Oystercatchers

[bungeejumper]

A bit of a surprise, really. I mean, considering that we were about as far from the sea as the north of England gets. Walking in Wharfedale, the dead centre of the Pennine Way, and there were maybe forty of them, wheeling round and round and making a hell of a racket. Buzzing the sheep, and completely unconcerned by humans.

We noted the broad white bars on the wings right away, and the longish beaks, and we'd heard that there were an isolated few oystercatchers in the Dales which we might be lucky enough to see, but we still didn't think it possible that our initial identification could be correct because there were so many of them.

But, upon further checking, there was no doubting it. Apparently, despite their name, oystercatchers are just as keen on worms and suchlike. Indeed, some say that they hardly eat shellfish at all. Either way, they were clearly flourishing so far away from the sea, and 400 metres above sea level. Fascinating.

BJ

[Dod101]

This was commented on earlier in the spring. I too live about as far from the sea as can be in north central Scotland and I get them in the early spring, about 25/30 of them by some ponds and then wheeling around. I reckon they must breed there. By now they are still around and I hear them regularly although they are no longer in one big flock. Of course I see them by the shore when I drive the 75 miles or so to the nearest coast, not the same ones I guess.

I see few curlews these days on the moors.

Dod

[AleisterCrowley]

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=18182&p=231015&hilit=oystercatcher#p231015
Spotted in west Berkshire

[mike]

A bit of a surprise, really. I mean, considering that we were about as far from the sea as the north of England gets. Walking in Wharfedale, the dead centre of the Pennine Way, and there were maybe forty of them, wheeling round and round and making a hell of a racket. Buzzing the sheep, and completely unconcerned by humans.
BJ

When I was a child in the 60s, we lived in Yorkshire and went often into the Dales. The bird that used to wheel around then was the Lapwing (peewit). I seem to remember often seeing small flocks, but cannot remember seeing a single Lapwing since we left Yorkshire.

[Dod101]

You are right mike, the peewit seems to have disappeared totally. I live in Perthshire just north of the Central Belt.

Dod

[PinkDalek]

This is what the RSPB say about the declining Lapwing population (even worse in Wales and England, as against Scotland)

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/lapwing/population-trends/

[swill453]

You are right mike, the peewit seems to have disappeared totally. I live in Perthshire just north of the Central Belt.

I've seen them in the Pentland Hills a few times.

And loads in the North Pennines when I was there recently.

Scott.

[jackdaww]

in some places , another name for oystercatcher is/was "sea pie" .

[bungeejumper]

When I was a child in the 60s, we lived in Yorkshire and went often into the Dales. The bird that used to wheel around then was the Lapwing (peewit). I seem to remember often seeing small flocks, but cannot remember seeing a single Lapwing since we left Yorkshire.

I remember seeing them around Kettlewell in the late seventies, and plenty of curlews around Malham Tarn. But this year there was hardly a peep from either. I'm pretty sure I heard a solitary lapwing somewhere up around Hawes, but I didn't see it.

Speaking of curlews, this really turned on the nostalgia button! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EBjUVhw3NQ

BJ