Roofvogels in de duinstreek tussen Wijk aan Zee en Camperduin in 1995

Systematic raptor surveys were carried out in the dunes of the western Netherlands in 1995, covering 7064 ha (36% afforested) between the villages of Wijk aan Zee and Camperduin. Numbers and breeding success of Honey Buzzard, Goshawk, Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Kestrel and Hobby were established (Table 1), as well as trends during (intermittently censused) 1982-95 (Table 2). A successful nest of Honey Buzzard (1 fledgling) proved the presence of this species as a breeding bird in this part of The Netherlands. Goshawk and Common Buzzard nowadays have firmly established breeding populations in the western Netherlands. Both species colonized this region as late as the 1980s. The Hobby showed a clear decline; depredation of a fledgling, and probably of nestlings as well, by Goshawks was witnessed in 1995 for the first lime. Human persecution of raptors was apparently absent; only a single Goshawk nest was deserted for unknown reasons.