New Passage, July 1999: © Paul Bowerman.

One advantage of living at Severn Beach is that it possible look for birds briefly on the way to work. Tuesday 27^th July was one of those mornings; the weather was dry and bright with a light NE wind. The tide was in so I decided to visit New Passage.

At about 7 am I walked out to the stone jetty and immediately flushed about 30 Lapwings that had been roosting on the rocky beach, the first flock for some time and signs of migration. Looking with my naked eye towards the Second Severn Crossing, I noticed a bird at great distance, flying head on towards me in level flight, some 30 feet above the water. My first impression was of a Peregrine with a rapid wing beat preparing to attack the Lapwings. I then looked at it through my binoculars, it was still heading straight towards me. I could see now that it was not a Peregrine, and due to its general colouration was a Curlew but without a long bill!

As it got closer it changed direction and was now flying parallel to the sea wall about 40 yards away from me. It stared at me as it flew by. I knew now that this was a Stone Curlew, its long pointed wings and tail, immaculate plumage, white wing bar and white flashes within black areas of the wing, a striking face with pale crescents, a large staring yellow and black eye, a short black tipped, yellow bill.

I wanted the bird to stop, to come back, but it kept heading North East, joining the Lapwing flock I had flushed a minute or so earlier. I watched all the birds with a combination of intense excitement and frustration, disappear to the far end of Northwick Warth.

I quickly made a few telephone calls to spread the news but had to continue on to work. Despite a thorough search of the area by others later in the day it was not seen again. I am the first to admit that I cannot draw but in the absence of a camera here is a sketch of the bird. Hopefully the next one will be more obliging.

Paul Bowerman - July 1999.