Kees van der Leun6d ago

Silent spring in our village.
This morning, I woke up early. One blackbird was singing in our neighbourhood. When it stopped (to find something to eat, I guess), it became silent.

In the 1990s, dozens of songbirds would've been singing, sometimes making so much noise that it was hard to sleep.

Show threadKees van der Leun6d ago

We live in a village near Utrecht with lots of (small) gardens and fields and parks around it.

The decline happened gradually, over the years. I don't think there's a single cause, like DDT in Rachel Carson's time. But it's part of a big biodiversity crisis here in the Netherlands.

Show threadKees van der Leun6d ago
As with climate, society as a whole has amnesia for this kind of thing. When you're young, or you moved into the area a few years ago, it's hard to know how many birds were singing, and butterflies and bees were flying around here, a few decades ago.
Show threadHuubje6d ago
@Sustainable2050 de kikkers zijn ook overal verdwenen, die raakte mij gek genoeg harder
Show threadHelma
@Huubje @Sustainable2050 Niet in onze vijver 🫣
May 19 at 8:54pmTusky
Show threadHuubje5d ago
@helma @Sustainable2050 gezellig!
Show threadHelma5d ago
@Huubje @Sustainable2050 Best wel 😬