Bote de Boer, a farmer in Tjerkwerd in Southwest Friesland, is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the black-tailed godwit. This meadow bird is a rare sight in Friesland, yet it keeps returning to his farm, in large numbers at that. The farm is not doing well: the cow shed and tractor need replacing. They need cash, but the bank is not impressed by the godwits: they want to see healthy annual figures. “Everyone loves the birds on our land,” Astrid, Bote’s wife, says. “But nobody wants to pay for them.” While the farming family tries to survive, the same goes for the godwits.

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