I have not seen this very often but just occasionally you will see a wader (usually one with a long bill) flex the end of the bill up as if it were a finger rather than the percieved hard, tough chitinous bill!
Knew it began with Rh but has taken ages to find it so here is the definition straight from Wikipedia: Rhynchokinesis is an ability possessed by some cranes, waders, swifts and hummingbirds to flex their upper beak or rhinotheca. Rhynchokinesis involves flexing at a point some way along the upper beak - either upwards, in which case the upper beak and lower beak or gnathotheca diverge, resembling yawn or downwards, in which case the tips of the beaks remain together while a gap opens up between them at their midpoint.
They still do not understand exactly what purpose it serves but it is certainly worth looking out for!
And here is what started me off on this tangent... .an image taken by Mark Hart of the obliging Black-tailed Godwit yesterday.
and just to make things even spookier... Russ Sherriff took this shot of a Purple Sandpiper on Southend Pier today doing the exact same thing!
Howard Vaughan, Information Officer
Fantastic...!!!!!!!
You would do Chris Packham proud. (Rub your thighs with pride)
May all your Sandpipers be Curlew.