Dotterel on Bury Down, West Berkshire

We were very pleased to spot the Dotterel today. It has been seen for a couple of days on Bury Down (SU4884) in West Berkshire, just off the Ridgeway path east of the main parking area at the top of the Downs on an adjoining farmer's field. It was never very close, so the picture (left) is significantly cropped.

Dotterels are summer visitors to Scotland, so this bird has probably stopped off on migration and is a rare and unusual bird sighting in Berkshire. The RSPB website shows the bird as a passage migrant in Norfolk, so this is quite a way off its regular territory. The Dotterel is a Blackbird sized bird which has an orange breast and black and white horizontal markings, together with a striking grey and black upper body and head. The UK population is only 500-700 birds, so Dotterels are a notable rarity.