanding of trends in Zeeland\u2019s bird population.<\/p>\n And the better that knowledge, the greater the chance that future generations will also be able to continue enjoying iconic species such as the Montagu\u2019s harrier, the Eurasian hobby and many other birds that make Zeeland\u2019s natural environment so special.<\/p>\n The Hurgronje Family Fund has made a financial contribution towards the purchase of a drone equipped with a thermal camera.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Anyone wandering through the Walcheren countryside in spring may occasionally spot them gliding low over the reeds or circling high above the fields: birds of prey. For many nature lovers, they are impressive sights, but for the members of the Walcheren Birds of Prey Working Group, they are above all a subject of research. Year […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7016,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","tve_updated_post":"","tve_custom_css":"","tve_user_custom_css":"","tve_globals":{},"tcb2_ready":0,"tcb_editor_enabled":0,"tve_landing_page":"","_tve_header":"","_tve_footer":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-charity","post-wrapper","thrv_wrapper"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hurgronje.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7015","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hurgronje.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hurgronje.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hurgronje.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hurgronje.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7015"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/hurgronje.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7015\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7018,"href":"https:\/\/hurgronje.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7015\/revisions\/7018"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hurgronje.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hurgronje.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7015"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hurgronje.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7015"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hurgronje.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7015"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Key data for bird research<\/h3>\n
The challenge of the Montagu\u2019s Harrier<\/h3>\n
New technology offers new possibilities<\/h3>\n
Added value for the entire Bird Working Group<\/h3>\n
Responsible use<\/h3>\n
Investing in knowledge of nature<\/h3>\n