A PARLIAMENT OF FOWLS

Of all the birds that murmurate, surely the golden plover is the most spectacular. With their wonderful piping calls and endless waves of movement, they are a captivating sight, and I am always amazed how a big flock splits and then melds back together time and again. Here in the Wessex Downs, goldies are a part of the winter landscape, although autumn sightings are less frequent than in previous years.

Nowadays, we mostly see them heading north-east in February and March, so I was delighted to spot 100 heading west two days ago. I guess that my admiration for them is embellished by the fact that they are difficult to shoot and utterly delicious. Over the years, I have had my chances on the shore, but I have never had a gun in my hand when I have seen them on my downland shoot. However, I did once ‘rescue’ one that had been wounded and dropped by a peregrine.

Golden plover are a spectacular sight