At 1415hrs today 32 Golden Plover were on Allerton Moor in a field adjacent to Pill Road between Rooksbridge & Mark, within 30 yards of the Road and offering a fabulous photo opportunity in the favourable light, (unfortunately I’m not a photographer). I have never seen this species here before. If approaching from Rooksbridge they were beyond the area being developed into a Solar Farm between the small Stone Barn and the 90 degree bend in the Road where the road veers away from the Mark Yeo. They were sharing the field with 200 Lapwing, 200 Redwing, 50 Fieldfare and a lot of Starlings. If visiting the area look out for the male Peregrine that has been using the Pylons closest to the Golden Plover flock for the last 3 months and is almost always perched in one by 1600hrs daily. Also of interest are two pairs of wintering Stonechat usually between Rooksbridge and the Solar farm plus the odd Kingfisher and Green Sandpiper on the Mark Yeo which runs alongside the Road.

Not there today but I had a scout around the Mark area and found another flock of 172, probably more, associating with Lapwing in a large field adjoining Tile House Road between Mark & Burtle,(the long straight stretch), and another dozen in a field south of Little Moor Rd between Mark and Tealham Moor though not a single Lapwing or Golden Plover on Tealham or Tadham Moor.

Flock of c. 80 golden plover on Mark Moor this afternoon 2pm. Head from Mark to Burtle, along Mark Moor towards sluice - plover in field on right before you get to Mark Moor Farm.