Teds wildlife corner for letters page

An outstanding ,resident bird that can be found in many parts of our Island. It is a tall, slender bird with a relatively long, pointed, down-curved beak, a short tail. Its’ body is largely pale cream or sandy in colour, with a white lower belly and sharply contrasting black wing tips and under wings. The head is marked with a black stripe from the eye to the back of the neck, bordered above by a white stripe, and has a bluish-grey crown. The beak is black and the legs and feet are yellowish-white. It feeds by walking or running across the ground, pausing to pick up prey, which are swallowed whole. It also catches insects in flight and digs with its beak for spiders, other invertebrates and seeds. Its’ nest is located on bare ground and consists of a shallow, unlined scrape, and it usually lays 2 eggs.