We profiled Lapwings earlier in our blog in May, but we couldn’t resist revisiting these distinctive wading birds, as we’ve managed to snap some pictures of a family of Lapwing chicks. These cute birds are regularly spotted – look out for them if you come and visit, but please keep your distance, stick to the footpaths and keep dogs on a lead and close to you so as not to disturb them.
Adult Lapwings, also known as peewits due to their shrill call, appear black and white from afar, but their black parts are actually glossy and green-ish tinged up close. Chicks, meanwhile, are covered in down when they are born and are speckled brown and cream, which helps camouflage them from predators.
Female Lapwings lay clutches of four eggs between late March and early June, with chicks hatching three to four weeks later. The chicks are able to walk and feed within hours of hatching, and the parents will lead them to suitable feeding areas with low vegetation and a plentiful supply of invertebrates. They favour grassland with flood pools and damp areas. Chicks stay in these rearing habitats until five to six weeks old, when they are ready to fly.