Today I paid a visit to the Bird-rehab centre in the small town of Zundert. It's quite small and only open on saterdays and wednesday-afthernoons but because it has a nice collection ( changing all the time ) in a nice setting I think it's worth to tell something about it.
I had been once before at this place after I found a Barnowl hit by a car. That time I didn't have much time however and afther given the owl in the experienced hands of the centre I left.
Today I took a lot more time and was suprience by the place - in a positive way ! They don't take entrance-fee but it's possible to donate some money for their good work. At the entrance-building there is a shop which is quite well stocked with books, bird-observing-materials and so on. Further an education-room and a restaurant. Then you enter the park itself with on your left side a large pond with ducks and goose. On your right side there are the hospital and research-rooms which are not public.
In a row of small aviaries several smaller birds where housed - blackbird, bullfinch, siskin,greenfinch, chatfinch, woodpigeons and most amuzing a pair of bearded reedlings ( bearded tits ).
Then you went to the left and comes across a row of large aviaries with crows, an eagle owl and 3 spotted eagles.
Going around the corner you can see the back-side of the first pond and some aviaries which are ment to pre-released recovered birds. Now a peregrine falcon and some ravens were housed in the aviaries. Also a second pond is in this area with swans, more ducks and more goose.
Then you come along a path with educationial displays for example different nestboxes, a insect-hotel and other information. On the bank of a third pond ( without ducks and goose ! ) a nesting-wall for kingfishers is build but like the ducks and goose the kingfishers were also absent
!
2 very large aviaries housed each one white-tailed sea-eagle and one Bald eagle. . Going around the corner to the right you come along a long row of simple medium-sized aviaries in which eagle-owls - severall species - and bird of prey were housed.
On the other side of these aviaries there's a small field on which a male cereopsis goose defended it's female which was incubating her clutch in a small shed. After an aviary with 2 very loud oystercatchers your back at the row of aviaries for smaller birds.
By walking along these I also discovered the only mammal which was on display - a crested porcupine ( don't know why a rehab-centre in the Netherlands houses a porcupine ???? ).
Surtainly not a place to plan a special zoo-trip for but if you are around this area and has some spare-time well worth visiting !
I had been once before at this place after I found a Barnowl hit by a car. That time I didn't have much time however and afther given the owl in the experienced hands of the centre I left.
Today I took a lot more time and was suprience by the place - in a positive way ! They don't take entrance-fee but it's possible to donate some money for their good work. At the entrance-building there is a shop which is quite well stocked with books, bird-observing-materials and so on. Further an education-room and a restaurant. Then you enter the park itself with on your left side a large pond with ducks and goose. On your right side there are the hospital and research-rooms which are not public.
In a row of small aviaries several smaller birds where housed - blackbird, bullfinch, siskin,greenfinch, chatfinch, woodpigeons and most amuzing a pair of bearded reedlings ( bearded tits ).
Then you went to the left and comes across a row of large aviaries with crows, an eagle owl and 3 spotted eagles.
Going around the corner you can see the back-side of the first pond and some aviaries which are ment to pre-released recovered birds. Now a peregrine falcon and some ravens were housed in the aviaries. Also a second pond is in this area with swans, more ducks and more goose.
Then you come along a path with educationial displays for example different nestboxes, a insect-hotel and other information. On the bank of a third pond ( without ducks and goose ! ) a nesting-wall for kingfishers is build but like the ducks and goose the kingfishers were also absent
!2 very large aviaries housed each one white-tailed sea-eagle and one Bald eagle. . Going around the corner to the right you come along a long row of simple medium-sized aviaries in which eagle-owls - severall species - and bird of prey were housed.
On the other side of these aviaries there's a small field on which a male cereopsis goose defended it's female which was incubating her clutch in a small shed. After an aviary with 2 very loud oystercatchers your back at the row of aviaries for smaller birds.
By walking along these I also discovered the only mammal which was on display - a crested porcupine ( don't know why a rehab-centre in the Netherlands houses a porcupine ???? ).
Surtainly not a place to plan a special zoo-trip for but if you are around this area and has some spare-time well worth visiting !