Lapwings in action !

Lapwings are such good indicators of presence of predators, since they are ground-nesting birds and also because they are bold and noisy in the defence of their eggs or chicks. In this incident, we came across a couple of Red-wattled Lapwings making a lot of noise at Nakti Ghati, which is a waterhole and a hotspot for wildlife in the summer heat. On closer observation, i saw a Crested Serpent Eagle behind a rock and feeding on something..which looked like a chick. The Lapwings were launching repeated attacks on the Eagle ( was it their chick?) and sometimes actually making contact! Finally, the Eagle gave up (am not sure if it finished with the chick) and flew away! I always admired the attitude of Lapwings and learnt to never ignore their distress calls.