These two first year Dotterels were photographed at first light this morning. I was up at 5am only to be met with thick fog in Truro. I drove in fog all the way to Bodmin Moor and miraculously it cleared on arrival. An early morning burst of low sunshine for about ten minutes was enough to capture these two in perfect light. The sun then disappeared and the final image below is shown for comparison of two different lights. The early morning dew on the grass adds some effect.
Dotterels are annual but scarce passage migrants through Cornwall. They are seen in varying numbers every year. The nearest breeding site in the UK is Scotland and they spend their winter around the Spanish Pyranees and parts of North Africa and Morocco.
The most popular sites to see this species in Cornwall are around the Land's End area, especially Porthgwarra. Davidstow and Trevose are also favoured sites on their route south.
