All the staring at soil over the last week or so paid off today, when 6 Dotterel flew in low from the north to land about 200m in front of me on Plex Moss like tiny Black Bellied Sandgrouse at 1.30pm.
Unfortunately they only stuck around for about 30 seconds before taking off again, calling over my head as they headed to the south east.
Two of them were full adult females.
No chance of a pic, hence my appalling painting of one above (in my defence, it was done in 1992, when I'd just had 3 Dotterels in the same fields on April 25th, but thank God for cameras is all I can say).
Today's birds landed in the ploughed field directly west of the three way junction half way down Station Lane - one of their traditional favoured areas (the one with the steaming compost heap at the western end).
You never know, they may come back.
Anyway I stuck around and had two of the birds calling again in the air at 2.10pm, before they dropped out of sight near the Cheshire Lines footpath.
No further sign until I left at 4.30pm.
Mike Stocker, Phil Smith, Tim Vaughan, Ed Smith etc all turned up to try to relocate the birds.
Phil had had Little Gull, Garganey and hordes of hirundines at Marshside this morning.
Earlier Plex had been on form as the sun broke through the rain and the steam began to rise from the ploughed fields opposite Getterns Farm.
The two ploughed fields there held 54 White Wagtails, a single Yellow Wagtail and 20 Wheatears.
In fact there were Wheatears in every field this afternoon - a mighty big influx.
A few Buzzards were up before the rain set in and forced them back down again, and Whitethroats and Willow Warblers were singing.
A handful of Whimbrel were still around, but there were more Curlew on the fields today.
A Cuckoo called three times before flying over me and heading south - good to see one back...
Two pairs of Grey Partridge, Corn Buntings "singing" and plenty of Red Legs and Skylarks.
But the afternoon belonged to the Dotterels - they're just so enigmatic.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies..
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Peter Tipping wrote...
Hi John,
The first Liverpool Botanical Society field trip of the season took place last weekend at Caergwrle.
Plant highlights included Alternate Leaved Golden Saxifrage, Marsh Valerian and Early Purple Orchids.
Banks of Primrose, Wood Anemone, Wood Sorrel and English Bluebell were delightful in the weak sunshine. Kingfisher, Buzzards, Chiffchaff and Swallows added to the day. Not a butterfly in sight!
Posted by: Peter Tipping | April 28, 2008 6:10 AM