Lapwings nestle at HFC, Bambalapitiya:

A lesson on good parenting

Story and pix Russell de MEL

A few years ago, my daughter Prishani, a Familian vividly described how two birds, a mother bird and a father bird were frequenting the school premises. The girls were wondering if the couple were planning to lay their eggs in the hustle and bustle of HFC, Bambalapitiya. Her descriptions became a daily subject at our usual dinner time family conference.

When the story turned to now seeing three eggs laid, I decided to make a personal visit to the school to capture the scenario live on my camcorder, and also click my camera, a hobby which unknowingly consumes a major part of my free time, though by no means a professional photographer nor an ornithologist.

Having obtained the due approvals, my wife, daughter and I went to the school. As we approached the tennis courts, I observed three large stones laid in a triangular formation. "The eggs are there", my daughter quipped as I began to click the camera. My wife did the filming.

The two birds, I identified as Red Wattled Lapwing. Vanellus Indicus is the generic name and commonly called Keerala in Sri Lanka. They are often found throughout the lowlands, wherever the ground is damp, in marshes, tanks, paddy fields and ditches. Red Wattled Lapwings often live in pairs and are also known by the onomatopoeic name of "Did-he-do-it", from its loud call. (reference made to Gehan de Silva Wijeyratne's 'Birds of Sri Lanka')

Mr and Mrs Red Wattle Lapwing were very watchful over its eggs, three of them, fairly large in size. In fact they were parading around the area. I only took another step forward and the father bird made a lightning flight towards the primary school roof, screeching "did-he-do-it" as loud as ever. The next moment the mother bird too joined him but did not fly away but instead was fluttering its wings in a distressed manner.

Privacy

I felt very sad that I had disturbed their privacy. They too have a right to their share of privacy especially when they are planning for their newborns. Perhaps the father flew away to call for help. I had accomplished my mission in capturing the event but could not forgive myself for that one wrong step which disturbed the parents. However I was also intrigued by the fact as to what made this pair opt for a school, and moreover on the soft sand near a tennis court to lay their eggs.

Later on I learnt that these birds were quite used to the HFC students who keep a good distance whilst enjoying the drama that goes on. They are also quite familiar with the white dresses of the students and the Sisters of the Convent, thus any other colour helping them to discern any form of unfamiliar environment.

Several weeks passed by and I was impatiently waiting to make another visit to the scene once the eggs are hatched. This day never dawned, as all three eggs did not hatch - they became spoilt and the birds too disappeared.

However, I had not given up hope to complete my story. Recently my wife, (the whole family by now enjoy bird watching) had taken a photograph of yet another three eggs with the mother Lapwing keeping a close guard on them. This time too, the Lapwings had decided HFC to be their maternity ward, however a slightly different location - on the green pastures closer to the basket ball courts. I did not want to disturb them, instead waited patiently for the eggs to hatch.

It was last week that I was informed by my daughter that the eggs have been hatched and it was a delightful scene to witness how the three little chicks came out of the shell and began to feed on the grass around. The very next morning, quite early in the day, my wife and I made our way to the school, this time better equipped with telephoto zoom lenses so that we keep to our distance.

Beautiful site

Oh! what a site, a beautiful site it was. Quite oblivious to the laughter of the school children practicising netball and basket ball, we saw Mr and Mrs Lapwing, proudly watching and guarding over their new born chicks, three of them briskly moving over the grass, attempting to feed on something.

Two of the chicks always roamed around the parents whilst one chick, perhaps the naughty one tend to wander away. Yet, not for too long, as we could hear the alerts, different tones and amplification sent out by the parents, from time to time, informing the young ones of any imminent danger.

This time we first enjoyed nature for sometime. "Good Parenting- a lesson from Nature" flashed across my mind as an appropriate title to the drama I was witnessing before my eyes. I could sense the role of shared responsibility of parents for children almost immediately. Love, protection, guidance all seem to flow abundantly.

Mrs Lapwing seemed a bit heavy after her confinement and Mr Lapwing did seem to have well understood her position. It was always Mr Lapwing that moved across, forward, backward, in all directions to guide the chicks within the grass area. We could see him watching over the naughty chick, occasionally wandering into the footpath, allowing a little bit of independence perhaps but to be soon alerted by a loud screech by Mrs Lapwing, alerting both the father and the chick. I smiled to myself, how very close to our family lives. Mothers never take chances on her children, not that fathers do but may be by nature they panic less!

Mission

Now it was time to accomplish our mission. My wife Priyani handled the camcorder and I the still camera. I tried to use the tripod but the chicks were moving so briskly that it was easier without it, Click, click the shutter continued.

Though a good distance away, the mother first alerted herself perhaps the sound was unusual. She is used to the lively voices of children, not camera shutters. Click... click I continued... and this annoyed Mrs Lapwing - Yes mothers do not take any chances. Do they panic? Well Mrs Lapwing did... Loud as ever I could hear the that onomatopoeic sound "did-he-do-it, did-he-do-it..." it went on and on. Mr Lapwing got the message and made one dash for the naughty one who was by then quite further away and all three chicks quickly made their way towards the mother, creeping right under her breast. For a moment I could see the six tiny legs through the zoom and in a moment, they all were covered by the mother's wings.

We made no noise and kept silent. Priyani was capturing all this drama very skillfully in the camcorder. The Lapwings had a problem with the click sound - somewhat a new sound in the school environment.

After a lapse of about five minutes, we saw the naughty chick, making its way out first, gradually followed by the other two. Mrs Lapwing is happy - no click sound now - she is enjoying with pride the activity of her newborns.

Slowly I zoomed towards the chicks again and clicked rather softly - but the sound is the same - Mrs Lapwing seemed undisturbed. Yes she is now used to the click sound and in her memory bank its no more a danger sound. No need to panic, no need to alert.

What a great morning it was. I hope the pictorial illustrations do convey with some justice the most wonderful lesson on Parenting I witnessed. What a good lesson from Nature.