02/08/2015 Salisbury Plain for Stone Curlew

Sunday 2nd August 2015
Salisbury Plain

I spent a lovely Sunday on Salisbury Plain looking for Stone-curlews.  All my previous sightings of this species had been in Norfolk and Suffolk so I was fascinated to investigate the Wiltshire connection, by way of a change.

• At RSPB Winterbourne Down I achieved my goal when  a juvenile was seen asleep in the vegetation in the ploughed area of the field.   A little while later, on a nearby field, a much better view of a second bird sealed the ID.  

Stone-curlew
Library picture

• After this, birds were hard to come by with the highlight being a couple of Whinchats - one of which was a close stunning male.

Whinchat
Library picture

• Yellow Hammer, Linnet, Corn Bunting and Meadow Pipit were seen as were umpteen Kestrels and Buzzards.

There were no signs of Great Bustards, Quail or Montague Harrier.  Nevertheless it was worthwhile visit and provided me with much needed knowledge of the area. 




Additions to BUBO UK 2015 Bird List:
Stone-curlew   (236)
Whinchat   (237)

Stone-curlew

• A strange, rare summer visitor to southern England, the stone-curlew is a crow-sized bird with a large head, long yellow legs and relatively long wings and tail. Active at night, and its large yellow eyes enable it to locate food when it is dark. It is not related to curlews and gets its name from its curlew-like call.

• It is a bird of dry, open places with bare, stony ground or very short vegetation. Its UK strongolds are in Wiltshire, around Salisbury Plain, and in Breckland, Norfolk. The best place to see them is at Weeting Heath in Norfolk, where the Norfolk Wildlife Trust has established visitor and viewing facilities.

• It arrives in March and departs in August and September.

• It eats worms and insects

 

Whinchat

• The whinchat is a small perching bird. It hops or runs on the ground and often perches on top of low bushes. It has a prominent white stripe above the eye. It is streaky brown above and warm orange-buff on the breast.

 

• The whinchat is a summer visitor and passage migrant. Birds breed in upland areas of northern and western Britain with a few in Ireland. It winters in central and southern Africa. Whinchat numbers in Britain more than halved between 1995 and 2008, the cause(s) being unknown.

• In the breeding season, best looked for in suitable habitat in upland parts of northern and western Britain. It can also be seen on passage at coastal migration watchpoints and suitable habitat inland.

• Best seen between April and mid-September.

 

• They eat insects and some seeds