On May 10, Joey van der Weerd (new member of the working group) and Hilco Jansma were invited to Schiermonnikoog to talk about spoonbills on and around Schiermonnikoog, but also beyond. It is not called that for nothing, of course. World Migratory Bird Day.

The day started early, even though I (Joey) wasn't expected at Westerplas until 2 p.m. Still, I wanted to take some time to quietly observe all the spoonbills nesting there. Many of these spoonbills are ringed, and each bird has its own story, a story that emerges from all the feedback we receive.

For example, a relatively old spoonbill, aged 25, breeds at Westerplas. This bird was ringed as a chick on Terschelling on June 10, 2000. We shared stories and examples like this during the World Migratory Bird Talk at the new Natuurmonumenten viewing screen at Westerplas. As a working group, we were there from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., and we made many people happy with facts about spoonbills.

At the end of the afternoon, Hilco arrived on Schiermonnikoog from the mainland. Hilco has made a beautiful documentary/film about spoonbills, which can still be seen on NPO. He was invited to tell the story behind the film and why he chose the spoonbill. It was also special for him to see his own film on the big screen, because the film was shown in the community center of the village on the island.

At the community center, we were able to show what the spoonbill means for the protection of biotopes. Biotopes that are home not only to the spoonbill, but also to other resident birds and migratory birds.

In short: An educational day for young and old alike. For people who already knew something about spoonbills, but also for those who were just getting to know them at that moment.