Lapwings and Grey Wagtail.

The photograph below shows a field between the A53 and railway. It has recently been ploughed and rotovated and possibly sown with some sort of agricultural crop - perhaps autumn wheat. Whatever it is, that bare soil and perhaps the seed, is attracting numerous birds. Yesterday (01/10/13) there were flocks of gulls (mostly Black-headed Gulls), corvids (Jackdaws, perhaps Rooks and Carrion Crows), two Buzzards and around nine Lapwings. The gulls, corvids will be feeding on invertebrates or seeds, whereas the Buzzards and Lapwings are finding prey such as beetles and worms, or (in the case of Buzzards) creatures that were killed during cultivation.  As far as the Lapwings are concerned, this field will be a welcome source of food as we have had a fairly dry September, around 50ml of rain, and no significant rain for the past nine days. Lapwings favour damp soils that they can reach prey with their medium length bill.

 

We in Endon should relish the presence of the Lapwings as this species is in pretty desperate straights, on the way to extinction in Britian and perhaps over the whole of its range. Lapwing is now a Red Listed Species of Conservation Concern which indicates that it is Globally Threatened. Lapwings bred in Endon this year. Judging by the hostile reaction of Lapwings to me walking along the railway line adjacent to the field, there were at least two pairs nesting this summer. On the 16th June I counted three chicks. Another place to look for Lapwings is the steep fields on the eastern side of the Caldon Canal between Endon and Longsdon. 

 

 

 

Here is another bird that feeds on invertebrates. This Grey Wagtail is either one of the adults or offspring of the pair that bred on the Caldon Canal near Park Lane this year. Here it is flicking about as it snaps up emerging insects from the canal overflow.