Northern Lapwing

<< Previous Next >>
Northern Lapwing
Photo Information
Copyright: Pekka Valo (pekkavalo1) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 241 W: 21 N: 861] (2657)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-05-07
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 400D, Canon 100-400 L + 1.4x Extender, B+W 77 010 UV-Haze 1 x
Exposure: f/8, 1/500 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-04-10 1:17
Viewed: 421
Points: 32
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Northern Lapwing having a meal in South-West Finland after journey from wintering areas in the South. They are usually the first waders to arrive when the fields are still covered by snow. Very often they have to reverse their journey and return back to wait the weather to warm up.

This was shot using car as hide.

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 Europe, and across temperate Asia. It occasionally is a vagrant to North America. Many records in North America happen after storms. A storm in December 1927 and another in January 1966 account for an appreciable part of Canadian records.
It is highly migratory over most of its extensive range, wintering further south as far as north Africa, northern India and China. It migrates mainly by day, often in large flocks. Lowland breeders in westernmost areas of Europe are resident.

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.

The numbers of this species have been adversely affected by intensive agricultural techniques. In winter it forms huge flocks on open land, particularly arable land and mud-flats.

This lapwing is a 28-31cm long bird with a 67-72cm wingspan, It has rounded wings and a crest. It is the shortest-legged of the lapwings. It is mainly black and white, but the back is tinted green. Females and young birds have narrower wings, and have less strongly-marked heads, but plumages are otherwise quite similar.

The name lapwing has been variously attributed to the "lapping" sound its wings make in flight, from the irregular progress in flight due to its large wings (OED derives this from an Old English word meaning "to totter"), or from its habit of drawing potential predators away from its nest by trailing a wing as if broken. Peewit describes the bird's shrill call. This is a vocal bird in the breeding season, with constant calling as the crazed tumbling display flight is performed by the male.

Food is mainly insects and other small invertebrates. This species often feeds in mixed flocks with Golden Plovers and Black-headed Gulls, the latter often robbing the two plovers, but providing a degree of protection against predators.

Like the Golden Plovers, this species prefers to feed nocturnally when there are moonlit nights.
In The Netherlands it is a cultural-historical competition to finds the first Peewit egg of the year (het eerste kievitsei). It's especially popular in Friesland province. There are also regional competitions.

The Northern Lapwing is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
maurydv, SelenE, jconceicao, jaycee, izler, Adanac, goldyrs, Necipp, hester has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekNature members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekNature members may write critiques.
Discussions
None
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

Splendido ritratto di pavoncella, ottimi POV e DOF, mi piace anche la composizione centrata sul soggetto, molto buoni i dettagli e bellissimi i colori e BG. Grazie e complimenti. Ciao Maurizio

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2337 W: 59 N: 4094] (13345)
  • [2008-04-10 1:45]

Hi Pekka,
Nice shot with well saturated colors and good low POV. I liked the composition, focus and sharpness. TFS
Greetings,
Selen

  • Great 
  • cloud Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 88 W: 54 N: 124] (1359)
  • [2008-04-10 1:58]

Hello Pekka,
Your Lapwing is excellent, great colours of plumage and splendid sharpness.
Best regards, Pawel

  • Great 
  • jossim Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1702 W: 5 N: 2123] (11730)
  • [2008-04-10 2:41]

Bonjour Pekka,

Superbe prise et magnifique oiseau.
Bravo et merci pour le partage.
Joseph

Hi Pekka,

Nice shot from this bird.
good saturated colors and lots of details.
a pity he is a little overeposed in the white but is a difficult bird.

regards gert

Hi Pekka,

Great shot.Wonderful colours with excellent detail.I liked very much.

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1675 W: 8 N: 4022] (13255)
  • [2008-04-10 9:16]

Hi Pekka,

This Lapwing looks just wonderful posing for you so nicely. Sharp sharp details and excellent rich colors. The colors of the neck, face and plummage are wonderful. Looks fantastic in the natural setting.

Jane

  • Great 
  • izler Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1216 W: 78 N: 843] (6904)
  • [2008-04-10 9:43]

hello Pekka
good capture of this cute bird (Kızkuşu in Turkish) with its habitat
i like composition, light, colours and informative note
TFS
regards
izler

  • Great 
  • cako Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 327 W: 0 N: 280] (1619)
  • [2008-04-10 10:45]

Hi Pekka
this is very nice a bird
very nice colors
very good sharp
well done.

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1555 W: 233 N: 5091] (17959)
  • [2008-04-10 13:26]

Superb shot of this pretty Lapwing, Pekka!
The colours on it are amazing, especially in the warm light!
Great sharpness and clarity.
Superb composition too.
Great DOF.
Well done!

Joe

Hello Pekka,
My compliment for this fine image of Lapwing beautifully captured with the best pov!
the sharpness is just perfect with wonderful colour and so much details in the subject!
very well done
cheers
Tony

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1029 W: 1 N: 3939] (13258)
  • [2008-04-10 18:18]

Hello Pekka,
Great capture of this beautiful species, you have caught the multi-colored wing superbly. Excellent details and exposure Pekka, thanks for sharing.
Rick

Hi,
Just marking your post for now...will be back presently.
Goldy

Hi Pekka,
Nice shot. I have never seen this type of bird before. Great lighting and details.
TFS
Wei

  • Great 
  • Necipp Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1150 W: 15 N: 2074] (12392)
  • [2008-04-11 9:01]

Hello Pekka a fine closeup, nice focus and good profile angle, interesting light and great colour tfs rgds Necip.

  • Great 
  • hester Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1497 W: 18 N: 2924] (10762)
  • [2008-04-11 12:23]

Hi Pekka

I didn't realise that they had such lovely colours on the wing. Lovely sharp details and a great POV. Nice portrait

TFS

Karan

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF