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| Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus) |
Also known as Dikkops or Thick-knees, the Stone Curlew is a member of the waders group however prefers to live in dry, open stony habitats such as the fields that abound around these parts of la Mancha. It is mostly nocturnal and you really need to have a good set of eyes and binoculars to spot them during the day when they crouch in the stones despite their big googly eyes and yellow beak. They have the most amazing camouflage for this terrain. After dusk however you can hear their calls which sound just like a regular curlews and it is then that they come out and it is slightly easier to observe them, however, blink whilst they´re moving and you will probably have to search for them again.
