In a heartening development for British nature lovers, the distinctive call and tumbling flight of the lapwing have been witnessed once again on the Somerset Levels. The birds, absent as breeding residents for three decades, have successfully returned to nest in this iconic wetland landscape.
A Sound from the Past Returns
The author vividly recalls the lapwing, or peewit, as a quintessential bird of their 1970s childhood, its eerie cry a constant soundtrack over the fields. However, like so many species, it vanished from the area, a victim of widespread agricultural changes and habitat loss. Its disappearance left a silent void in the springtime chorus of the Levels.
This year, however, that silence has been broken. The pivotal moment came on 6th December 2025, when the writer observed not just one, but a flock of approximately fifty lapwings. They were actively feeding on a flooded pasture near Westhay, a promising sign of their re-establishment.
The Conditions for a Comeback
The successful return is no accident. It is the direct result of concerted conservation efforts focused on restoring the wetland's natural hydrology. The key has been the deliberate re-flooding of fields during the winter months, creating the perfect, soft-ground habitat lapwings need to probe for worms and insects with their bills.
This managed flooding mimics the historic, seasonal ebb and flow of the Levels before extensive land drainage. It provides the essential 'splashy' grassland that lapwings, along with other waders like snipe and redshank, depend upon for foraging and nesting.
A Symbol of Hope for Wetland Wildlife
The reappearance of breeding lapwings is more than a nostalgic triumph; it is a significant ecological indicator. It signals that habitat restoration projects on the Somerset Levels are working. This success story offers a tangible blueprint for other wetland conservation initiatives across the United Kingdom.
While the lapwing's future remains precarious on a national scale, its return to this part of Somerset proves that with targeted, sympathetic land management, declines can be reversed. The haunting cry of the peewit, once a memory, is now a living testament to the resilience of nature when given a chance.
