Good afternoon All
I visited Conwy on Sunday and took a picture of what i though was a Curlew but i have just been informed that it is actually a Whimbrel.
Now i have been bird watching for a matter of 2 weeks and have had a look at my App on my I Phone and i cannot tell much of a difference.
Could someone enlighten me with the breed as this is a matter of another species or not :-)
hi looks like a whimbrel 2 me
See my website 4 a curlew in flight in recent upload gallery
nice pic by the way
Andrew
Curlew has much longer more curved beak
Good man Andrew. Another species it is then. Result.
Keith
If BigOg will allow me to share this thread I have 3 shots I would like the experts to confirm for me.
The first two I have down as Whimbrel and the third as Curlew.
I know nowt either
Confident third is a curlew need aiki or S to give an opinion on the other two
Smashing shots by the way
Thanks Andrew. I know from following your posts that you know a great deal more than I do. I have a birding pal that I rely on most of the time for IDs but he's not 100% sure on these either.
The original bird (BigOg's) is a Curlew as far as I can see, going by the quite chunky look and smoothly curved bill shape - Whimbrels have a more kinked-looking bill. (Bill length is highly variable in Curlews.) A clear look at its head pattern would help to be certain, but also Whimbrels are mainly summer visitors - only two records on Birdguides for the whole of the UK so far this year.
Galatas, your three are, as you say, Whimbrel, Whimbrel and Curlew. They show the more contrasty head pattern of Whimbrel vs the rather plain-faced Curlew well.
Aiki
You could at least give me an hour of glory :-)
its odd in the field i can tell the difference no problem from pics i get quite confusef
I must stop this ID stuff cos im always wrong :-)
A
Just about to start the ban Aiki thread shes too good at this ID stuff :-)
having said that shes helped me no end with my ID's here
Thanks Aiki. A pat on the back for both you and my pal.