Lapwings

[artic 595]

I was out this morning walking the dogs and I had to stop to see 5 lapwings fending off a Buzzard. It was spectacular to see. The 3 young lapwings were running whilst the lapwings were having this display of guts with their haunting calls. The buzzard had no chance, and eventually flew high enough to be left alone.

 

These ground nesting birds are wonderful to see in flight, but be warned as they will dive down to you if near their nest or young. I have seen a huge decline of lapwings in this area, maybe foxes, crows, sparrow hawks, stoats, buzzards but I think more so the new tennant farmer doesn't care about these birds or any and get ploughed over.(Sometimes this cant be helped) Last year we would put canes by the nests to allow the farm workers to plough around, but this wasn't to be this year.

 

The eggs are very well camouflaged, they lay between 2 to 4 eggs. The nest will be a small scrape, a small amount of grass and thats it. I didn't have any camera with me to take any pictures, but they are worth seeing if you have them in your area.

 

[FightTheBan 1,147]

I would say the opposite. In an area near here you would never see any of the above in recent years, but this year there have been lapwings and curlews on the ground.

I can't explain why, as farming practices haven't changed - maybe I just didn't notice them before!.

Plus I have been there for 4 years and vermin gets shot on sight - with wings or without - purely to protect the hares.

FTB

[hily 379]

A good population near me out this morning two mobbing a heron that was on the the look out for breakfast

[rob.i 26]

Not seen many here have noticed a drop in numbers over the last few years

[spanj 11]

I was out this morning walking the dogs and I had to stop to see 5 lapwings fending off a Buzzard. It was spectacular to see. The 3 young lapwings were running whilst the lapwings were having this display of guts with their haunting calls. The buzzard had no chance, and eventually flew high enough to be left alone.

 

These ground nesting birds are wonderful to see in flight, but be warned as they will dive down to you if near their nest or young. I have seen a huge decline of lapwings in this area, maybe foxes, crows, sparrow hawks, stoats, buzzards but I think more so the new tennant farmer doesn't care about these birds or any and get ploughed over.(Sometimes this cant be helped) Last year we would put canes by the nests to allow the farm workers to plough around, but this wasn't to be this year.

 

The eggs are very well camouflaged, they lay between 2 to 4 eggs. The nest will be a small scrape, a small amount of grass and thats it. I didn't have any camera with me to take any pictures, but they are worth seeing if you have them in your area.

 

 

Have watched 4 eggs go from just that to 4 young lappys, healthy population of curlew too here in our N Wales shoot......... great to see

[mouse 282]

got a pair with young on the field opposite and found 3 little ringed plover chicks as well the other day.

[kev2010 8]

Loads of lapwings in the maze fields around me.Kev.

[nakednutt 58]

I would say the opposite. In an area near here you would never see any of the above in recent years, but this year there have been lapwings and curlews on the ground.

I can't explain why, as farming practices haven't changed - maybe I just didn't notice them before!.

Plus I have been there for 4 years and vermin gets shot on sight - with wings or without - purely to protect the hares.

FTB

 

you probably never noticed them as theres plenty to be seen around these parts

[FightTheBan 1,147]

you probably never noticed them as theres plenty to be seen around these parts

 

 

FTB

[masmiffy 82]

Seen a few Lapwings round here but nowhere as many as when I was a kid

 

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

The Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), also known as the Peewit, Green Plover or (in the British Isles) just Lapwing, is a bird in the plover family. It is common through temperate Eurasia. It is highly migratory over most of its extensive range, wintering further south as far as north Africa, Pakistan, northern Republic of India and parts of China. It migrates mainly by day, often in large flocks. Lowland breeders in westernmost areas of Europe are resident. It occasionally is a vagrant to North America, especially after storms, as in the Canadian sightings after storms in December 1927 and in January 1966.[1]

 

It is a wader which breeds on cultivated land and other short vegetation habitats. 3–4 eggs are laid in a ground scrape. The nest and young are defended noisily and aggressively against all intruders, up to and including horses and cattle.

 

In winter it forms huge flocks on open land, particularly arable land and mud-flats.

[salclalin 240]

There used to be a Good Breeding Population on the Farm that i Used to Help out On.However since the Farm is No Longer there and the Land has Been bought by The Neighbouring Farm(The Farmer's Nephew) Lapwings No Longer Nest on the Field where they Used to.However they do Over Winter on the Fields.Last Winter i Saw A Flock of over a Hundred in one Field,One of which was Snow White.

[Geoff.C 0]

My favorite bird, I used to pass a field they seemed to like, on the way to work 20 odd years ago. Regularly saw flocks of maybe 150 birds. Gradually see less and less round here. I get quite excited if I see more than 4 or 5 together now!

[Tallyho 181]

got a good few round here in the fields over the road

[PeakOil 352]

Only seen a couple so far this spring, usually see plenty round here.

[artic 595]

It's interesting to see where there has been a decline in these birds.