Lapwing (Australian)

[Guest]

These were shot two years ago in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Tasmania.
It was spring and agressive Lapwings were defending their chicks from passers by.
One in particular singled me out for special attention by diving at me as I risked having my eyes torn out by its wing spurs.

E-520 + 70-300mm

I am no bird expert but I believe our species is called the Masked Lapwing.

For lack of patience I have all but given up trying to shoot birds.

And being a pig-headed purist I refuse to set up a feeding station!

For some weird reason our Lapwings nest on open ground instead of in trees like normal birds.

[PeterD]

Re: Lapwing (Australian)

Super shots of the Aussie Lapwing Mark, well done. Those wing spurs certainly look menacing

[Guest]

Re: Lapwing (Australian)

Thanks Peter. I should mention that the Lapwing broke off its attack a split second before it struck me - it must have heard of the solid build quality of the E-3 ... nevertheless, it was quite intimidating. One can imagine how those spurs might be used against a feathered predator.

[Cathrine Stephansen]

Re: Lapwing (Australian)

For some weird reason our Lapwings nest on open ground instead of in trees like normal birds.

Mark, the term "normal" has to be defined specially for Aussie fauna... Is there such a thing as a normal bird Down Under? Your lapwings are armed!

Here is one I saw in Darwin (Casuarina).

Masked lapwing (juveniles) Vanellus miles miles




Here is the European type, Vanellus vanellus very alarmed about the lady with the black thing.

[Cathrine Stephansen]

Re: Lapwing (Australian)

And there is no reason you should give up shooting birds! Good job!

[Guest]

Re: Lapwing (Australian)

And there is no reason you should give up shooting birds! Good job!

Firstly, what a great set, Cathrine - lovely backlighting on the Lapwings that are different to the Southern species. You certainly made much of your visit to Oz and I'm sure you will make even more of it on your next visit to our sunlit shores - I better keep busy as when you are done there will be little left for me to show and tell!

I recognise that I don't have the intellectual capacity for birding. At school I was lousy at Latin - indeed, in reciting the declensions of the noun Mensa headmaster gave me a thorough caning for placing undue emphasis on the last syllable of Mensas. The class erupted in a sea of laughter as I copped it on the bareas!

[Cathrine Stephansen]

Re: Lapwing (Australian)

I wouldn't say that says anything about your inherent abilities. It's been well proven that teaching methods involving negative reinforcement such as caning children, beating dogs, etc. effectively blocks learning. Punishment might make a child think twice about stealing again, but it's not going to make him remember latin verbs or teach a dog the connection between the word "Sit" and the action of setting its bottom on the ground.

(Notice, no grins from me for once...)

Besides, dear Mark, to let yourself enjoy creating a beautiful image of a bird you don't need to know what it's called.

[Cathrine Stephansen]

Re: Lapwing (Australian)

And by the way, the eggs and daisies would make a lovely Easter card!

[Guest]

Re: Lapwing (Australian)

I wouldn't say that says anything about your inherent abilities. It's been well proven that teaching methods involving negative reinforcement such as caning children, beating dogs, etc. effectively blocks learning. Punishment might make a child think twice about stealing again, but it's not going to make him remember latin verbs or teach a dog the connection between the word "Sit" and the action of setting its bottom on the ground. (Notice, no grins from me for once...)
And by the way, the eggs and daisies would make a lovely Easter card!

It's true that corporal punishment is no valid teaching aid but 65 years ago it certainly helped teachers maintain classroom discipline and encouraged students into a conscientious attitude to learning.

Physical punishment in western countries has since been proscribed and consequently classrooms in some jurisdictions became battlegrounds. You're too young to remember the 1955 movie Blackboard Jungle that marked the beginning of the Rock & Roll era and (imo) a general decline in respectful classroom behaviour.

At 9 yrs old in class 3, we were given a list of 24 words as homework to learn for a spelling test in the morning. For every word over 4 misspelled, a penalty of one cut with the cane across bare legs was given. I can't really say that it made me a better speller but at least I tried!

[Cathrine Stephansen]

Re: Lapwing (Australian)

Proves the point about the difference between discipline through fear and academic learning. Children might behave by cowering in a corner hoping not to be seen, and thereby providing a calm setting for a violent teacher, but it doesn't help them learn things they need to know and understand academically. The wild situations of total lack of discipline in the seventies comes from taking the lid off a boiling pot, and yes, that's not a good learning environment either. When the teachers had no alternative methods to fear and violence, and didn't know how to teach children the difference between respect and fear, of course you have the wild west in the classroom. I think it's a good thing today that children are taught to respect both other students and the teacher through talking to them and not beating them. It's possible, but it requires a lot more of the teachers. Which is a good thing. I grew up in the period when the teachers were no longer allowed to beat us, but didn't know how to teach, because they were such lowsy academics themselves. They had no tools in their tool boxes, hated children and quite often were teaching subjects they didn't know how to teach. I can't remember that we were noisy, however. Knowing chemistry and knowing how to help others understand chemistry are two very different things. I think the classroom environment is a far better learning place today than it was when I was at school, teachers know that a calm, concentrated and disciplined learning environment is essential for learning in large groups, and they are tought better and more inspiring ways of transferring understanding and knowledge to children.

We did have teachers in that in-between period who resorted to violence to vent their own frustrations, hatred of children and lack of ability to explain, but it was hidden. I still distrust teachers. Sorry, if there are any teachers here, it's just experience. The world has moved forward, though, and I take joy in the way my children are treated at school, though!

But we digress from the subject of lapwings! Nature photography has it's very important place in the education of both children and adults.

[Guest]

Re: Lapwing (Australian)

The world has moved forward, though, and I take joy in the way my children are treated at school, though!

Now therein lies your underlying bias - "spare the rod and spoil the child!"

But we digress from the subject of lapwings! Nature photography has it's very important place in the education of both children and adults.

Unfortunately humans are such slow learners where nature is concerned.