First peewit egg of season ushers in springtime

The first peewit egg of the year was found on Sunday in Schelluinen in the province of Zuid-Holland. The discovery was reported to LanschappenNL at 14:56 p.m. The discovery of the firs peewit egg traditionally signals the coming of spring and is deeply rooted in Dutch history. Historically, the one who found the first peewit egg of the year could offer it to the queen. Last year the first egg was found on March 5th in Gelderland.

Wout Gorree found the first egg this year on a grass plot in Schelluinen. Gorree belongs to the work group Weidevogels van de Natuur (Grassland Birds of Nature) and bird control Alblasserwaard. The discovery also signals the start of the grassland bird season 2015. Volunteers form the provincial organizations Laschapsbeheer, Bond van Friese Vogelwachten and the grassland birds section of the foundation Beheer Natuur en Landelijk Gebiet (SBNL), will help farmers between now and mid-June to find and mark nests to protect them from agricultural work.