Anita Sethi on the Lapwing

Nature author and travel writer Anita Sethi describes a vivid experience of seeing - and hearing - lapwings while walking on the West Pennine Moors. While being too fast for her to capture on camera, she recognised their distinctive call, and was stuck by their "acrobatics of sound" as they soared above her. Anita has also seen lapwings up close too, admiring their "funky hairdo" and the way their iridescent green and purple sheen lights up in the sun. Lapwings can be seen throughout the UK and their display flights are most visible during the breeding season, which typically runs from mid-March to June. Lapwings are now on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to significant population declines – so every sighting makes Anita's heart soar.

Producer: Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol