Help, what is it?

[duncanp]

While walking the dog round the local countryside (just around hemel hempstead) , i have noticed a significant increase in bird life, especially in birds of prey, on two walks i have seen our local red kite:

but more often i see a pair of these birds as well as the odd smaller bid of prey.





i do not have any idea what these are and i was wondering if anyone here could hope. sorry about the poor quality, they rarely come close enough to be in range for a 70-200.

[Ollie]

They look like Lapwing - Vanellus vanellus to me

A warm welcome to WAB as well

Roger

[Nicola Main]

Yip Duncan I agree with Roger they are Lapwings

[Bub-les]

agree they're lapwings
Welcome to WAB hope you enjoy it.
Barbara

[cleverdogs]

Yes, they're lapwings.

Have you heard them calling? The noise they make always makes me smile. I love these birds!

[Pete Collins]

Hi duncanp, welcome to WAB!

I agree with everybody else that they are Lapwings (and as cleverdogs says, they have a very distinctive call). I saw some about two weeks ago at Great Gaddesden, not far from Hemel Hempstead.

I live 7-8 miles from Hemel, and would agree with your comment about the increase in Birds of Prey, at least so far as Red Kites and Buzzards are concerned. It's wonderful that the Red Kites are gradually spreading this way along the Chilterns, and the Buzzards are doing well here as they seem to be throughout the region and elsewhere.

[duncanp]

Originally Posted by cleverdogs

Yes, they're lapwings.

Have you heard them calling? The noise they make always makes me smile. I love these birds!

yes. the call is quite different.


Thanks all for the repsonses and welcome

[dmclean2]

Hi DuncanP,
And a warm welcome to WAB from me,
youv'e taken some lovely shots there, I like the one of the Red Kite, and the ones of the Peewits, ( sorry, thats their Scotish name ) Lapwings,
I am hoping to get some good shots of Red Kites to put up on the site I'm going down to Gigrin in Powys , Wales on wednesday this week, to the Red Kite feeding station at Gigrin Farm, got some good B&B at a good price too,
All the best,
Duncan

[big bill]

Hello Duncan and welcome to the site,they are Lapwing - Vanellus vanellus nice images too well done

[outdoorguy]

when i was growing up i knew them as peewits.. the country name that refers to there call.. my uncle was a farmer and he showed them to me when i was really young... then i found out they were called lapwings.. a great bird to see thru a good pair of bins.. stunning colours.. james

[Blackbrook Eye]

Makes me feel my age, but when I was a young chap, on the farm where I lived, Peewits or Lapwings as they are more properly called, followed the plough in large flocks, much as you see Gulls do now and by looking down the furrows later you could see their nests and chicks, It seems a long time ago now, as they have become very rare in this part of the country, nice sighting of a very beautiful bird, thanks for sharing them with us.
Keith

[witham]

They are very handsome birds, We had some in the field behind us a few years ago when it was set-a-side but unfortunatly as what usually happens, we lost them when the field was recultivated.