The Sociable Lapwing (or Sociable Plover) Vanellus gregarius,is classed as a critically threatened bird globally with as little as six thousand pairs worldwide, breeding in Kazakhstan and Russia and wintering in Sudan, Pakistan and India. So one found in Cornwall was a real star bird, and a first for me anywhere. First found at Crows an Wra in the far west of the county and then being relocated seventy miles to the north at Bude marshes. (After the second lockdown) we travelled down towards Lands End but only had fairly distant views of the bird as it rested alongside Northern Lapwings and not showing well at all, but at least a lifer in the bag, and then three weeks later and thankfully much closer to home at Bude, where although seen well ,I only managed some record shots as it tended to be half hidden by reeds and kept just out of reach for any decent photos, although nice to see it in flight a few times. I decided to have another look on 2nd January ( always nice to get a good bird in two different years),when once agian in the morning it played hard to get , but I stayed on and later in the day had much better views as it fed more out in the open. A slendid way to start the years birding but alas we have now gone into lockdown three,so its local birds and wildlife for a while again now.
