Flamingos in Holland.

 
 

Filmmaker Ko Augustijn filmed the flock of flamingos end January 2018.

 

Silhouettes stand still in the icy cold water. One leg up high between the warm feathers.
The flamingos are back.

 

The tropical looking birds defy the freezing cold to stay here through the winter.
Right in the middle of Lake Grevelingen. Near the tiny Dutch village Battenoord (NL).

 

And their numbers are growing. Since October some 60 flamingos settled down to stay till April.
Then they return to their breeding grounds in the ”Zwillbrocker Venn”. Just across the border with Germany.

 

Three kinds of flamingos congregate here near Battenoord (NL): the Greater flamingo, the Chilean flamingo
and the American flamingo.

 

Together they form an amazing contrast with the typical Dutch sheep.

 

The reason why the flamingos come to the Grevelingen is the salt water. In Germany they live in fresh water
which freezes during wintertime. Moreover the water in Lake Grevelingen contains much shrimps, algae and
shellfish. The food flamingos feed on.

 

During the storm surge of January 31 to February 1, 1953 no less than 1836 people drowned in the freezing water.
To prevent the dikes to break again the Grevelingen was cut off from the sea in 1965.

 

The Grevelingen is now the largest saltwater lake of Western Europe.

 

Owing to their size flamingos have barely any enemies. The flamingo is more than happy in the Grevelingen.
They will be here for months in the typical Dutch landscape.

 

Island ”Goeree-Overflakkee” welcomes the attention over the irregular occurrence in nature.

 

It’s still a very remarkable sight in the middle of winter; flamingos in Holland.

 

 
 
 

Title: ” Flamingos in Holland”

Running time: 3 minutes

Language: Dutch

Voice over:  Ko Augustijn

Recording year: AVP © 2018

Format: PAL / High Definition 16:9

Price: on request