NO SECOND HELPINGS OF GREY-HEADED LAPWING

I visited East Chevington today with my friend Owen Parsons, who was hoping to catch up with the recently discovered Grey-headed Lapwing—a bird he had unfortunately missed earlier in 2023.

In the days leading up to our visit, a succession of Atlantic storm systems had swept across Britain and Ireland. Among them, Storm Darragh stood out for its severity, bringing widespread red and amber warnings to southern and western regions. Against this turbulent meteorological backdrop, the discovery of a Grey-headed Lapwing at East Chevington on 5–6 December came as a remarkable and wholly unexpected event. The bird was reported making two brief morning appearances among the reserve’s flock of Northern Lapwings.

Given the circumstances, speculation has been inevitable. Could this individual be the same adult that was added to the British list only months ago, returning—remarkably—to the county of its original discovery? Such a theory might also account for the recent sighting of a Grey-headed Lapwing photographed over Le Plan de la Garde, France. Regardless of its provenance, this is not a species anyone would have expected to encounter again so soon, let alone in early winter—assuming, of course, that it is the same bird last seen on North Uist (Western Isles) on 29 May 2023.

We arrived at East Chevington at first light and headed straight for the ploughed field to the south of the reserve, where the bird had been showing most regularly. A careful and prolonged scan, however, revealed no sign of the lapwing, and with no further reports forthcoming, we spent the remainder of the day exploring the wider area.

East Chevington Nature Reserve

Although the headline bird eluded us, the supporting cast more than compensated. A seawatch produced excellent views of Common Scoter and Velvet Scoter, alongside two Surf Scoters and a Black-throated Diver. 

Elsewhere on the reserve, notable sightings included Russian White-fronted Goose and Kingfisher.

Surf Scoter

Russian White Fronted Goose

Kingfisher

We remained on site until dusk, but the Grey-headed Lapwing failed to reappear. While Owen was understandably disappointed, the bird’s brief and unpredictable appearances suggest that it may yet be relocated. Given the extraordinary circumstances that brought it here in the first place, few would be surprised if East Chevington were to deliver another moment of intrigue in the days to come.