The beginning
Jan de Wilde’s plastic nesting box turned
out to be an ideal shelter for hole breeders. In 1969, 300 boxes were hung in
the woods near Ommen and IJhorst. In the next spring it appeared that no less
than 241 of the boxes were inhabited. In 114 boxes there were pied flycatcher
nests, which at that moment had started to become rather scarce. For this type
of bird the plastic box was therefore in any case a success.
Enormous takeoff
In 1970, there were already 1,000
nesting boxes hanging in the woods of Appelscha, Echten, Leeuwarden, Ommen,
Staphorst, IJhorst, De Wijk and Zuidwolde. No less than 760 of them appeared to
be inhabited next spring, with again a strikingly large representation by the
pied flycatcher: 294 pairs had nested in a plastic box. Since then Jan de
Wilde’s plastic nesting box really took off. In 1973, in the Netherlands alone
there were 30,000 and again a lot were exported.
The contribution of Bert Blaauw
After his original
‘invention’ Jan de Wilde had already got the help of Bert Blaauw from IJhorst,
regional commander of the national police and a serious bird lover. Partly
thanks to his contribution, the nesting box took on the form that many ‘fowlers’
remember to this day. Blaauw once started with a few dozen boxes in the large
woods around where he lived. His experiments led to ventilation holes being made
in the front and back of the box to prevent the accumulation of moisture through
condensation. A hole was also made in the floor to drain any surplus moisture.
And to protect the nests against squirrels and other invaders, the sliding roof
could only be opened if the nesting box had been taken off the tree.
Plastic saves young birds
It was also Bert Blaauw who, with a lot
of effort, was finally able to convince more and more people that plastic
nesting boxes had clear advantages over wooden boxes. As well as ruggedness,
sustainability and optimal ventilation, there was also another important
feature: because of the smooth internal wall of the plastic sleeping box, the
young birds stayed in the nest longer; it was more difficult for them to climb
up. As a result, they could only fly out when they were really ready to do so.
It is certain that because of this many early bird lives were saved…Click here for an extended interview with Bert
Blaauw.
