Spatial dynamics of wintering Lapwings and Golden Plovers in Britain and Ireland, 1981/82 to 1983/84

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Abstract
This paper analyses the distribution of Lapwings Vanellus vanellus and Golden Plovers Pluvialis apricaria in Britain and Ireland during the 1981/82, 1982/83 and 1983/84 winters, using data from The Atlas of Wintering Birds in Britain and Ireland and the Birds of Estuaries Enquiry. In the cold weather of 1981/82, the overall abundance of both species declined rapidly in early December, a period of sharply decreasing temperatures, and we consider that many birds probably left Brtain and Ireland altogether.However, both species remained relatively abundant along the south coast of England at this time. When temperatures increased in late December and early January, Lapwings became more abundant in Britain and the northern parts of Ireland, though this was short-lived and numbers declined again when temperatures fell in the second week of January. Both 1982/83 and 1983/84 were relatively mild winters, and the distribution of both species remained approximately constant through both. Only in February 1983, when cold weather again prevailed, were there marked reductions in both species in their strongholds in eastern Britain. In all three winters, Lapwings were more abundant in Britain than in Ireland, but Golden Plovers were more abundant in Ireland. Possible reasons for this are discussed.