Born and bred in the South Wales valleys, my interest in natural history and birds in particular began at an early age. By my mid 20's the status of the local Peregrine Falcons led to me creating the South Wales Peregrine Monitoring Group with a small number of fellow enthusiasts involved in researching the breeding ecology of the species under license. I first became acquainted with the Dotterel in the mid 1990's and quickly fell under its spell. In fair weather and foul, with camera to hand, I subsequently sought the bird on passage and on its breeding haunts in the high mountains, not only in Britain but also on a never to be forgotten trip to Finnish Lapland where breeding was confirmed and a nest found.