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Curlews

Curlews - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Curlew in flight

The brief warmth of the sun in the afternoon on a cold day was a welcome interlude on a trip to Exminster …

Curlew - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

A curly Curlew

Having a Curlew fly over is always a thrill, especially if I can hear it call. It’s the haunting last sound of …

Curlew - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Whaup on a stab

There’s a Curlew on a fence post, or, as Orcadians might say, a Whaup on a stab. I’ve slowed the car down …

Curlew - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Curlew flypast

A chance encounter with a Curlew always improves my day. They’re my emotional connection to the wilderness we’ve lost.

Curlew in Buttercups - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Whaup in Buttercups

Whaup is the Orcadian name for the Eurasian Curlew, Numenius arquata. Here’s one flying above the Buttercups in Westray: They’re severely threatened …

Curlew - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Curlew

It’s a warm evening, bathed in orange light. I hear the call first. Then it’s the flypast. It’s a Curlew. There’s been …

Curlew - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Last call of the Curlew

Every time I mention that Curlews are threatened, that their populations are collapsing, that several of the species worldwide are threatened or …

Bridled Guillemot - Westray - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Flutterings

Coronavirus has destroyed my livelihood. I’ve had all my work cancelled for a year and will have absolutely no income. I’m also …

Water Crowfoot - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Island of contrasts

Walking to the north coast of Westray I’m struck by how diverse the views are. Here are Curlews on the bay with …

Curlew - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Curlew wading

I recently saw a flock of over 100 Curlews on the fields at the side of the River Exe. They seem to …

Curlew - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

The last call of the wilderness

Curlews are a familiar site on Westray. Their distinctive ‘Whaup whaup’ can seem very eerie when it echoes around the Island. The …

Curlew - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Whaup Whaup overhead

A trip to the Bay of Skaill reveals the shallow turquoise waters which look Caribbean to someone as starved of heat as …

Curlew - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Curlew

Curlews are in serious decline across the UK. It’s probably because so much of the land is used for food production and …

Whaup

Whaup

Curlews are called Whaups in Orkney and there are thousands of them here all year round. They’re our biggest wading bird and …