On the nationally coordinated monthly wetland bird survey this month, staff and volunteers recorded an amazing 50,000 lapwing using our Greylake and West Sedgemoor reserves.
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The reserves provide a vital refuge for lapwing which have moved here during the winter from Northern Europe. The numbers are particularly high at the moment as snow and ice in other parts of England and Western Europe force birds to move around to find places where they can rest and feed. That's why a network of wetland sites across Europe is so important. Around 650,000 birds overwinter in the UK so this number represents around about 8% of the total winter population. For more information about Lapwing follow this link: http://bit.ly/2CFeb6Q
There were also over 20,000 golden plover and 600 black tailed godwits, both record counts for the reserves. So now is a great time to visit Greylake and witness this spectacle.
Lapwing and Black tailed godwits
Lapwing and Golden Plover