Cornelia the Colorado potato beetle

This morning I showed our potato beetle to oma and opa ... the same one we found in Switzerland 45 days ago while on vacation! Stijn and I were hiking the Etzel Kulm when this beetle crossed our path. Of course I couldn't resist picking her up! She's been with us ever since. She survived vacationing in southern France (that was rough!) and now living in Belgium. Guess she likes the taste of the Belgische spuds.

Reason I started this post was I thought she'd passed away. When I got the cage to show oma and opa, she didn't move an inch. Not even after poking and prodding. I thought that was the end of that, but was kinda sad because she's really CUTE! Was thinking of pinning her for the collection. Boy am I glad I didn't! Can you imagine the horror on the kids faces as they opened the box to see her legs wiggling around while stuck on a pin?

Now I'm wondering HOW LONG this beetle's gonna live! Been thinking about adding some soil because apparently they overwinter as adults underground. It's worth a try, don't you think?

Juvies all around

... was taking a walk in the park today, when all of a sudden I heard a winterkoning, or Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) calling like a machine gun near the Vossemvijver. Decided I'd check this guy out, so I walked over to a thicket near the Spaanshuis, and squatted down to peer through the bushes. There in the middle perched a juvenile wren, at least that's what it looked like to me, calling its heart out. It just wouldn't quit. It kept calling and calling and calling, as if waiting for some parent to come along and do something, which probably meant feeding it.

At just about the same time, in the distance across the lake, came the crying wail of another juvenile, but this one wasn't a bird. It was a human infant. And it kept carrying on and on and on ... just like the wren chick ... they both wouldn't quit!

Both the wren and the baby ... needing, needing, needing ... when would they be satisfied?

It's not very different in these two different worlds, is it?

Then another cry, but this time by two Great Crested Grebe chicks. They wanted just one thing and they wouldn't stop crying til they got it ... FOOD!

Chicks crying all around ... nature's so full of life this time of year ... my ears are bursting!

guess where on Earth this came from!

making room for nature

Last Sunday I helped Mario, who works w the French Bird Commission (COWB), with a house martin project in Watermael Bosfoort, a commune on the SE side of Brussels. House martins are declining, so any project like this is worth the effort.

Over ten years ago, he put artificial nest houses on a French primary school nearby and he's been banding the birds that nested there ever since.

The banding data show that the house martins are steadily increasing in this area and that juveniles are now returning to breed. So these artificial nests can really make a difference!

All pumped up from that morning session, I left with BIG DREAMS! Like putting nest structures on my own kids' school (and neighboring schools!) ... building up more populations of house martins ... teaching kids about birds and conservation ... and about the importance of MAKING ROOM FOR NATURE. But as I knew and would soon rediscover, this wouldn't be as easy as it seemed.

Disappointment #1 - my kids school wasn't good for house martins. The current building has no overhang so the birds probably wouldn't find it suitable. BUT with plans to build a new school, there could still be hope ...

Hope #1 - discovering that the city of Tervuren is offering to put up artificial house martin nests, along with poop collection platforms underneath, which the city would clean every year! How simple could it get! I'd just have to find homeowners that would agree and have them sign on the x!

Hope #2 - within 2 blocks of our home I found 5 natural nests (though some were old or had fallen down) and 1 artificial nest! With house martins already nesting in the area, it could be possible to attract even more birds w the artificial nests and to build up the population.

Disappointment #2 - None of the neighbors with natural martin nests and "suitable" overhangs would have ANYTHING to do w helping house martins. Even though I pointed out the fact that the martins had previously built nests on their home, these people flatly said NO, even to the poop platform, which made no sense. If the martins nested there already, why not minimize the fouling by having a platform underneath? Unless they take matters into their own hands by knocking down the nests, which might explain why the homes with meticulous gardens only had remnants of nests still remaining. One thing's for sure, next year I'll be keeping a VERY close eye on the martins in our neighborhood and making sure there's no foul play.

LAST HOPE - Although our home isn't perfect, we're going to try putting up a false overhang, which involves attaching the nest structure to a piece of wood that hangs overhead. The kids would be so excited to have the birds nesting over their bedroom window. And at least we could set an example for the neighborhood by being good stewards for nature.

Sometimes you gotta start small ...

Dudley did it!

witness the breakthrough moment as Dudley rolls a ball of horse dung!

missing summer

watching sunsets
kids run free
drinking up the nature
takes me home

be an armchair activist today

www.rspb.org.uk/safeguardoursealife

If you have the time please do have a look at the link above and
think about supporting this RSPB campaign. Populations of seabirds are suffering, and we need to do what we can to reverse the trend, even if that means just sending an email! YOU can make a difference!

Little Grebe takes the plunge

Went to photograph a Little Grebe nest (Tachybaptus ruficollis, Dodaars in Dutch) this morning during a ringing session at COWB (Commission Ornithologique Watermael Bosvoorde), and got a pleasant surprise. One of the chicks had hatched and was still on the nest, but barely. Apparently it didn't like the looks of us and decided to scoot off the nest. At first there was some anxiety (also w Christopher and Deloi), but after remembering that this bird is precocial (can swim soon after hatching), we all took a deep breath and relaxed.
To the left of the nest, which still had one egg remaining, you can see the grebelet. It began vocalizing and we started to wonder when an adult would make an appearance.
Now the grebelet ventured farther and farther from the nest ... still vocalizing ... still no adult. Began to imagine the thoughts going through the little chick's brain, like in the children's book by P.D. Eastman, "Where's my mommy?", which has to be one of my favorite books of all time. If you haven't read it, it's never too late!
... finally the caregiver shows up, but it doesn't stick around for long. It's apparent from the behavior (frantically swimming in circles) that the parent is falling behind schedule, and this newest little bundle of protoplasm isn't going to slow it down.
Can you see the tiny black dot on the right side of the parent? That's the chick, and it's attempting to climb aboard. But as I mentioned, the parent showed little patience, because nanoseconds after I snapped this foto, they both disappeared in a flash. Was this the grebelets first dive, I wondered. And did it even get to take a breath before it took the plunge?

thijs is jarig!

Thijs was greeted this morning by 3 of his little friends: Caroline the Colorado Beetle, Sushi the Snail and Dudley the dung beetle. After breakfast, he opened a few presents and was thrilled to find THORON, a platinum armor dragon, and Sunblott, an equinox dragon. Good thing he had his sword at the breakfast table because he was going to need it w all those winged creatures flying around!
Then it was off to school, where Stijn made a talk about Thijs and shared fotos from his childhood, along with some stories, like the time he dropped "bear bear" in a lake and a fisherman rescued him!
As you can see here, Thijs did not mind being the center of attention, and he was glad to pipe in now and again w his own version of a story. He was also happy to let the kids touch the Harry Potter-sized scar on his forehead, which he got from falling in the creek!
Showing his collection of insects is something Thijs takes great pride in doing. He also enjoyed telling how he knew the ichneumon wasp is a female. The kids thought this was really cool.

gefeliciteerd met je verjaardag

Proficiat Sophie - je bent 3! Proficiat Thijs - je bent 5!

If we could get you two together on your birthdays, there would be lots of pirates chasing doodlebops - it would be a scream, literally!

It's so fun watching you grow and listening to the things you say. Thijs, you cracked us up with your reaction when your dad and I were complaining about a bottle of wine being too DRY. You asked to take a sip, and then stated with confidence, "no it's not, it's WET!" Well, that proves you're completely honest and ethical - you should run for president!

Happy Birthday BIG boy!

vakantie is voorbij!

Exactly 3 h ago the kids began school, and I began REHAB! Had a fantastic summer - maybe too fantastic - with 4 weeks of travel to the states, Switzerland and southern France - being with the kids 24/7 - it's left me completely filled up, but also completely drained. I could use 3 days stranded on the beach with nothing more than a beach towel, a book and a bottle of rum. Jack Sparrow wouldn't be bad either, come to think of it! Captain Jack Sparrow, that is. Better yet, give me Johnny - straight up!

Now I KNOW there are moms out there who feel the same. What are your tricks?!!! How do you survive 8+ weeks of captivity? Wouldn't it be great if there was a SUMMER CAMP for moms? Where you could do everything you dreamed of and not have to worry about the hubbie/kids. I take it this is why female vacations are on the rise. Sometimes the girls just gotta get away! Well girlfriends, whoever is up for a trip next summer, just let me know. Iceland sound good? The birding is great there, I hear!

48 h later

... Dudley had decimated the sample to shreds - much more than foto shows - and he resumed his wall-climbing behavior, which seemed to say "that's it, folks". Even after another day had passed, there was no indication that he was even remotely interested in making a ball and rolling it. I'm afraid it's just not gonna happen. At least not with this guy! He's convinced me that all he cares about is eating. Even with a fresh new pony potatoe (and even after I ripped off a little bit and rolled it into a ball to give him a head start), he showed absolutely no interest in it. He gave the big bit a few half-hearted nudges and then it was off-to-the-races with chowing down. You must admit this guy has an appetite. Wish my kids ate half as good as he does!

24 h later ...

... Dudley was nowhere to be seen. When I checked on him this morning there was no sign of him. Then I turned over the poop, and still no Dudley. I picked up a stick and began to pry the poop apart where I could see loose bits. Then finally, finally, FINALLY I saw him, hidden way inside and having a mighty good time "tucking in". No claustrophobia for this guy! And no asphyxiation either. Wonder how he does it.
By the end of the evening, he'd dug himself in even deeper. But no little round balls yet ...

pony potato

Meet Dudley, the dung beetle. We found him trying to cross a path in the forest last night, along with 10 of his not-so-lucky comrades who apparently got squashed by cyclists or pedestrians. We were cycling too, but the second we spied the first corpse, we slammed on our brakes to investigate further. Some of the beetles were in good condition, so we collected them for pinning, but most were beyond recognition. Phoebe spied Dudley and didn't want to leave him behind, for fear that he'd become the next victim. And that's how he became our pet.


Kids have had their share of invertebrate pets lately, mostly beetles, snails and slugs. We did take in some tree frogs for a few days, and they did quite well eating worms and such, but I made the kids let them go as I didn't want to be part of the declining amphibians problem. Dudley's especially entertaining since he's often trying to escape. He tries to climb the walls of his container, but he's too bulky and topples over backward, making a big crashing sound. Hoots and hollers erupt from the sidelines when this happens! Makes you wonder why he hasn't de-evolved those paper-thin wings!

Strawberries were his first meal. But he didn't take too fondly to this BIG, red, ripe one. Guess it wasn't rotten enough for his liking. But it did give him a nice vantage point for scouting his territory, and that's when he spied the tastier treat ...

... which happened to be a leftover bit of Phoebe's strawberry that was already beginning to attract fruit flies (much to Stijn's chagrin). He knawed on that sucker for what seemed like ages, and if I'm not mistaken, it looked to me like he was trying to ROLL it! But he has no nest in this plastic sanctuary! Would he still try to roll food to a nest to feed young that didn't actually exist(anymore)? And wouldn't it be so great to witness this wonder of nature on our OWN breakfast room table?! But of course with the real thing ... a piece of herbivore excrement. That's his job anyway.

Here you see our little study in progress. Got the pony poop (hereafter called pony potatoes cuz the kids prefer that) from Phoebe's pony camp - nice and fresh! Dudley took a nibble the second I plopped it in his cage, crawled next to it and tried to give it a nudge, but then walked off, almost as if in defiance. Was it too big? Or did he prefer cow potatoes? He resumed his wall climbing behavior until dinner was served (our dinner, that is), and i couldn't resist taking another peek. Was so thrilled. He was chowing down! And he never stopped - been 5 h now - and he's made a gaping hole in one side, w bits and pieces strewn about, which is really making the thing stink (hint: don't take top off!). He's gotten himself completely underneath the poop and is making the whole thing move - it's one of the most AMAZING things I've ever seen. By the looks of it, Dudley's not going to catch a wink of sleep tonight - he's so revved up - and I'm not sure if i will either. How can i sleep wondering if he's going to make a ball and ROLL it!


...guess this will have to be continued.

s'more puh-lease

Had so much fun visiting Laura/Paul and Rochelle/Tom and their families in New York. Was good to see their new homes and lifestyles and to experience a little of what New York has to offer - beautiful natural areas and a high quality of life, among other things. It was so good watching the kids reconnect and share moments together, like when Phoebes and Jack waited for empanadas at Rochester's Open Market, one of the biggest east of the Mississippi river. The wait was definitely worth it as those were some tasty vittles.

And having some moments for the parents to reconnect, like when Rochelle and Tom spoiled us with a divine dinner, lovely as always, followed by a fire in the backyard. We'd experienced Wegman's earlier that day and got to pick out a scrumptious raspberry tart. It's making my mouth water just thinking about it! They happen to live minutes from a showcase store, meaning it's loaded with everything you could possibly ever want to EAT! And more!

The most relaxing moment of the trip was sitting atop this Seneca nation hilltop, watching the sunset while the kids ran around in the meadow finding Monarch caterpillars and doing who knows what else. There's a peacefulness about this place that you can't explain - you just have to be there. But the highlight was our exit, when Alex and Max led us together through the deep, dark forest (almost pitch black), with nothing more than their courage and the light of the fireflies to guide our way. You really couldn't see the trail(!), yet they never faltered or lost hope. Boy were we proud.

Nature, nature, nature - I couldn't get enough. Loved visiting all the natural areas and seeing what we could find. Six bald eagles flew by just as we made our first stop at Letchworth State Park, also known as the Grand Canyon of the East (just. 45 mins. from LP). Turkey vultures flew overhead and a variety of woodland songsters entertained us as we hiked up and down the gorge. The waterfalls were perfectly stunning.

A trip north would never be complete without SMORES! If you've been deprived of this campfire treat, I feel sorry for you indeed. After a long day in the field or working in the garden, there's no better way to top it off than by roasting a big, white fluffy marshmallow til it's crispy brown on the edges and squishing it along with a piece of Hershey's chocolate between 2 graham crackers. It's warm. It's sticky. It's sweet. I was in heaven! Watching the bats fly around was cool too, and the fireflies were in full swing with the boys flashing the girls and hoping to get lucky. Paul even heard an Eastern Screech owl, but i wasn't so fortunate. Could've sat by the fire all night...

never enough water

We spent some days in Florida during our recent stateside journey, and most of the time we were either in/on/or near water. It all started with tubing (Phoebe couldn't go fast enough) on a lake nearby brother John's house in Orlando ...


... followed by a bit of swimming and beaching and picnicing, but there were no butter and brie sandwiches this time because someone beat Stijn to the cutting board - whew!

There were a few dry spells, like when we celebrated everyone's birthday that fell between July and September, which included about half of us. It was a nice excuse for a party, and Nanas cakes were delicious as always! Is Phoebe still wearing her bathing suit?

Wasn't long before we were back in the pool - this time at brother Beau's new house in Winter Garden, which is just 15 mins. from John and Jaynes. We'd been swimming when the ice cream truck drove by, and we couldn't resist indulging in a favorite American pasttime. The next day we'd be hitting Wet-n-Wild (MORE water!), so this was a day of relaxation.

Canoeing and swimming at Wekiva Springs State Park was as beautiful as I'd remembered it 20 years earlier. Saw a family of river otters and lots of BIG, huge banana spiders which creeped the kids out a bit, and lots of fish (and don't forget Little blue herons, ibis, prothonotary warbler!), but no gators - sigh. What a way to round out our trip - a great time was had by all.

testing the new Nikon d40x

If I was to travel the world with nothing more than a modest backpack, I could NOT leave behind my new Nikon d40x! This camera is compact and easy to use (good for camera dummies like me), and it makes every picture look like gold. With 10 megapixels, there's great resolution, and even after cropping the fotos come out crisp and clear. Take these eyeshots i did just for fun - they're all cropped versions but still as sharp as the uncropped version! Well, Stijn's pic is a bit blurry but that's cuz he can never sit still for fotos or much else for that matter - that guy just has to keep moving! Can you guess whose eye is whose?

that old house

Just returned from 2 week stateside reunion w friends/families and had an absolutely fabulous time (more photos/stories to come). It was so, so, so wonderful to be back in the comfy environs of souls you immediately connect with, and it did my spirit good. Fully energized but completely exhausted, we returned to our simple life in Belgium, only to be greeted by chilly, rainy weather. Welcome home!

But this post isn't about looking for shortcomings in our current lifestyle. Rather it's to find the inspiration that brought us to this point in our life (or at least part of the inspiration). And after sitting on our terrace this evening, sipping on a Leffe, feeling the warm sun on my face, and listening to Laura's itunes, it seems all too clear. At least it does to me, that is.

Several times during our visit to Boardman, Ohio (former home for 4 years) the question of whether we missed our old home came up. Maybe it's all the yoga I've been doing, and learning how to "let go" and not be attached to things, but I've come to a point in my life where material things just don't matter as much anymore, esp. BIG things like houses and all the "stuff" that goes in them. [aside: however, i don't want to reduce our "home" in Boardman to just a house since what it represents is a unique community of like-minded people who love and cherish historic homes. That community feeling is what i will always miss.]

I loved our historic home in Boardman, don't get me wrong, but I feel a great sense of relief being a renter and not having the responsibility of fixing up and maintaining a property. It's been refreshing to break the spell of "go to college, get a job, get married and BUY A HOUSE". Owning a home, although maybe financially a wise decision, ties you down and takes away your freedom. You become a slave to your home, whether you like it or not.

Right now, we're enjoying the freedom to do things together as a family rather than worrying so much about what we have or don't have. Travelling is our TOP priority, and oftentimes we're able to combine it w/ visiting Stijn's family in Holland and Switzerland. Our greatest gift to the kids is to give them the world, by exposing them to different cultures and places and teaching them to be tolerant of other ways of thinking. Although after this US visit I realize Alex can name <50% of the states so we've got our homework cut out for us!

I'm sure there will come a time when we feel the need to be "owners" again (like already I'm feeling the urge to buy up natural areas and manage them for the birds!), but for now I feel like this is exactly where we need to be. If you know of some beautiful birdy places, maybe you can change my mind. But til then, Bon Voyage!

Griffon vultures in Belgium and Holland

Keep on birding has beautiful photos of the Griffon vultures that visited northern Europe last week. They're gone already, but it's been speculated that they ventured north in search of food. Unfortunately they weren't any more successful up here! When we moved to Belgium I remember thinking to myself, "where's all the roadkill?" You just don't see many dead animals on the road, and large mammals have all been driven out or to extinction (small deer still around).

In March I saw Griffon vultures in Spain when I was birding with a Belgian bird club. Was the first vulture I'd seen in Europe. The sight of them almost brought me to tears. Didn't realize how much I missed seeing vultures! Remember watching a group of Turkey vultures devour a fawn (young deer) in Ohio in less than 1 hour. From that moment on I've always had the greatest respect for these amazing creatures.

no. 217 Blauwborst - Bluethroat

bluethroat wiki file
Have been dreaming of seeing this member of the Old World Muscicapidae (formerly placed with the thrushes) for over a year now, and last Thursday it happened. Went birding at the Bezinkingsputten in Tienen with my birdpal Cerintje. Saw lots of goodies and would've been satisfied even without a glimpse of the Bluethroat, but when it made an appearance it was a moment I'll never forget. Plus, being a discovery that we made on our own ... at a site that we were just getting to know ... made it all the more memorable and meaningful.

Our work was cut out for us. A month ago would've been much easier (like May 11 - mother's day!), w males perched more conspicuously and singing their hearts out to attract a mate and defend a territory. Now they weren't singing so much - they were getting down to business with nest-building and procreating. This would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Plus, in flight they don't look very different from other LBB's, or little brown birds, unless you get a good glimpse of their tail w its rust and black bands.

And then we saw some LBB's rummaging around in a tussock by a marsh. They seemed to be walking in and out of vegetation but always returning to the tussock with bits of vegetation in their beaks. First Cerintje saw the telltale tail, and then i saw the beautiful blue throat and obvious supercilium. For a minute I lost my breath - how often do you get to see one of these beautiful beasts, let alone watch a PAIR of them building a nest? The pleasure was doubled when a whitethroat showed up and tried to chase the bluethroats off - it was like a mini-soap being played out before our eyes. What a day, I tell you, what a day. I could live w/out food w birds like this ...