Dunlin - Snake Pass

James went up to the Snake Pass again today and found this superb Dunlin in display mode. This is one of my target species for the Spring so I will be making the trip myself at the weekend, weather allowing. The Dunlin is a scarce breeding bird in the Peak District and numbers appear to be declining.
He also came across a Golden Plover with at least three downy young. Roy Frost's the Birds of Derbyshire quotes mid-May as the typical date for the appearance of young so these are early. Presumably benefiting from the mild winter.

Dunlin (James Butler)