All little lapwings in the Aubachtal dead
Created: 05/27/2022, 12:55 p.m
By: Hanna von Prittwitz
Protection for the offspring: A lapwing attacks a fox on a field in the Aubachtal near Hechendorf.
The photo was taken on May 8th.
Photo: Jonathan Gentz © Jonathan Gentz
Disappointment in Hechendorf: once again none of the lapwing chicks survived on the field in Aubachtal.
The Bund Naturschutz (BN), district group Starnberg, makes the lower nature conservation authority in the district office responsible for it.
Hechendorf
- In a press release, the chairman Günter Schorn calls on district administrator Stefan Frey to implement the applicable law "and after the third year without successful lapwing rearing, to adapt the measures for lapwing protection in such a way that they contribute to successful breeding and rearing".
Frey rejected the allegations.
"The authorities can't help it if the enemies of the birds take possession of them." He also sees the reason in the fact that BN and authorities are at odds.
"Then the starting position is bad."
According to Schorn, the adults were observed last Friday morning screaming loudly as they flew over the sign and the wood that separates the field from the embankment.
“From Saturday no more young birds could be sighted.
The adult birds have also left the breeding area”.
According to Schorn, six resident lapwings have been breeding since March 30.
Two clutches were given up because of a disruption during a fence repair (we reported).
In the end, eleven young birds hatched in three clutches.
“Lapwing young have to feed themselves and eat a lot until they gain weight from 15 to 180 grams within 40 days and are therefore able to fly.
Until then, they are helplessly at the mercy of big robbers on the ground.” In the Aubachtal, an electric fence was erected on a wasteland of about 1.2 hectares to keep foxes and badgers away.
However, too many weeds had grown on the fallow land, which blocked the view of the birds.
A lapwing family migrated to the neighboring field, which offered a better habitat.
The second family migrated
because workers had to cut the fence free with brush cutters.
"The BN had criticized the necessary maintenance of the fence within the field, because this disturbs the birds massively," says Schorn.
However, the neighboring field is not secured and offers little distance to wood and reeds.
This is a perfect backdrop for ground predators that can sneak up without being seen and attacked by the adults.
Already in the previous year at least nine young birds fell victim to robbers due to "inadequate fence management".
Schorn believes that protective measures for the endangered lapwing are not wanted by politicians and are not being implemented by the authorities.
“The BN reserves the right to take legal action due to the environmental damage that has occurred again.
Repeated offers of talks by the BN to secure the lapwing brood have so far been rejected by the UNB Starnberg lawyer,” writes Schorn.
UNB stands for Lower Nature Conservation Authority.
"The event shows how important agreement is," said District Administrator Stefan Frey on request.
Day and night care is not possible for an authority.
"The state will not be able to do it the way the BN imagines." The UNB is already doing more than usual.
"It would be desirable and expedient if those who insist on their rights are on good terms with those who are affected, namely the farmer," said Frey, referring to the tense relationship between conservationists and the farmer concerned.
"You can't mess with everyone and then think that it will work." Legal measures would not help the birds.
"It only works if you treat each other with care."
