Pearls of nature and silence around Arendonk and Het Bele-ven (RNL 681895)

The starting point was https://www.route.nl/wandelroute/681895/parels-van-natuur-en-stilte-rondom-arendonk Adapted over small paths and around Het Beleven. With GPS recorded on 7 June 2020 . You first go through https://www.natuurenbos.be/hogevijvers TO https://www.brabantslandschap.nl/ontdek-de-natuur/natuurgebieden/de-kempen/beleven/ CONTINUE TO THE HOOYPUT https://www.gva.be/cnt/bleme_02503116/zeldzaam-bloementapijt-van-wilde-orchideeen-gered AND FROM THERE THROUGH https://www.natuurenbos.be/goorken BACK THROUGH THE HIGH PONDS TO THE https://www.talander.be/ WHERE THE CAR IS PARKED

Whirring nightjars and croaking hedge frogs

The approximately 500 hectare area is located in the Turnhoutse Kempen, on the territory of the municipality of Arendonk, between the Kempen canal and the Dutch border. Plots of coniferous forest and wide forest drifts alternate. On the unpaved forest roads you will encounter special plant species such as the ground star, centaury, toothed grass and male ereprijs.

In late April - early May, the nightjar returns from southern Africa. The nest of this rare bird is a simple bowl in the bottom. This vulnerable breeding method is one of the reasons why dogs have to be kept on a leash.
When the deep twilight falls over the High Ponds, the nightjar becomes active. Then the males 'purr' or 'rattle', which can last for several minutes. It sounds more melodic with the yellow bunting. This bird loves open ground interspersed with groves and solitary trees. The young are fed with insects, the old birds eat weed seeds and cereal grains.

Among the reptiles we find the viviparous lizard that grows up to 18 centimeters long, half of which tails. He prefers heather with a small-scale alternation of young and old shrubs, branch forests and tree storage. In early March, the lizard emerges from its winter residence.
In contrast to the noisy croaking of the green frog, the call of the hedge frog is a soft bubbling sound, like air bubbles rising from the water when you hold an empty bottle under water. The male is known for the color change (blue) in the mating season.
 

History

Until the middle of the nineteenth century, there were no forests in and around the High Ponds. Before the reclamation of the heath, the area had typical heath management and peat extraction. This created several ponds in this high-altitude area. Around 1897, a large part was wooded by a private miner. Most of the domain forest was purchased in phases from private forest owners from 1979 onwards.