Curlews 09 01 21

Minimum of 32 curlews feeding just beyond the par 4 11th at Cleethorpes Golf Course at 1pm today (Jan 28).

Over the last five days there has been an average of 54 curlews on the field.
On one day there was as little as 5, but at their most numerous 57.
They are not governed by the tides, coming at different times throughout the day regardless of a high or low tide.
Sometimes they have been accompanied by as many as 24 oystercatchers.
They almost always depart by 4pm, to be replaced by over a hundred gulls, BH, GBB and Herring.

The large roost of curlews on ST nnr foreshore almost all fly off at sunrise to local fields except when its freezing hard they seem to know
it will be difficult feeding until it thaws, however high tides that cover the majority of foreshore flush them off in mornings
By 2 hours after sunrise the considerable numbers of dog walkers also flush many of the remaining birds in the southern area of NNR as
people walk up from Mablethorpe north end and out from The Crook Bank car park where the foreshore is narrower than the Churchill car park
and further north.

regards John

Hi Pete. Oddly enough, no. I walk along the beach every morning, and follow the tide times. The curlews have been on the field in huge numbers when the tide has been high, or out at a distance. Similarly the oystercatchers too.
I have started keeping a record now, to see if there is some kind of pattern evolving. Strange how lockdown forces you to concentrate on your own back garden and surrounding area in ways never detailed before eh. I have always watched the field, but never with as much concentration. The field is bordered with a sizeable allotment area on two sides. This is at the furthest point from me, but with the scope I have seen fieldfares, redwing, both thrushes, all the usual tits and finches as well as numerous foxes. at one time we had a buzzard, but regularly have a sparrowhawk garden hopping. Who needs to journey to a reserve when your own area can be so rewarding.

Hi Nick. High tide was about 10.30 today, do the curlews/oystercatchers on your field correlate to that at all?

Pete

Strange day with only 5 curlews on the field, but we're awash with oystercatchers again.