Lapwing nests

[Fish]

while drilling 20 acres of barley this afternoon, I have gone round 4 nests, + there were three other pairs which didn't seem to have nests yet.
Tomorrow moving to another field where we have all ready marked four nest sites each with 3 to 4 eggs.

Seems to be quite a number of lapwings nesting on this farm this year, have others found the same?

 

[happycows]

while drilling 20 acres of barley this afternoon, I have gone round 4 nests, + there were three other pairs which didn't seem to have nests yet.
Tomorrow moving to another field where we have all ready marked four nest sites each with 3 to 4 eggs.

Seems to be quite a number of lapwings nesting on this farm this year, have others found the same?

Good man. Love seeing them but not seen any this year. Usually need a cold snap before they turn up here.

 

[Lincsman]

Used to have them in the birds nest set a side, so cultivated around them, this highlighted where they were for the crows to predate them.

 

[MrNoo]

Yes, have seen a lot more than normal here, fortunately they seem to have gathered in two of the wettest spots on the farm this year that I was unable to drill and would still struggle with now, so will leave them in peace, there were a few sitting but I didnt go and disturb them. Love seeing them about.
When I was young I used to sit on the inner wing of our Ford 7600 and my job was to move any chicks we'd see when spring drilling and spy any nests etc.

 

[Brisel]

I heard my first one 2 nights ago. Fortunately we've finished drilling that block so they won't be disturbed by us. They seem to be a bit late moving inland this year?

 

[MrNoo]

They seem to be a bit late moving inland this year?

I thought they are a tad late, as traditionally I tend to start Spring drilling Cheltenham week and I tend to find plenty on nests with eggs. So maybe a week or two late?

 

[Fish]

Used to have them in the birds nest set a side, so cultivated around them, this highlighted where they were for the crows to predate them.

Interesting, last year while drilling, linseed/peas/barley, I went round quite a few nests, and all managed to hatch, as far as I'm aware. I remember counting 14 half grown chicks in one Spring barley field.

Just seems to be a lot more birds around this year, apart from the lapwings, we've got oyster catchers, curlew, even got two pairs of barn owls.

 

[snipe]

Well done for spotting them.

 

[Raider112]

They always used the same field here, used to watch out for them but one year a fox was just hoovering the chicks up and numbers never recovered. The last year I saw any was a single bird waiting for a mate, quite sad really.

 

[Av Gorritt]

We used to have quite a lot of lapwings nesting here . Don' see any now , and I don't know why . The last big gathering - possibly hundreds - of them that I have seen was on a rooftop on an industrial estate no too far from Oldham . I can't think of any good reason for that , as there didn't seem to be too much in the way of "lapwing friendly" environment there . I've no doubt that they had their own reasons . We also used to have big numbers of skylarks as well , and many of them nested in the adjoining golf course rough . Since the golfers started to get more prosperous , and hiring more ground staff , the rough isn't really rough any more . Just in passing "our" skylarks were reckoned to be among the best for the singing contests that the pubs used to run . The larks were brought to the pub "top room " in a small covered cage , and at a given signal from the judges , the cover would be whipped off , and the ensuing song length timed . longest being the winner . I'm told they were very hotly contested by the local mill workers , but I'm fairly sure it doesn't happen now .

 

[Muddyroads]

Top man @Fish
This is the sort of thing farmings critics should be seeing.

 

[Bobthebuilder]

The only problem with going around them like that is it highlights them to predators

 

[theboytheboy]

I counted 14 the other day in the usual spot at our place.

Problem is the f**king magpies, crows, foxes and the barsteward raven decimates them along with the skylarks despite our best efforts in controlling them.

 

[uztrac]

I counted 14 the other day in the usual spot at our place.

Problem is the fudgeing magpies, crows, foxes and the barsteward raven decimates them along with the skylarks despite our best efforts in controlling them.

I agree with your comments,crows are the biggest problem to our lapwings around here,if its not the eggs its the chicks in a few weeks time.

 

[PSQ]

It's shaping up to be a cracking year for wildlife. Wagtails in abundance, a pair of Mallards in the farmyard taking spilt grain, Kestrels nesting in the back of the barn again, Oyster catchers are back for the first time in years, and the biggest mob of yellow hammers I've ever seen (70+ on top of a muck heap). Should have the martins and swallows back in a fortnight, life could be worse.

Spotted a pair of magpies and the hoodies are starting to come in, call birds on order. If anyone wants one in south east Scotland / Northumberland (FoC of course) leave a PM.

 

[capfits]

Saw a few on hill yesterday along with a few curlews.
Call the teauchets up here.
To early for them to nest here at the moment, give it two weeks they will be meeting then the chicks everywhere, good population up here particularly on permanent grass next to heather hill.

The curlews will nest on hill aswell and occasionally in grassland. Last year we had a group of German ornithologists telling me that they have very few breeding in Germany and that Curlews never breed in grassland. 10 minutes later I was able to show them a grassland nest.

Think I saw my first Osprey of the year yesterday am. Probably migrated up in the warm African air.

 

[theboytheboy]

Rspb lady tells me that our land is not really suited to lapwings and curlews......both of which attempt to breed here each year

 

[Campani]

The last big gathering - possibly hundreds - of them that I have seen was on a rooftop on an industrial estate no too far from Oldham . I can't think of any good reason for that, as there didn't seem to be too much in the way of "lapwing friendly" environment there.

the most lapwings I have ever seen was on the edge of manchester. A brownfield site covered in bare dirt and weeds. Must have been 60-100 lapwings singing and flying around and presumably nesting in site. It was amazing. I guess good habitat, plus a big fence around the outside made it ideal for lapwings, if not unorthodox.

 

[Barleycorn]

Used to have loads of them here, but not seen any since the badgers moved in.

 

[sticky]

When I was knocking a field about on Friday I was reminiscing about the years gone by when I used to carry electric fence posts with me to mark a nest when I saw one to make sure the drill man missed it as well
I've only seen one pair this year and that was at the weekend, we have too many predators around, buzzards,red kites and the like, the chicks don't stand a chance.
About 6-7 years ago a pair of ducks hatched 10 chicks two years running not one flew off the pond, a buzzard just followed them until they were all gone.