Curlew (Numenius arquata)

The curlew is the largest European wading bird, instantly recognisable on winter estuaries or summer moors with its long down-curved bill, brown upper-parts and long legs. There have been worrying breeding declines in many areas largely due to loss of habitat through agricultural intensification.

I took this photograph from a hide positioned close to the nest site. The hide was introduced to the bird over a period of a week and did not cause any problems to either of the adult birds. The pair hatched four chicks and although I missed the hatching I saw the chicks regularly over the following weeks.

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Pentax *ist D Sigma 70 - 300mm lens.

Bottom - Taken near Muggleswick, County Durham, I saw a couple of Curlews standing at the roadside. When I stopped the birds flew up but and circled me, after a while I noticed a couple of chicks in the heather, so I stayed still as they slowly walked away from me. The adults continued flying round me taking in turns to land and call their chicks, giving me plenty of time to photograph them in flight.