Dotterel

Yesterday, Saturday, was a brilliant day. I started the day early, getting the bus out to Clifden to meet Dermot Breen. On Thursday, Dermot had found a group of four dotterel in Aillebrack, Ballyconeely. On Friday, two more birds were found when the flock relocated to the Machair at nearby Truska. So I went out with Dermot to Truska, where we almost immediately picked out the dotterel. We were able to approach the birds quite closely and they seemed relatively tame. Such close views allowed for brilliant observation of their splendid plumage and coloration. They spent a lot of time in ruts in the ground, and so were sometimes hidden. Even though they were seemingly fine with our presence, they often dropped to the ground if a gull or crow flew over. Once down, they could be remarkably difficult to see. There were still six birds in total. These have to be one of my favourite birds now, their plumage is truly stunning, especially on one of the pristine adult female birds present. It was really a great experience.
I might upload some more pics in a later blogpost, but heres a few to start