World Curlew Day – A Favourite Bird of the Moors
The 21st of April is World Curlew Day, a time to recognise and reflect on one of the most distinctive and, increasingly, vulnerable birds in the UK. If you’ve spent time on the North York Moors in spring or early summer, chances are you’ve heard the curlew’s call — a rising, bubbling note that seems to belong to the landscape itself.
It’s no secret that Alastair has a soft spot for curlews. With their long, down-curved bills and that unmistakable call, they’re one of the birds that really mark the seasons up here. So much so that last year, he spent a day with Steve Race from Yorkshire Coast Nature on a one-to-one photography workshop, quietly exploring parts of the North York Moors National Park, looking — and listening — for curlews and other upland birds.
The day was a good one. Mist in the morning gave way to soft spring light, the kind that brings out the texture of the heather and reveals the subtle shifts in the moorland colours. Alongside curlews, they spotted lapwings, meadow pipits, and a fleeting glimpse of a woodpecker.
Two of Alastair’s favourite photographs from that day now hang in Pear Loft, our one-bedroom cottage perfect for couples or solo travellers. A small gesture, but one that connects our guests to the surrounding landscape and, perhaps, encourages a slower way of seeing.
Creating a space where guests can unwind and reconnect with nature is a big part of what we do here at Cliff House Holiday Cottages. Our gardens attract all sorts of wild birds — from blue tits and goldfinches to, occasionally, a passing kestrel or owl. And just beyond the garden gate, the moors stretch away — home to curlews and many more besides.
So here’s to the curlew. Long may its call echo over the heather.
