Dotterel

The past week has been filled with Twitter Twitchers tweeting about the Dotterels on Cleeve Common near Cheltenham. Having a bit of time today I thought I'd join in. I only saw what I think might be either the male or the juvenile, and the adult female that was there earlier has had enough of the paparazzi nonsense and wandered off.*

The bird (the female is more visually striking than the male, unusually) was quite happy to let folk get quite close, although it wasn't about to get up and show its legs off. I stayed a decent distance away - as much because the Hubble plus teleconverter doesn't do close-ups! 

Dotterels are part of the Plover family, and you'd normally only see them in Scotland in the summer, or maybe on the east cost of England. Not Gloucestershire. Cleeve Common was a delightful walk too. Too many bulls roaming free for Janet perhaps, but at 330m above sea level all the cobwebs are blown away now. 

* I've changed this text after reviewing Hillyblips excellent shot from yesterday. I think mine is her extra, which is either the male or the juvenile.