The bird with the scientific name Vanellus leucurus is a big attraction right now in Nature Reserve Mittlere Horloffaue near the small town of Hungen. On an area called „Kuhweide“ an adult White-tailed Lapwing (Vanellus leucurus) could be (and still can be) observed on April 27th, 2014 just 40 km from the city center of Frankfurt / Main.
Several ornithologists had already been at the Horloffaue to observe the very rare species. This of course was a big sensation for the birders of the Rhine -Main region. When we arrived around 1:30 pm, the White-tailed Lapwing could not be seen. It took in total 3 attemps until we were able to observed this Lapwing. The best observations we made after 6:00 pm, when the bird was running between other waders and ducks on short grass or in the trenches of this wet meadow. The most of the day the bird was hiding in trenches and behind sedges and rushes. From time to time it came out of hiding. Not infrequently it flew a short distance only to disappear again.
I was able to shoot images of the Lapwing only at the third attempt. The images are of proof and showed quite well. A selection of pictures of the White-tailed Lapwing on the cow pasture in this Natural Reserve in central Hesse can be seen in the gallery.
The main breeding area of the White-tailed Lapwing starts only from the south of the Volga Delta eastward. In addition, the bird breeds in Iran, Iraq and further to the east as far as Pakistan. Personally, I was able to observe migratory birds in March in the United Arab Emirates in the irrigated fields near the city of Dubai. In Central and Western Europe and the Mediterranean this species is still a rare guest .
A search for this rare bird is definitely worth on the next days, too. It should be useful to scan intensively the meadows of the Mittlere Horloffaue and be patient. Be aware, that the shooting distance will be quite far – at least 100 meters.
To cope with the growing demand for top shots of the rarer species of the Palearctic Bird-Lens is keen to enrich the range of pictures of birds you can find in the western Palearctic. The images of the blog and in the gallery are only first impressions, what you will find in the gallery in the “Pictures Shop” very soon. Just give a message, if Bird-Lens could serve you with an image needed before the new pictures are online.
Other successful shootings you can see under: www.bird-lens.com.