Kees van der Leun5d 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 Leun5d 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 Leun5d 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 threadKees van der Leun4d ago
Oh, and the situation in the field next to our neigbourhood is not good either:
https://mastodon.energy/@Sustainable2050/116484358865016604
Show threadJos Geluk
@Sustainable2050 it becomes especially clear when you spend a few days in another country, where there are still swallows and sparrows, insects buzz around your head, and the dawn choir is still deafening.
May 19 at 8:57pmWeb