SAM HOBSON
is a conservation and
wildlife photographer,
best known for his work
with urban wildlife.
samhobson.co.ukSeptember 2020 BBC Wildlife 79
F
or more than a century,
Amsterdam’s famous Albert
Cuyp Market has hummed
with locals and tourists
browsing stalls, soaking up
the colourful atmosphere and enjoying
a spot of gezelligheid – the Dutch
concept of conviviality. And it seems the
attractions of market day are pulling in
the capital’s wildlife, too.
“With so many canals and rivers,
Amsterdam is the ideal place for a water
bird like the grey heron,” says Sam.
“They nest in heronries in the city’s
parks, and have always been part of its
urban landscape.”
In years gone by, the herons would
wait for fishermen returning with the
day’s catch, snatching morsels from
loaded buckets. But in recent decades,
the birds have discovered the easier
pickings around the Albert Cuyp fish
stalls, where, at the close of trading,
leftovers and scraps are piled up for the
binmen. Indeed, this long-legged wader
is now as common a sight in the market
as a freshly hot stroopwafel.Flocking for a feast
As the afternoon wears on, the herons
start to gather, perching on striped
awnings and road signs. By 4pm, when
the stallholders are packing up, some
20 birds will be in the supper queue.
Most wait patiently for the buffet
to open, but some are more brash,
strutting along the strip as if eyeing
up the finest fillets. “One heron had
definitely acquired a taste for squid,”
recalls Sam. “It grabbed one from a
stall, then wandered down the street –
tentacles dangling from its beak.”
Only the brazen few dare to snatch-
and-grab, so nobody much objects to
the herons’ presence. The fishmongers
even remove the lids from the discarded
coolboxes, offering their guests a more
relaxed dining experience. It doesn’t get
more gezelligheid than that.Sharingout the
street food
bySAMHOBSON 2015
Behind
the
imageWe’ve all heard about the mice living in
windmills in old Amsterdam, but what
about the herons in sh markets?