Feature Photo

The first time that I saw lapwings on my local moors this year was during a short respite in January snowfalls, but the following day they beat a hasty retreat and headed back to low-lying land around the river Tees. They didn't return again until the winter snows had cleared. Which is when I had the pleasure of watching these acrobats of the air energetically twisting, turning, climbing and diving. If you have a stiff neck that needs loosening up I'd like to suggest that you grab a pair of binoculars and try following one of these birds in full show-off mode. Two or three minutes should be long enough.