I saw this field of birds yesterday in Broad Lane Holmes Chapel Cheshire- about 20 of them - are they lapwings? I walk the lane everyday and assume they are winter visitors.

They are Lapwings Caroline..they are "Britain's largest and most familiar plover"...Beautiful birds..I see them all the time at my local RSPB site ;-)

It's possible they are augmented by continental birds in winter - they are a fairly rare sight in my area but we can get decent sized flocks in harsher winters. Alway a joy to see in the winter sun as they flash up in beautiful greens and blues and such an evocative call

Here in N. Yorkshire we are lucky enough to see these birds all year as both breeding birds and sizable flocks overwintering. Another local name for the Lapwing is Peewit.