Dutch canals are really a trade mark of Holland. They are used for regulating the water level. They are used for transporting goods. They are used for recreation. They are good for "resting our eyes". They are simply beautiful!
Besides all that, the canals also sustain lots of life. Denise has been monitoring with particular interest a few young coot families, the way they prepare their nests, the way they take care of the eggs and their young, and the way the male keeps scaring away other ducks which get close to the nest.
A short movie showing them preparing a nest can be seen here. The upper picture shows a coot mother with a young cootling. The lower picture shows father coot running after other ducks, which can also be seen in these short movies here and here.
On the down side is the garbage. The canals are not as clean as we would like to see, specially in the large cities (particularly in Amsterdam). Humans are to blame. We saw some people throwing empty soft drink cans into them. Shameful.
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