Monday, April 09, 2007

Stone Curlews

This evening, I was invited to join Mr D and Ms B to look for Stone Curlews, a stunning member of the genus Burhinus, often referred to as "Thick-knees". We arrived at the Suffolk site to be greeted by a whole slather of notices that said, essentially, Bugger Off.
So, we didn't. We tucked ourselves and our telescopes discreetly behind some conifers and surveyed the forbidden land. And found Stone Curlews. Amazing birds: just look at the pic.
Mr D also found a now uncommon little bird, Willow Tit, which he identified first on call from a distance of what seemed to me like several miles. This is a bird about the size of my big toe: I couldn't find it.
Ms B, refusing to accept Mr D's identity of another call as Tree Pipit, suggested Woodlark instead, and had her moment of glory too. I could neither hear it nor see it.
My moment of glory was getting through the evening without falling over or breaking anything. Thanks, Mr D and Ms B, for giving an Old Scrote the chance to enjoy a rare bit o' birding. And if you ever need anyone to get the cork out of a bottle of red, just ask me: the way I look at it, everybody has to be good at something.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://www.theonion.com/content/opinion/the_sibley_guide_to_birds_has

An article I highly recommend to the bird lover.

From an Old Scrote lover, d~ (I can't sign in any more for some reason).

Anonymous said...

d~. how lovely to hear from you again! Thank you for the Sibley link.
Jake
PS I can't sign in either!