I’m reasonably confident these are white storks, and I believe their presence on the platform also answers questions my cousin Maria (hi, Maria!) asked about similar platforms which appeared in photographs from other posts late last year. I can’t state with certainty that all such platforms are intended for or solely used by storks, but I expect they’re intended for and used more by storks than any other type of bird. You and I wondered if it was maybe ospreys, and I’m afraid I’ve not yet gotten a book that’ll tell me which birds ply the forests and waterways of this corner of Europe so I’m not even sure if ospreys are found here – haven’t seen any myself, yet, but I’ve not really been looking yet. I am confident storks do, and this is the first pair I’ve seen. They really do clack their bills and communicate with each other a lot! If the left-hand photo below, you can sort of make out this platform in the middle near the top of the photo.
Last of the photos I took on December 25th when my friend Kiki invited me to spend the day with her in Heusden (south of the Meuse / Maas in Nord Brabant) — last few Village Views were from that side of the Maas / Meuse; today we’re featuring photos from a walk around Nederhemert village in Gelderland, north of the Meuse / Maas. The mailbox photo, Kiki tells me, has three key symbols of the Netherlands: orange mailbox, stork mating platform in the middle, and windmill in the top left. Aside from the creepy graveyard at the village church (seriously Voldemort look, there…), it was a lovely and cool exploration :-).
Same camellia bush, a few weeks later than what I showed you in Small Wonders.78. (I think these are camellias, but botanists among you, please feel free to correct if I’m wrong!)
(so much world, so little time....) 