Opmerkelijk foerageergedrag van juveniele Kieviten Vanellus vanellus

In 2002 several families of Lapwings were observed near the built up area of the city of Assen. The breeding site of most of the pairs had probably been a field of summer barley that was separated from the houses and garden by a brooklet. At least two breeding females were observed there. In the end of June four families with chicks were foraging on a pony- and horse-grazed pasture close to the buildings (Fig. 1). On 11 June the number of pairs with young on this uneven pasture had risen to five (4, 4, 3, 3 en 2 pulli). On 14 June two young were walking in a garden. One of them foraged on the lawn under a ten m. high chammaecyparis. Later that week the birds were observed again in the garden. These birds, but also the birds on the pasture had lost their shyness. They could be approached within 15 m without provoking the parents to give alarm calls. We had the impression that the birds especially foraged very close to the built up environment, probably in order to avoid predation by Buzzard Butteo buteo or Carrion Crow Corvus corone. Probably the birds were not impressed by the presence of domestic cats Felis domesticus (many) and Magpies Pica pica (one pair).