140 Curlews

I counted 140 Curlews on two mudbanks in the estuary near Devoran today. That’s a huge increase on recent years, and suggests the curlew population, and that of other wader birds, are well on the way to fully recovering after the wildlife disaster that followed the closing of the tin mine inland. The curlews were mostly resting, but some were feeding on small molluscs in the mud.

Curlew

Their downward curved beaks are proportionately probably longer than that of a pelican, but narrow. In order to swallow or crush the little periwinkle type univalves, they were having to manipute the shell whole, right down the beak almost to the head in order to get enough leverage. We also saw two grey herons fighting over a small piece of fishing territory, flocks of oystercatcher, redshanks and a family of buzzards overhead.

Picture credit: Photo cropped from a curlew on the creek by Linda.