Lapwings are such beautiful birds and here we have the privilege of seeing them all year round. They have a distinctive call which sounds like ‘peewit’ and their black and white appearance and round-winged shape in flight make them unmistakable. They can often be seen wheeling through winter skies in large flocks and some of the highest known winter concentrations of lapwings are found at the Wash.
They are found on farmland and wetland throughout the UK and have suffered significant declines. Lots of arable land has become unsuitable for nesting due to changes in farming practices over the years. Agri-environment schemes provide grants to help land-owners manage their land better for birds such as lapwings. Farming methods can be modified to reduce the impact on these birds and hopefully these schemes will increase numbers.
Images by Neil Smith
Reserves like Frampton Marsh and Freiston Shore provide suitable habitat for lapwings to nest and raise their young and this year visitors were treated to great views of chicks on the reedbed from the visitor centre. We hope that this will be a spectacle for years to come and that the work of the RSPB and other organisations will benefit these familiar farmland birds.