Where Do The Curlews Go?
26th November 2007, MondayAt low tide, Rye Bay Curlews are feeding out on the beach, but as the water rises they retreat to the pastures behind the seawall. At Pett Level in winter, for instance, hundreds can be seen picking around on the turf close to the road.
However, a certain number move a bit further inland; I see them moving south-westward over my house. One flock is often on sheep-grazing at Old Marsham Farm and the other week I saw some feeding just north of the Royal Oak in Pett village. I also saw a few coming up the Pannel Valley at Pickham Farm (where Whimbrel sometimes feed in spring) recently, but it was hard to see whether they passed Guestling Wood. Neither have I seen them as far up the Brede Valley at Doleham.
So what determines their terrafirma feeding range? How far up the Brede Valley do they go? How far north across Romney Marsh?
Puzzlingly, the Royal Oak lot were there at low tide, when I would have expected them to be exploiting the food resources of the shore.
(At night they all roost at Rye Harbour click here for recent article.)
