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Anglesey- identifying brown field bird... is it a curlew? (1 Viewer)

abifletch

New member
Wales
Hi

I walk my dog early in the morning, before dawn, through the fields close to my house. For the last 4 weeks I've been disturbing birds that are roosting in the field. They weren't there earlier in the year. Can anyone tell me what they are?

Unfortunately I don't tend to get that good a look at them because they fly off and I can only get a glimpse with my head torch but one sat quietly and I managed to get a look:



Medium sized, slightly smaller than a crow

Brown with some white speckly bits

Very long bill, sorry not sure if curved or not

Flies off quite awkwardly initially, a bit like a pheasant

Don't make any noise or alarm call.



The fields are unimproved, sheep grazed pasture and its close to RSPB cors ddyga / malltreath marsh which might be of relevance.

Sorry, you can probably tell from my description that I'm not very good with birds, but I'm trying to learn.

Are they curlew?

Thanks for any help.
 
My guess is Woodcock, there can be a lot about. 4 - 5 spread over 3 fields sounds fine. I know a chap who has a nocturnal ringing programme on them not far away at Newborough.

Curlew would be all together in one group, and call when disturbed at night. Their roosting is also more to do with tide times, and they can be feeding (ie not always roosting) during the hours of darkness. :)
 
I was thinking woodcock too from that description. It fits the description of flying off like pheasant and matches the size description better (though, as we know, size it hard to judge).
 
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