Lapwing chicks have been born on the reserve – a welcome sign that spring is here. We regularly see them on the way to the visitor centre at Stagsike Cottages – and so can you, although please stick to the footpath and, if you have a dog with you, keep them on a lead and close to you, so that the nest is not disturbed.
Lapwings are also known as peewits, due to their piercing call. Their Latin name is Vanellus, which means ‘little fan’, referring to their flapping flight. They are beautiful and distinctive wading birds, appearing black and white from afar, although their black parts are glossy and green-ish tinged up close. Their wings are rounded in flight and they have brown-pink legs and an impressive crest on their heads.
Lapwings are found on farmland throughout the UK, particularly in lowland areas of northern England, the Scottish borders and northern Scotland. They can be seen all year round - in upland areas including pasture, meadows, fallow fields and wetlands with short vegetation in the breeding season and in lowland pasture and ploughed fields in winter. They are often seen careening through the sky in large flocks in winter, then in progressively smaller flocks as spring approaches. Some head back to Europe to breed while others disperse across the UK. Males put on dramatic displays to attract females, tumbling through the air and making their ‘peewit’ call. Females make simple nests on the ground, called scrapes, where they lay their eggs, and by late spring fluffy lapwing chicks can be seen exploring and foraging around the nest. The parent birds will alarm call and mob potential predators if the nest is threatened or approached. The Lapwing population has declined recently, so it is now a Red List species.