Curlews

donal2000 · 23-09-2011 11:43am #1

I notice most evenings a group of Curlews leave a coastal area and fly inland.

Just wondering where they go for the evenings? I thought they would spend most of their time along the coast?

golden virginia · 24-09-2011 10:02pm

I'm not an expert but from experience, i grew up on the shannon where i have seen curlews feeding - they do like freshwater.

maybe curlews are like ducks- serious feeders in the evening.

Curlews have become very rare in recent times so you are very lucky to see a flock of them.

V Bull · 25-09-2011 3:46pm

donal2000 wrote: »

I notice most evenings a group of Curlews leave a coastal area and fly inland.

Just wondering where they go for the evenings? I thought they would spend most of their time along the coast?

Here is a photo of a section of a large flock of Curlews, there was approx 100+, not all in the photo. Photo taken about 3 weeks ago in the evening time as they rose up over a field off the M50 as we were heading north, Just after Carrickmines area..Possibly searching for a resting area for the night..

LostCovey · 25-09-2011 6:09pm

golden virginia wrote: »

Curlews have become very rare in recent times so you are very lucky to see a flock of them.

The breeding curlew population has collapsed, but numbers of wintering birds which breed further north in Iceland or Greenland or mainland Europe are holding up well, and that is what these large autumn flock probably are.

LC

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 25-09-2011 8:36pm

donal2000 wrote: »

I notice most evenings a group of Curlews leave a coastal area and fly inland.

Just wondering where they go for the evenings? I thought they would spend most of their time along the coast?

Curlew are found in a wide range of wetland habitats (coastal and inland) including damp fields. Breeding takes place in rough pasture. Very much an inland bird that visits the coast to feed.

golden virginia · 25-09-2011 9:48pm

Great bird; the Curlew. I live in Dublin now for 10 years but havent seen a Curlew here on the east coast ---yet!

I grew up in Tipp and I remember curlews and their calls, in the long grass. This article says that breeding in Ireland had decreased by 88% since then http://www.nationalist.ie/news/the_curlew_situation_is_worse_than_we_thought_1_2970223

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 26-09-2011 1:37pm

golden virginia wrote: »

Great bird; the Curlew. I live in Dublin now for 10 years but havent seen a Curlew here on the east coast ---yet!

I grew up in Tipp and I remember curlews and their calls, in the long grass. This article says that breeding in Ireland had decreased by 88% since then http://www.nationalist.ie/news/the_curlew_situation_is_worse_than_we_thought_1_2970223

Head up the coast North from Dublin. From Clogherhead to Carlingford you will see plenty of Curlew on any of the areas of mudflat at low or outgoing tides.

The Irish breeding population is certainly in trouble. However, the wintering numbers (birds breeding elsewhere) are as high as ever. It seems to be a particualr problem with our native population.

mr.wiggle · 26-09-2011 10:45pm

During the freezing spell last winter i had a flock visit a wet/marshy field close to me in North Cork. It was an amazing experience walking down the lane early in the morning , listening to their calls through the fog.

Philomelos · 12-01-2012 12:37am

I have never seen more than a handful of curlews in my life and only ever in ones or twos, so imagine my surprise at seeing a flock of over 100 (I counted 109) grazing on Howth Golf Course on Sunday 8 January 2011. By the sound of what others have posted they would be migrants.

Bsal · 12-01-2012 2:08am

I was out playing golf at Deer Park in Howth yesterday and there was a large flock of Curlews on the fairway of the 1st tee, I counted around 80+ and about 50 Oystercatchers. It was a great sight seeing them taking off.

OpenYourEyes · 12-01-2012 2:19am

Went for a drive to look at a few local wetland areas yesterday. No curlews, whereas before they were nearly a standard at this time of year. Encouraging numbers of Lapwing at one of the lakes though, given that they've experienced a similar drop in numbers / loss of habitat!

lab man · 12-01-2012 2:29am

as they are ground laying birds the mink and pinemartins have killed a lot of them i havent heard one in a while now which is sad really.

golden virginia · 12-01-2012 12:17pm

A curlew flew over my house yesterday - I live in Cabra - Dublin 7

Birdnuts · 12-01-2012 6:02pm

lab man wrote: »

as they are ground laying birds the mink and pinemartins have killed a lot of them i havent heard one in a while now which is sad really.

Habitat destruction is the main driver of the decline in the breeding population. Ongoing drainage of marginal land is a real killer for these birds. Mink too are a problem and where they have been excluded by trapping/fencing breeding success has increased such as in Bullock Island BWI reserve on the River Shannon near Banagher. Unlike the invasive American mink, Pine Martins are native predators that have been here since at least the last ice-age so are unlikely to be a signficant factor - indeed the population of Irelands's breeding Curlew has been on the decline since well before the recent recovery of our native Pine Martin population.

John_Rambo · 14-01-2012 9:24pm

Loads on the mudflats on the Bull Island. Weirdly, during the snow last year, I woke up to two in my front garden, two metres away from the front door.

golden virginia · 14-01-2012 9:45pm

In my opinion - based on growing up in the shannon born 1971 i reckon that although there is a visible decline in breeding - in recent years are we getting winter migrators?

I never heard a curlew in winter until this year! Whooo wooo

Curlews

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