NN9498 : Dotterel on the high plateauThe bird seen here is probably a female from its depth of colouring, and will (unusually amongst most British bird species) leave its nest with eggs in the care of the male to incubate and rear their young. The dotterel is resticted to high plateau breeding, but before one dons the hairshirt with regard to its future in Britain, local ornitholgists have expressed an opinion that more birds are to be found if such habitat were more thoroughly searched. Meanwhile a paper published in 1999 estimated a population of 630 birds in Britain - not bad for a 'scarce' breeder. See
http://pdfserve.informaworld.com/151583__909088460.pdf