Our flock of Golden Plovers are still with us although the numbers fluctuate between 40 and 400 on a daily basis. I am beginning to wonder if birds are actually moving through rather than coming and going as a silvery white leucistic Lapwing that arrived with the flock Monday 18th was only seen for a couple of days before moving on (or perhaps getting eaten!).
By the end of last week some of our birds had started to moult in their black breeding plumage belly and breast feathers in anticipation of heading north to the Pennines or perhaps the Scottish Flows? A friend of mine was on the Yorkshire Moors last week and pairs in full garb were already back and displaying in the heather... it's been a funny old year....
The one on the left has just got a couple of black feathers showing.... - Bob Cooper
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Howard Vaughan, Information Officer