Durham Bird Club at 50
The county avifauna, The Birds of Durham (Bowey and Newsome, 2012) records that “A public meeting in late 1974 at Sunderland Museum and Art Gallery to discuss bird watching and recording was well-attended. This was followed on 8 January 1975 by another meeting and enrolment for membership of the Durham Bird Club began shortly afterwards.”
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We shall be organising various projects and events during the year to commemorate this special anniversary. These include a "Bird of the Week" feature, appearing below.
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Bird of the Week - Week 10
Lapwing – Spring’s Acrobat
​​(Photo by Mark Harper)​​​
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Few birds announce the arrival of spring quite like the Lapwing. With their tumbling, twisting flight, bold black-and-white wings, and bubbling, electronic-sounding calls, they bring energy and drama to County Durham’s farmland and moorland edges.
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Up close, Lapwings are striking birds, their dark plumage flashing with iridescent greens and purples in the right light. That wispy crest gives them real character, but it’s in the air that they’re truly spectacular. Males put on incredible display flights in spring, careering through the sky in sudden dives and loops, calling all the while. It’s not just for show - these displays help attract a mate and stake out a territory.
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Lapwings nest on the ground, usually in open fields or wet grasslands, laying well-camouflaged eggs in simple scrapes in the earth. Their chicks, like those of many waders, are up and running soon after hatching, relying on their speckled down to stay hidden. If a predator gets too close, the ever-attentive parents will put on a dramatic distraction display, feigning injury to draw danger away from their young.
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Once a common sight in farmland across the UK, Lapwing numbers have dropped sharply in recent decades. Changes in agriculture, including the loss of mixed farming, early ploughing, and more intensive grassland management, have made nesting sites less secure. Wetland drainage has also reduced suitable breeding habitat. County Durham still holds good numbers in some areas, but these birds need space and the right conditions to thrive.
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Seen or heard a Lapwing yet this year? Let us know in the comments! Their aerobatic displays are one of the joys of early spring, and if you haven’t watched one in action yet, now’s a good time to look up.
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E-mail: durhambirdclub@gmail.com
Social media tags: #DurhamBirdClub #DBC #DBCat50 #Durham #Birding
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