Upland wader breeding song

Curlew, snipe (drumming), lapwing, golden plover, greenshank, dunlin. Flow Country, Pennines, Orkney, United Kingdom.

Best time: 25 Apr – 5 Jun (April to June). Where: RSPB Forsinard Flows, Sutherland, RSPB Geltsdale, Cumbria, Hoy, Orkney (United Kingdom). Time of day: Song and drumming peak in the 2 h around sunrise, then again through the long light evening from about 2 h before sunset to dusk.

• You can go on your own
• Free
• Binoculars helpful
• Sound 5/5

Open it in the interactive calendarSunrise and sunset listening times for the day you pick, and the map.

When is the best time?

Peak: 25 Apr – 5 Jun. Late April to early June

Active from 1 Apr to 30 Jun (April to June) in a typical year.

Time of day

Song and drumming peak in the 2 h around sunrise, then again through the long light evening from about 2 h before sunset to dusk; snipe drum well after sunset on still nights.

• Dawn song: 45 min before sunrise → 2 h after sunrise
• Evening display: 2 h before sunset → 30 min after last light

What will you hear?

Bubbling curlew song, snipe drumming (tail feathers), lapwing display flights, the mournful golden plover whistle, and greenshank 'tew-tew' over bog pools.

Binoculars?

Binoculars helpful. Song and drumming are all around; binoculars pick out golden plover and greenshank on open bog.

Where to go

• RSPB Forsinard Flows, Sutherland — Vast peatland with almost no human noise; the Far North railway line passes the visitor centre a few times a day. Map
• RSPB Geltsdale, Cumbria — North Pennine moorland; open all hours. Map
• Hoy, Orkney — Farmland and moorland waders; wind is the main issue. Map
• Upper Teesdale (Widdybank / Cronkley) — Dense waders along the B6277 in spring. Map

How to go on your own, and what it costs

Forsinard Flows: free; the Far North railway stops at Forsinard station beside the visitor centre, and the Dubh Lochan trail and Flows lookout are open at all hours. Geltsdale: free, open all hours, park at Stagsike. Upper Teesdale: walk the Pennine Way from Cow Green or the B6277 lay-bys. Hoy: NorthLink/Orkney Ferries to Lyness or Moaness, then public roads and the RSPB moorland paths.

Cost: Free everywhere; ferry fares to Orkney and Hoy apply (check current prices).

Field-recording notes

Among the cleanest natural soundscapes in the UK. Stay on tracks — everything here is ground-nesting. Snipe drumming is directional and moves fast; a wide stereo pair pointed at the sky works better than chasing it.

Sources

• RSPB Forsinard Flows
• Curlew Action

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More: all spectacles in the United Kingdom · dawn choruses · the United Kingdom in April · the United Kingdom in May · the United Kingdom in June