Northern Lapwing

I have been watching birds for less than a year now, but I can remember last year seeing postings about a visiting Northern Lapwing. Right away I looked up pictures and thought the bird was amazing. It is a Eurasian bird that rarely but on occasion finds its way here.

 

 If I recall correctly, the Northern Lapwing (NL) of last year was found on the Cape Race road. I really figured that I wouldn't see the bird because that is not an easy road to drive, and I didn't plan to take it on. I became hopeful when I recently learned that a NL had been found in Portugal Cove South and had remained for about a week.

I really wanted to go but I had other obligations. When the plans suddenly shifted on Saturday, I called an old friend to join me on a drive down the Southern Shore. It was a beautiful sunny, crisp day and that alone would be enjoyable.

We (Linda C. and I) got a late start because of the change in plans, so there wasn't much time to tarry along the way. We did stop in a few places on our way to Portugal Cove South (PCS) and found a few birds that I will share over the days to come.

 When we arrived in PCS I asked for help from a resident to give us directions to the place where the bird had been sighted, near the fire hall. He was so kind and got in his car to lead us there. (Aside: Only in Newfoundland will someone drop his outdoor Christmas decorating mid-stream and get in the car to lead a stranger up the road.) He was a living example of the Christmas Spirit.

When we reached the site where the NL had been regularly sighted, the man who owned the property came out and gave us a short history of the day's activity. Again, he was very helpful. Although the NL was nowhere around, he said that it tended to return to this field in the late evening.

We decided to venture out a bit in the area to see what else we might find with the intention of returning to this location just before dark.

 We drove around and looked around but didn't see anything special. It was time for us to return to the NL home base so we headed back. Just as we were travelling over the Biscay Bay causeway, two different birds flew past. I didn't recognize them but was curious. Fortunately, there is very little traffic in the area because I backed down the causeway until there was room to turn around and go look for these two different birds.

I was really expecting to find two sea ducks sitting in the cove where I saw

the birds fly. Well, I was wrong - nothing. I puzzled over where the birds went and began scanning the entire area. Almost simultaneously, my friend and I spotted two birds up on a lawn just up a hill.

I drove up and with the help of the binoculars and the camera lens, it became evident - we hit the jackpot! There in front of us were not one but TWO Northern Lapwings feeding in the grass.

 I got a few pictures right away because I was afraid that they would fly out as abruptly as they flew in. They lingered long enough for me to get several pictures. It was getting dark and I absolutely stretched the capability of my camera. I couldn't get any closer and my lens just couldn't do the job.

 In less than ten minutes the pair lifted off and flew over the causeway. We rushed over to the usual place of the NL sightings, but there was no bird there. That being the case, we were only sure of two Northern Lapwings in PCS and that we were very lucky to see them both together.

 For more information about these Eurasian immigrants, I have provided several links at the end of this post that will provide much better pictures taken by Bruce McTavish and more information about this special visitor.

http://www.surfbirds.com/cgi-bin/gallery/display.cgi?gallery=gallery10

http://birding.typepad.com/peeps/2010/04/northern-lapwing-newfoundland.html

http://zbirdtours.com/blog/2010/01/08/lapwings-in-newfoundland/

http://www.shorebirder.com/2010/01/rumblings-from-newfoundland.html

There are even more sites available. Query: Northern Lapwing Newfoundland and several resources pop up.

Northern Lapwing

 It is only the first week of January and I have already travelled to Renews twice to see this bird. While I was able to reduce the distance between it and me, the lighting conditions on both occasions were less than ideal. I would love to get a crisp shot of this bird that would reflect its many colors. That hasn't happened yet.

 At least three times this great European bird took to flight. Once, it flew out over the ocean and back. The distance was good, the showing was great but the spume from the waves and the dense fog ruined any chance of me getting a good flight shot. Its size when in flight is surprising. The wings are wide and its white body looks larger when in flight.

With a special combination of the European vagrant and the recent Killdeer event, I was able to watch the southerners mingle with the European. Both of these birds belong to the plover family but under normal circumstances, they live worlds apart. Yet, here they are, together, foraging on a farmer's field on a small island in the North Atlantic.

There were times when the Northern Lapwing moved toward our "bird blind" car and hopes were raised that the good shot was coming. Then, with its sixth sense, it would look up and then move farther away.

 The Northern Lapwing spent much of its time plucking worms out of the field. It will likely survive as long as the snow holds off. However, yesterday's report was that there is a light dusting of snow on the field and the temperatures are dropping. It will become increasingly difficult for the Northern Lapwing to survive.

Hopefully, it has built up some resistance to the cold and will be able to continue to find suitable food to sustain it through the winter. Birdwatchers continue to travel to the area to enjoy the rare visit of this bird to our shores.