Singing Dunlin, South Pennine Moors
Dunlin do sing and I managed to catch one in the act on the high blanket bog of the South Pennine Moors. They sing with a rhythmic pulsating buzzing whistle, that sounds more like a child's toy ray gun than a bird. They sometimes sing in flight, and sometimes from the ground, as here. Most birdwatchers are familiar with Dunlin (Calidris alpina) as a common wading bird at the coast, but far fewer have seen it on its breeding grounds. It is one of the special treasures of the high South Pennine Moors where just a few dozen pairs breed, and the population is declining. This compares with hundreds of pairs of Golden Plover and Curlew over the same area. They are often shy and elusive, and frustratingly are most active at dusk and dawn, often vanishing during the day. Unlike the plain brown winter plumage, the breeding plumage is spangled with rufous and they have a smart black belly patch, as if someone had pressed them onto an ink pad. I returned at dawn to the spot where I had photographed one in poor light recently and it was well worth the effort of a 5am start. Once I had spotted the territorial male Dunlin, I crawled on my belly in the wet blanket bog and he continued to sing even though I was quite close.
Most of the coastal wintering birds migrate to Britain from the extensive bogs of Iceland and northern Scandinavia. The British breeders are of the race schinzii, which also breeds in Iceland and eastern Greenland. A different race (alpina) breeds across Scandinavia, which look similar to schinzii, but are a tad larger with longer bills.
Singing Dunlin, South Pennine Moors
Dunlin do sing and I managed to catch one in the act on the high blanket bog of the South Pennine Moors. They sing with a rhythmic pulsating buzzing whistle, that sounds more like a child's toy ray gun than a bird. They sometimes sing in flight, and sometimes from the ground, as here. Most birdwatchers are familiar with Dunlin (Calidris alpina) as a common wading bird at the coast, but far fewer have seen it on its breeding grounds. It is one of the special treasures of the high South Pennine Moors where just a few dozen pairs breed, and the population is declining. This compares with hundreds of pairs of Golden Plover and Curlew over the same area. They are often shy and elusive, and frustratingly are most active at dusk and dawn, often vanishing during the day. Unlike the plain brown winter plumage, the breeding plumage is spangled with rufous and they have a smart black belly patch, as if someone had pressed them onto an ink pad. I returned at dawn to the spot where I had photographed one in poor light recently and it was well worth the effort of a 5am start. Once I had spotted the territorial male Dunlin, I crawled on my belly in the wet blanket bog and he continued to sing even though I was quite close.
Most of the coastal wintering birds migrate to Britain from the extensive bogs of Iceland and northern Scandinavia. The British breeders are of the race schinzii, which also breeds in Iceland and eastern Greenland. A different race (alpina) breeds across Scandinavia, which look similar to schinzii, but are a tad larger with longer bills.