For what was yet another quiet and overcast day, my early morning pause at Seven Sisters Country Park produced one of my best sightings of lapwings. A small group of them were feeding out in one of the fields when I arrived.
While I was watching they took to the air, which is the best way to appreciate these slightly strange looking birds. As well as elaborate head feathers, they have large and extremely broad wings, a little like flying table-tennis bats.
Back home the foxes are still hiding. One poked its head through the fence this evening, but retreated as soon as it realized we were in the garden. The pregnant vixen appeared once last night and she looked like she may have now had her cubs. The clip was too brief to be certain, but she appeared slimmer than of late. If that's correct then it means her den must be very near indeed. I'm definitely keeping eyes and ears open.
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.
derWandersmann
1 Mar 2013Wonderful sighting of lapwings, Words!
Words
2 Mar 2013dW, it was a good one. Lovely to watch even though I had no more than about 5 minutes there.
gdare
2 Mar 2013Nice birds :up:
SittingFox
2 Mar 2013Hoping she brings the cubs towards the garden! 🙂
derWandersmann
2 Mar 2013They almost seem to have a negative dihedral on the outer ends of those wings. Like a Stuka, but the negative dihedral is on the inner end.
Words
4 Mar 2013Darko, thanks!
Words
4 Mar 2013dW, interesting. I wonder if that helps them with their aerial displays, which really are quite special
Words
4 Mar 2013Adele, certainly. You can never count on it though. She's very shy.
derWandersmann
5 Mar 2013It looks like it would give them great maneuvreability, with the centre of effort
so far out from the body, like a Spitfire.
Words
7 Mar 2013dW, but nothing on earth beats the swift for good wing design.