A late afternoon stroll to the open field where I’d seen a couple of lapwings a few days ago revealed them to be foraging in the same area. I was at first surprised by how confiding they seemed, not flying when I approached within thirty meters.
One of them started vocalizing, which I assumed to be sounding the intruder alarm for the benefit of others. Not wanting to further upset these gentle critters, and with a few good shots on the card, I turned to head off to another part of the field.
First the vocalizing increased in frequency, and after I’d progressed about forty or fifty meters, the two of them started strafing me. I had no idea that they breed here, but seeing a drainpipe with a small piece of tarp that was protected from lawnmowers by three short stakes around it, I figured they were protecting either eggs or little ones.
I felt a bit sheepish that I had mistaken for trust their willingness to hold their ground. Then, passing by the same area at a distance on the way back, I saw them fighting off three crows. I guess I was the least of their worries on this day.
G95/Panleica 100-400mm