Wednesday 15 September 2021

Dotterel, Dale airfield

A juvenile Dotterel in the stoney field around 4:30. First noticed as it called when flushed by a female Kestrel and flew from the north edge of the field down towards the end by the intersection. Paul and I had just refound it at SM 79168 06483 around 5:00 (boy, they can disappear among the scattered stones and depressions) and were watching through the scopes when the Kestrel flushed it again, this time it flew north eastwards and may have come down in the field or old runways beyond the eastern boundary SM 79680 06818. Lots of Linnet (c150), Wagtails (50), Pipits (c30), Wheatear (c30) and Skylark (c20) in the stoney field which the Kestrel was probably targeting. The Southern Migrant Hawker was still around the pond, with a Migrant Hawker for company and comparison. Also 4 Snipe.