The last of my postings from my recent trip to Rutland Water.
This Curlew flew in whilst I was waiting for the Spotted Sandpiper to show itself. The Curlew is a lovely bird and has beautifully intricate plumage, although some may see it as a `brown` bird!
This is one of Britains largest breeding waders and is primarily identified by its very long, deeply down-curved bill. It is a ground nesting bird, hence the plumage colouration, with up to 38,000 pairs breeding in Britain on the uplands and boggy, grassy heather moorland. The call of this bird is the evocative `cour-eee`, from which it gets its name. These birds are fairly long lived, with the oldest ringed bird being 31 years old.
