The first lapwing egg has been found. The egg was found this morning around 10.45 am in the snow in the Staphorsterveld, near Hasselt in Overijssel.
The discovery came as a surprise to the Overijssel Landscape Foundation: “I did not expect that the lapwing would lay eggs now. After all, it is not that warm yet,” says Marja van Harten of the foundation to RTV Oost.
Water test
To find out whether it is a fresh egg, a ‘water test’ is done: “The egg is assessed on color and whether it is fresh. We do this by placing the egg in a bowl of water. if it sinks, it’s fresh. If it floats, it’s an old egg. Fortunately, it slowly sank down,” says Van Harten.
Last year, the first lapwing egg was found on March 9 in the municipality of Hof van Twente. In 2021 that was on March 5 in the municipality of De Ronde Venen in Utrecht. The meadow bird season has started with the discovery of the egg.
