Can someone confirm this......

[Suffolk-Chris]

Lovely light this evening so took a quick trip to local heathland with camera and the intension of getting some shots of landscape etc, or anything else that happened to get within range.

As we drove slowly along the track (at which point the light levels dropped as the sun went behind a large, black cloud) I saw a slight movement in the distance and working on the principle of shoot first and ask questions later, I grabbed the camera, zoomed in (it was still a small image) scarely believing what I was sure I could see..... and managed to get a couple of shots before the elusive brown bird flew away....

I apologise for the awful quality of the photo, but I was all of a twitter and it was a long way away.... you see, for years and years it has been my hope to see a stone curlew ...... can anyone confirm that I have, at last, realised that hope???? Fingers tightly crossed......



Aim to return asap with more time, loads of lenses and some binocs......

[Dan Salter]

Stone curlew?...

hang on...is that what i mean...grrr...i may repost in a sec?

[Dan Salter]

Oh i didnt read all your message...you already know its a stone curlew !

[Wild-Woman]

Well it appears to have the white wing bars. I think you might be lucky here.
I'd say a yes. See what others say.

[Andy Warne]

Yep, Stone Curlew, well done!

[Suffolk-Chris]

Woohoo!!!!!!

One very happy person here! That really has been an ambition for about 25 years. OH thought I'd gone mad last night (he likes birds but prefers the ones you buy ready plucked and ready for roasting..... ).

Forgot to mention that we also saw a very handsome pair of linnets. I'm already planning to get back there with more gear and more time to see if I can get more of a view.

Thanks folks!!

[Hobjob]

Your county recorder would like to know of this,
unless it is a well known spot for them.

[Andy Warne]

I'm sure you're aware but they are notoriously shy and easily disturbed so please be careful, £5000 fine and six months in jail for wilful disturbance
Good luck.

[Suffolk-Chris]

Originally Posted by Hobjob

Your county recorder would like to know of this,
unless it is a well known spot for them.

Sorry to be thick but how do you get in touch with the county recorder? It isn't on the most quoted site for seeing SCs, so I'd be interested in contacting him/her to see if it is a recorded site or a new sighting.... For obvious reasons I don't want to put it on public view anywhere.


Hi Andy - no worries, I'm going to be doing all my spotting and snapping from the public road/track which has a fair number of drivers, walkers, riders and cyclists passing along it, so hopefully not doing anything out of the ordinary which might upset the birds.

[thunder]

Originally Posted by Suffolk-Chris

Sorry to be thick but how do you get in touch with the county recorder?

The Suffolk Naturalist's Society list three recorders for Suffolk birds, depending on area, on this page
Suffolk Naturalists' Society - Diary of Events

Or try the Ipswich Museum.

henrya

[Sparrowlegs]

I've seen one on a few occasions on my local patch in Cumbria, but he vanished a couple of weeks ago. Hope he likes Surrey (I do)!

Hope you get some better shots Chris, good luck.

[mrs fish]

The Suffolk Ornithological records committee are based at Ipswich museum, High Street, Ipswich,IP1 3QH.

Stone curlews are not rare to Suffolk.
You are lucky to see one though

[mrs fish]

Sorry I have found my list of recorders for suffolk

Did you see it in the
west?
north east ?
south east?

There is a different recorder for each area, you can pm me if you would like to keep it secret