Birdwatch: the curlew sandpiper – a visit from a restless global traveller

It was a treat to see this busy bird in Somerset, but then they do venture far from their Siberian breeding grounds

Of the thousand-plus waders at the high tide roost, all but a handful were either asleep or standing still, patiently waiting for the waters to recede. But one bird was feeding as if its life depended on it: methodically making its way across the muddy banks of the River Brue, picking up morsels of food with its long, decurved bill.

The bird's frantic activity and elegant appearance identified it as a scarce visitor to the Somerset coast: a juvenile curlew sandpiper - named because its bill resembles that of its much larger relative.