Dotterel photographed at Pleinmont [PLE] on 13/8/2011 Photo: © Vic Froome (visit site)

The Dotterel was recorded by Smith as a "rare occasional visitant... occurring, on both spring and autumn migration." Its status is similar today, although more birds have been recorded in autumn.

Autumn migration is spread from the end of August to the beginning of October but virtually all birds arrive in September.

In spring, records are spread over a six week period from mid-April to the end of May, peaking in the first week of May.

Numbers have varied from 0 to 6 birds annually and there seems to have been a peak of records in the mid- to late 1980s. Since 1990, the number of birds recorded each year has fallen to an average of less than one bird per year.