Little terns breed on Texel in different places and with varying degrees of success. These colony breeders literally push the boundaries and choose their breeding ground on shell beaches close to the waterline. Unfortunately, this sometimes goes wrong with the combination of high tide and strong wind. The result may be that all clutches are washed away by the high water. They often try again at a different location. The number of annual breeding pairs varies from a few dozen to a few hundred.

Dwergstern / Little Tern Sternula albifrons, ad, Texel, 02-05-2023

Short-eared owls are mysterious, beautiful birds and are usually seen on Texel in every month of the year. That doesn't mean they always hatch. Unfortunately, it has been an incidental breeding bird on Texel in recent years. That was different a few decades ago, with sometimes as many as twenty breeding pairs.  

Velduil / Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus, ad, Texel, 25-05-2023

Unlike the Short-eared Owl, the Nightjar does well as a breeding bird on Texel. In recent years, the number of breeding pairs has fluctuated around ten. They are birds that are especially active in the late evening and night and particularly noticeable in May and June. A daytime sighting is rare. The bird in the photo was found outside the breeding area in a private garden.

Nachtzwaluw / European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus, ad ♀, Texel, 20-05-2023