I visited East Chevington today because my friend Owen Parsons needed to see a Grey-Headed Lapwing and asked if I would like to join him, as he had missed the bird earlier in 2023.
Recently, back-to-back storm systems arrived off the Atlantic Ocean, with the particularly fierce Storm Darragh bringing widespread red and amber warnings to southern and western areas of Britain and Ireland. Unexpectedly, a Grey-Headed Lapwing was discovered at East Chevington, Northumberland, on December 5-6. The bird made two brief morning appearances among the site's Northern Lapwing flock. It's tempting to speculate that this could be last year's adult, which was added to the British list as recently as August, returning to the county of its initial discovery. This might also explain the sighting of a bird photographed over Le Plan de la Garde, France. It’s not a bird anyone would have expected to see again anytime soon, especially not in early winter—assuming, of course, that this is indeed the same bird last seen on North Uist (Western Isles) on May 29, 2023.
We arrived on site at first light and headed straight to a ploughed field to the south, where the bird had been regularly seen. After a thorough scan of the field, we discovered the bird wasn’t present, so we spent the rest of the day exploring the surrounding areas.
We conducted a seawatch while on site and were rewarded with good views of Common Scoter, Velvet Scoter, two Surf Scoters, and a Black-throated Diver.
Other notable birds included:
We waited at the reserve until dusk, but there was no sign of the Grey-Headed Lapwing. Owen was disappointed, but I'm sure it will be spotted again soon.