Breeding season 2013 | Lifewatch regional portal

You are here

Breeding season 2013

During the breeding season of 2013 (June-July), all tagged birds remained relatively close to their breeding grounds in Flanders: the harbor of Ostend for the European Herring Gulls, the harbor of Zeebrugge for the Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and Het Krekengebied in East-Flanders for the Western Marsh Harriers.

By clicking on the map on the right, you are redirected to an interactive map displaying the breeding season of 2013. The map shows the data of Jurgen (a male Herring Gull) by default, but in the map legend you can select other individuals.

During the breeding season, different birds displayed different behavior patterns. Below, you can read about the peculiar stories of Eric (♂), Jurgen (♂), Anne (♀) and Mia (♀).

 

Past data - Eric and the chips factory

 

Eric and the chips factory

Most Lesser Black-backed Gulls feed in the agricultural fields south of the breeding colony. Surprisingly, one-third of the feeding trips were to an industrialized part of Moeskroen, 65 km from the colony, with some individuals making several trips per day. It soon became clear that the birds were attracted to a factory that produces potato chips. The gulls were feeding on crisps and other potato products declared unfit for human consumption and dumped in containers.

For an animated visualization of Eric, click on the image on the left.

For some additional CartoDB visualization, click here.

Past data - Jurgen the fisherman

 

Jurgen the fisherman

The 5 tagged Herring Gulls are extremely individualistic in their feeding territory. For instance, Jurgen (801), a male European Herring Gull, is very fond of sea food and makes a daily trip at sea to find his favorite snacks. To supplement his diet he also frequently visits the fields and meadows around Zedelgem. There is one place however he seems to avoid at any cost: the city of Ostend. Apparently Jurgen prefers fresh sea food and is not interested in food waste discarded by humans.

For an animated visualization of Jurgen, click on the image on the left.

For an additional CartoDB visualization, click here.

Past data - Anne the beach girl

 

Anne the beach girl

In contrast to Jurgen, Anne (786), a female European Herring Gull, seems to prefer shellfish. She will never go far out at sea but remains close to or on the beach. Her favorite foraging spots are the breakwaters in Ostend. She also visits the hinterlands of Ostend on a regular basis.

For an animated visualization of Anne, click on the image on the left.

For an additional CartoDB visualization, click here.

Past data - Mia the brave mother

 

Mia the brave mother

The first nest of Mia (586), the female Western Marsh Harrier, was predated. She moved out of the area for a few days before returning and raising offspring successfully. Her partner was tagged as well and the high sampling frequency allows the data to be used to study their interaction during egg incubation and chick rearing.

For an animated visualization of Mia, click on the image on the left.