For me, the call of the Curlew is a quintessential part of wildlife watching on British estuaries.  You may not see the birds, but the melancholy whistle - as described by my bird book - travels far and lets you know they are there.  Unfortunately this image does not do this emotive bird justice.  The main problem with the image is the forth bird, the one preening , which unsettles the composition.  I’m not sure why three birds in the frame work better than four, but in this case I think it’s definitely so.