Today’s frustrations were instantly wiped away with the sight of over a dozen Lapwing chicks whilst I sat and ate my packed lunch.
Lapwing birds are said to be a farmer’s friend so we are delighted to say that we have plenty of friends at the moment!
I was told that my grandfather used to stop the tractor to put his hat over a Lapwing nest to protect it from the sprays he was applying.
Park meadow is our flattest and most open field. It provides an ideal habitat for Lapwing which are ground nesting and appreciate wide open spaces where predators, such as small mammals, can be easily seen and there aren’t any perches for jackdaws and crows to swoop from to eat the eggs or chicks.
Thanks to help from Paul at Tier Three solutions, we have recorded and put rings on 17 chicks but there is a possibility of an additional Five. This is great news for our farm and North Herefordshire as Lapwing numbers have declined significantly over the years.
What a great sight to see the Lapwing pairs swooping in defiance against the jackdaws and to hear their distinctive shrill call!
Farming is far less of the way of life that it used to be but there are still some positive compensation’s.
