Stork chicks die in Diest nature reserve while kestrels thrive

The Webbekoms Broek nature reserve in Diest is experiencing a difficult breeding season for its storks, with a significant loss of young birds. Of the three stork pairs that nested this year, producing a total of seven eggs, only two chicks have survived. This starkly contrasts with previous years and has left the reserve's managers searching for an explanation.

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It's not a nice season for the storks; we have lost quite a few young ones.

Erik Spiessens from the visitor center expressed his disappointment, noting that storks typically lay three to four eggs, with two to three chicks usually surviving. "It's not a nice season for the storks; we have lost quite a few young ones," Spiessens stated. He added that a third stork pair had recently arrived and built a nest in an old poplar tree, but this nesting attempt was also unsuccessful. The fact that they chose a natural nest over the provided nesting platforms indicates they feel at home in the area, making the breeding failure even more perplexing.

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We know not how it comes that so many young birds have died. It is a riddle.

Meanwhile, the reserve's kestrels are faring exceptionally well. A dedicated nest box for kestrels has proven to be a success story, with all six eggs hatching and the young birds thriving. Spiessens reported that the six kestrel chicks have been ringed and are doing well, exceeding the average of four chicks per nest. This success with kestrels highlights the contrasting fortunes within the same nature reserve.

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The fact that a stork couple chooses a natural nest in an old poplar tree, and not one of the nest poles that we provide for them, proves that they feel at home here.