I see them as the surest-of-all-signs of spring. They've actually been back for almost a month now, but this is the first time I have had a chance to go among them.
The Long-Billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) is migratory, spending his winters as far south as Central America. Ours are just starting to stake out their nesting grounds. Once they actually start nesting they will dive bomb an interloper like Stukas, actually knocking your hat off if you're not paying attention.
They're big birds: wingspan a little over two feet, and that bill can be 10" long. Their cry when alarmed (or angry) is a shrill, loud cur-WEE cur-WEE cur-WEE (usually in bursts of three). They spend most of their time on the ground and for the most part fly only when alarmed.
Really nice birds. It's so good to have them back.
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"Once they actually start nesting they will dive bomb an interloper like Stukas, actually knocking your hat off if you're not paying attention."
No argument there. When I graduated from high school I had a summer job working on a ranch. Whenever you got anywhere around their nesting areas there were literally dozens of those guys swooping down, slapping you with their wings, and making all sorts of noise until you left. I was usually laughing too hard to be annoyed by them.
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