Lapwings Return to Lark Rise Farm

We’re really excited to report that the lapwings are back at Lark Rise Farm in Cambridgeshire. 

And we’ve been able to work with expert Dr Robin Ward to ring the lapwing chicks for the first time, which CRT conservation officer Vince Lea said could help with vital research for many years to come. 

He confirmed two broods of chicks have successfully hatched. These beautiful birds are a welcome sight—and an important one too, as lapwings are red listed in the UK, meaning they are at risk due to a steep decline in their population. 

During the ringing, the team carefully watched the areas from a vehicle to ascertain the chicks whereabouts and numbers. 

They used a thermal imager to find all the chicks, which were then ringed by Louise Bacon, under Robin’s guidance.  Both are qualified ringers, licensed and trained to carry out low-level disturbance, but this was Louise’s first experience ringing Lapwings. 

“By putting these lightweight metal bands on the birds, we may learn about longevity and movements if the number on the ring is read in future years,” said Vince. “If any of the ringed birds are found elsewhere, it will provide scientific information about how long they live, how far they travel and which habitats they are using outside the breeding season.” 

Bird ringing operates at an international level giving valuable insight into bird populations and migration that can only come from knowing the fate of individual birds; the ‘recovery rate’ is low, as many ringed birds are never seen again but the ones that are resighted contribute unique information.  

Around 2,000 lapwings are ringed in Britain each year, mostly as chicks when they are easiest to catch. Around 30 ringed lapwings are resighted per year, some home-grown birds and others from abroad. 

At Lark Rise, we now have five chicks hatched between two pairs. There was sadly a loss of one chick from each brood. 

 “We’ve spotted up to five adult birds in the area, so one may still be seeking a mate,” said Vince. 

While Lark Rise still offers valuable wetland habitat, this spring’s dry conditions have made life harder for these ground-nesting birds.  

“Last year, the whole farm was like a wetland. This year, it’s more of a desert,” Vince said. “It’s not ideal for waders.” 

Despite the challenges, there’s hope. The lapwings nested early this year, and there is a chance another pair could establish and breed in May if we get some rain. The colony also appears to be spreading between Lark Rise and a neighbouring farm, which may offer them more options. 

Raising lapwing chicks is no easy task. Simply getting eggs to hatch is a big win, given threats like predation by foxes and crows, and damage from harsh weather. The chicks now face the challenge of growing to adulthood in a landscape where food must be abundant and safe to access. 

He said: “It’s wonderful to see the lapwing population returning to Lark Rise Farm. It’s one of my favourite times of year and I have been looking out for them and monitoring them closely.  

“We’ve also seen yellow wagtail, grey partridge, corn bunting, yellowhammer, linnet and skylark which are all on the Farmland Bird Red List.” 

We’re really excited for next year too as thanks to our winter appeal, we have raised funds to start digging wetland areas at Lark Rise for wading birds which will help so much when we get dry springs like this. 

This simple, yet potentially lifesaving feature, a series of shallow, muddy channels, will attract wading birds where they can feed and thrive. Work will begin on creating the wetland areas in the summer. 

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