An email earlier in the week from Andy set off a plan in my head. I spent all week watching the weather forecast, hoping for a good day! I’m pleased to say that I didn’t trust the weather forecast and I went, despite warnings of heavy showers and hill fog.
My target for today was Dotterel and the destination was The Cheviot.
This is Him
I was a fair way up when I took that, but still not high enough for the target. I did see a Raven from here and there were Wheatear, Whinchat and Stonechat by the path.
Looking back down
As I neared the stile to get to the summit a male Dotterel flew past me, calling. It landed just out of sight back down the hill, so I went back down towards where it went, only for it to fly off and land much further away. I had lugged the bag with the camera and lens in up the the bloody hill so I was going to have some pictures. I headed off in pursuit and he started walking towards me, this is going to be good me thinks! No, he’s off, away round the hill back in the direction he came from, bugger!
Back up the hill I went, head down, one foot in front of the other, trudging up the hill. I can hear a Golden Plover, so I stop and look up and there it is, and just in front of it, two female Dotterel looking absolutely fantastic in their spring best. And no sooner did I see them than they upped and off, in the same direction as the male, bugger!
It’s a hard, long, wet walk up the hill to get to the summit
and once up there, it’s a hard, long, wet walk back down.
Just as I crossed the stile, a Mountain Hare went off in the same direction as the Dotterel, maybe’s they were all just over the hill, having a laugh!
