Surfbirds News

Stilts are one of Britain’s rarest breeding birds and the last time we witnessed such an event was in 1987 when two chicks were successfully raised in Norfolk.

Black-winged Stilt, Cheshire, 2008 © Robert Brown, from the surfbirds galleries

Tim Melling from the RSPB in Northern England, says: 'Black-winged stilts have extraordinarily long, spindly pink legs and even at one-day old they are abnormally long. The chicks are a buff colour with fluffy feathers and speckles on their back and head. They have really long, fine beaks like a needle.'

An adult pair was first spotted on their nest near Marbury Country Park, Cheshire, a month ago. RSPB staff and volunteers have been monitoring their progress and waiting with bated breath to see if they laid any eggs.

Black-winged Stilts, Cheshire, 2008 © Robert Brown, from the surfbirds galleries

Mild temperatures meant experts were quietly hopeful that the birds would be successful this time, and celebrations began last night when an RSPB surveillance team spotted three hatched eggs and at least one chick.

The RSPB has been showing thousands of wildlife lovers the uncommon spectacle of the nesting adults through its Aren’t birds brilliant! (ABB) scheme. There is a viewing point to ensure best possible sightings and it is hoped that the chicks will encourage even more people to come and marvel at these fascinating, quirky birds.

Richard Bashford, the RSPB's Aren’t birds brilliant! Project Manager, says: 'It has been a nerve-wracking few days waiting for the eggs to hatch. It's been such a long time since they were successful and we’ve all been hopeful with the mild weather, but when we heard there were three chicks we were overjoyed.

'Now we are looking forward to showing as many people as possible the chicks – their unfeasibly long legs make them really interesting birds and children and adults alike love to learn that what appear to their knees are actually their ankles!

'Watching the chicks learn how to use them will no doubt be very entertaining, its amazing how they manage it.'

The stilts are just one of many ABB schemes happening across the UK this year. The 2008 season promises to be the biggest yet, with more than 60 projects showing people birds like peregrine falcons, white-tailed eagles, puffins, choughs, great crested grebes and roosting starlings.