Wespendief Pernis apivorus gebruikt drie jaren achtereen hetzelfde nest

In May 2001, European Honey-buzzards built a nest at a height of 12 m in a willow Salix sp., situated in a moist woodlot of 200 ha on loamy sand in the province of Noord-Brabant (southern Netherlands). The adult pair raised two fledglings (branchlings seen in late July, not on the nest anymore on 14 August). Both adults were completely silent throughout the breeding season. The nest was again occupied in 2002, with fresh greeneries first recorded on 28 May. Two nestlings fledged; the oldest was dark chocolate-brown and left the nest on 8 August, the younger one was behaving as a branchling. Both stayed near the nest till at least 14 August, when the youngest was seen sunning with wings in delta-fashion on a branch near the nest. Both parents were completely silent, as in 2001. In 2003, the nest was “decorated,, with fresh greeneries on 21 May; the female sat on the nest by 4 June. Only a single nestling was seen (dark chocolate), which fledged on 5 August. Unlike the preceding years, the adult male was heard several times in the latter stages of the breeding cycle (a different male?). A comparison of moulted primaries showed that the female was presumably the same in 2002 and 2003 (photo 1); in 2001, no moulted feathers were found and individual identification was therefore impossible. In 2003, a Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis raised fledglings only 300 m away from the European Honey-buzzard nest.