Geurt Elemans found the first lapwing egg in Brabant on Saturday afternoon. “It’s not about the first egg, but it is beautiful,” says volunteer Elemans, who had been doing his rounds for a few days to see if an egg could be found somewhere.
Elemans gives a short course on how to spot the first lapwing egg. “I then look at the behavior of the birds, I can read them well. Then you know that there may be an egg somewhere,” Elemans shares his experience.
This behavior of birds manifests itself in several ways. This way they can start flagging, which is a kind of courtship: “They then raise their wings and a color pattern is created. If you see red side wings, then you know.” Then there is a good chance of a litter here or there.
“I saw a lapwing on a building plot defending itself against a crow.”
Those nests start with holes in which they lay an egg. “So you have to pay attention to whether you see dimples. But if it is too wet, those dimples flood and then they remain empty. The lapwings can also make a lot of dimples. Sometimes ten or twenty, so it doesn’t mean anything. everything.”
In 2018, Elemans also spotted the first lapwing egg in Brabant. “I take a walk around my house and then I monitor the birds. Then I saw a lapwing on a building plot defending itself against a crow.” That told Elemans enough and after a short search the first egg was found.
This time it was different, the egg was found in puddle grass. That is a piece of land where, in this case, Brabants Landschap has pumped water. This makes the clay soil quite boggy and that is ideal for the lapwing, the curlew and the godwit. “But it will still take a few weeks before the godwits arrive. That season has yet to start,” says Elemans.
It is therefore important to look very carefully at the puddle grass and that takes some practice. “You have to look carefully from the side, because you shouldn’t walk on it. Sometimes the water comes up to your knees and you have to leave the birds alone, you shouldn’t disturb them of course,” says the experienced volunteer.
“They have shelter here, because the fox cannot get through the water”
It is very wet this year. But the way the weather is now, that is the salvation for young birds, Elemans knows. “They have to search for food in the marshy ground with their long beak, otherwise they starve. The clay soil here is very favorable for this. They have shelter, because the fox cannot penetrate the water and they are here together with several birds, which means they can better defend themselves against buzzards and other animal species.
Elemans cannot say whether the early discovery and the boggy ground will ensure an extra good birding year. “It could still get cold or even wetter, I can’t see into the future. It doesn’t really say much.” But he has found the first lapwing egg again and that is nice.
