Eurasian Osytercatcher - Haemotopodidae ostralegus
Another long shot on the Orwell to complete today's brace of catch up pictures. These are another classic of the British seaside and an all year round resident. I was suprised when staying in the North Yorkshire moors while supporting a friend running for Parliament to discover that they bread inland and up on the hills. I don't know why I was suprised as plenty of other wading birds perform the same trick - Dunlin and Golden Plover for example. I just thought they spent their life crunching molluscs which can't be in big supply on a hill top. Perhaps they eat snails or slugs when they are oop North ? Same idea with a different shell or without one. Perhaps they'd make a grand garden pet if you grow vegetables.
So my question today is what do Oystercatchers eat when they are breeding inland on a Yorkshire Moor ? What followers of this blog that existed will have given up on me over the Summer so I doubt I will get an answer.
Good news on the world birding front - I have a busines trip to the USA (both coasts) booked for about 8 weeks time. Palo Alto, Chicago, Washington and New York with a free weekend in Washington. If I get my camera sorted and do some research I may be able to pick up a bog hall of 'photo-ticks'. Watch this space. I suspect I will be on the Chesapeake rather than in the Smithsonian if I get my way !
Eurasian Oystercatcher - Haemotopodidae Ostralegus
Orwell estuary - Suffolk
August 29 2011
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