It’s a rainy Saturday morning in Rotterdam, and I’m taking a break from bicycle riding to recover a bit from the recent big uptick in my daily mileage, so no new pictures today. Instead, here are some new sights from my ride back to Rotterdam from Delft yesterday evening.
First, I came across this pheasant hen at the edge of the bike path on the outskirts of Delft. She had a few chicks with her, but they hid much more effectively in the tall grass, so I have no chick-pix for you. Sorry. I was on a different route than I take in the morning, so I’m not sure that she knows the cock we saw Thursday, but maybe she does.
Then, as I approached the outskirts of Rotterdam, I caught a glimpse in the distance of this magnificent nest with a white stork (Ciconia ciconia) in it.
Okay. Now for some of the little birds that have been forming sort of a backlog, and the first I can identify is this reed bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) perching on a reed just as you might expect a bird with that name would do. It is an “Old World bunting” and so not very closely related to “North American buntings“, to which the indigo buntings we see in Estabrook Park belong. In fact, the North American birds once grouped in the same family as Old World buntings are commonly known as sparrows. Way to keep it confusing, guys.
Next is a sedge warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) who was perched just like the reed bunting and singing up a storm!
And, if you guessed it’s probably an “Old World warbler“, you are correct! It is not even in the same family as “New World warblers.” Sheesh! I hope this stuff isn’t on the final exam!
Okay. Last one. I believe this is a common gull or sea mew (Larus canus) that was perched on the same roof ridge as the much-more-easily-identified black-headed gull from earlier in the week.
Well, that’s the roundup for now. I’ve gotta go to Delft tomorrow anyway, so maybe I’ll get out to the countryside early again and see what’s new to see. I’ll keep you posted.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 
