Running along the Exe estuary bedd
Beryl, your Curlews are in fact Whimbrel a bird which winters on the African coasts and which can be seen as you did today at this time of the year en-route to their breeding grounds. Look out for them on their return migration journey to Africa during July/August.
There are quite a few characteristics different to the Curlew, the easiest to see are a slightly smaller less curved bill and a distinct crown stripe if you see the bird head on.
Your bird's in flight on the other thread are also Whimbrel.
Pete.
Oh Brill.
Thanks Pete
I knew there was some thing different. I noticed the beak because I kept trying to think what is it that is different and the stripe from the beak to the eye but then I thought they tend to change in the summer.
Some one said to me one day "Oh you won't see Whimbrels here so the idea of them being Whimbrels didn't enter my head
I'm so pleased. I will edit the title
Thanks again Pete
Yes Beryl, I was going to start my message with the words 'good news Beryl' because I thought you would be pleased to hear what I was going to say to you and as it turns out......I was right, it did please you, your smiley says it all.
I'm not very good at describing bird call/song but this bird is sometimes called the 'seven whistler' I think if you listen out for this Beryl you will see what that means, totally different to the Curlew.
Nice birds......I love em!
Pete.
Yes I did here it's call and thought I had just missed a Redshank and when I look at the screen and zoomed in I could see the curved beak so knew it wasn't and thought 'Curlew' It was a very different call to the Curlew and I was really quite confused
I'm really pleased because it is a first for the site and I have never seen them before. So Thank you for ID-ing them. I'm still learning
I'm still learning too Beryl.
It's worth remembering we all spend our entire lives learning and no one can ever reach the end of that road......see, you got me in philosophical mode again!
Pete.
Lol. I have always maintained you can never stop learning Pete.
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