I seem to have become a born-again twitcher in my late middle-age, and I have to admit that I am enjoying it immensely.
As regular readings of my ramblings on this blog will be aware, the other day I posted a story about two species of wader that we saw and photographed/filmed on Northam Burrows, and we have had quite a lot of correspondence about the matter.
First of all, the good news. The smaller of the two birds are definitely dunlin in their winter plumage, as we had guessed, but the larger of the two birds is far more problematical.
Some people, including Peggysmum, Lars Thomas, Richard Pharo and Carl Marshall think it is a whimbrel, but someone with the moniker of 'HertsHobbies' has given a convincing argument for why it is a curlew.
I have to say that it moved completely differently from a curlew, wandering about in an intent and ponderous manner, rather than skittering over the mudflats like it was made out of clockwork. I have to admit that I am inclined towards claiming it as a whimbrel, but HertsHobbies has planted a significant seed of doubt in my mind.
Watch this space.
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