Since January, Sonja helps out as a volunteer at the bird hostel Karel Schot in Rotterdam. She started in the same kind of work a couple of years
ago at the Nature and Birdwatch organisation in Dordrecht, but organisation and treatment were way below par and she had to quit after a
few weeks. As she still mentions nowadays: "I wouldn't bring a brick to that place! Way too sad for the brick!"
Karel Schot is quite a different story: professional, clean, excellent care for the birds and lots to learn. Sonja is obviously happy
here, and the white buzzard smiles upon her affectionately.....
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...but his brown fellow does not agree. ANGRY!!!!
Impressive, such a big bird. |
Not only birds find health care there, several hundreds of hedgehogs are brought in every year, and on average 75 of them hibernate at the
hostel. These are released in spring, well fed and rested. Sonja helps to find suitable places, as they will fight if put too closely
together. |
Isn't she adorable?
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We had a brush with hedgehogs before: this picture was taken in 1991 in England, where we almost flattened this baby hedgehog which was
sitting in the middle of the road behind a sharp curve. Sonja puts him, barehandedly, back in the hedge. |
Hedgehog-mania: even the fries are adapted! |
The Vogelklas Karel Schot started in 1950, when a schoolboy brought a wounded pidgeon to this
biology teacher Karel. They made a cage in the class room, and treated the bird to full health. More birds followed, and in no-time
the whole class room was full of birds. Pupils took their exams balancing seagulls on their heads, or with a blue heron sitting on
top of their desk.
Karel Schot sadly died way too early, but his work is being continued in a very professional organisation. Several pupils from the olden
days still work for the hostel as volunteers! More funny pictures from the early years can be found at the
Bird's eye view page (Dutch only, sorry). |
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