Dotterel
Charadrius morinellus
Length 22cm

A rare and beautiful mountain-top wader. As a nesting species, more or less confined to plateau mountain tops in Scottish Highlands, almost always above 1,000m. Summer visitor to breeding grounds from May to August but small groups, known as 'trips', also seen on spring migration on traditional hilltops and fields in S and E England in first week of May. Rather dumpy with pot-bellied appearance. Female is striking with reddish orange breast and belly separated from blue-grey throat by black-bordered white collar; has whitish face and striking white stripe above and behind eye. Male, who incubates eggs, is duller than female. Juvenile has buffish brown plumage with suggestion of pattern seen on adult bird; sometimes encountered on autumn migration near coasts.