Golden

I spotted some Golden Plover as I drove up Woodhead Road early this morning but didn't have time to stop and look at them. I think there were 4 or 5 in the field opposite Windy Harbour Farm.

This evening after a rather mixed day weatherwise and otherwise I managed to get out again and go and see if any were still there.

During a walk that preceeded that area I managed to spot a Stoat and got a good look at it working along the bottom of a wall for quite a distance. Brown Hares in the next field will not like their neighbour.

4 noisy Oystercatchers went overhead and finally decided to head down to Valhouse Reservoir in Longdendale - that's the 2nd of the 5 reservoirs visible to the right if you drive Manchester to Sheffield on the A628 (Woodhead Pass).

Back to the Golden Plover - there were only two that I spotted but they were so close to the road it was difficult to photograph them. The roadside drystone walls have large square holed wire mesh above then for a few feet to try to keep the sheep and cars from meeting.

This photo was taken through a gap in the wire mesh that was wider than average. I didn't cross the road as I am sure that would just have sent them away across the field or to flight.

Note: in the evening the field also had about 20 Lapwing - numbers seem to be slightly higher this year