Tourists in Amsterdam and the Hague notice them immediately, the bollards with the city emblem on top of them. For locals they’ve become a blind spot unless you’re trying to park your car that is. Whereas the bollards in Amsterdam are painted in burgundy red and have the city’s emblem of the three crosses near the top of them, in the Hague they are dark green. Which makes them all the harder to notice them when you’re backing into a parking space at night.

They are adorned with a stylized stork holding an eel in its mouth, the Hague’s emblem.

Where does this symbol come from?

According to this site the birds are the heraldic symbol for The Hague adopted, according to tradition, because so many white storks nested in the city in medieval times drawn by the rich pickings of the fish markets. Today the stork can be seen across the city on buildings, atop church spires and on a bewildering array of souvenirs and artworks.
If you’re really interested, On It’s Tall Legs and Looking Down It’s Nose: A History of The Hague’s Stork is a fascinating read.

Joint submission for BeckyB.’s April Squares challenge and Brashley Photography’s Mid-Week Monochrome.