Happy St-Paddy's Day!
This date, March 17, marks the much anticipated annual arrival of the Oystercatchers! The big funny clown-like shore birds I so love.
They always arrive from their winter homes exactly on St-Paddy's Day. How do they know? Yesterday, not a single bird, today I counted five pairs, including one pair who flew in from high above me, circling, circling, and then then landed here, on their beach.
Every year I head down to the beach on this day. I'm always so worried, so nervous: what if the beach is too different? The journey too long? What if the big trucks are too scary?
What if they have moved on?
But here they are. Like the first robin of spring--only beachy. My little friends...
They are very tired and very shy after their long journey from South America. I don't get too close, they need to rest and relax. So pix are a bit fuzzy.
Better forecasters than that groundhog guy! Spring is ''just around the corner". [snow this weekend though! My poor birds.]
love
lizzy
gone to the beach...............
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Oh, how fun that they returned. Do they put their nests in different places since the beach has changed? Do they seem to care?
ReplyDeleteLoved the flower pics the other day.
Aloha,
Hunter
Just like a long lost friend turning up.
ReplyDeleteAlways a good day when your Oystercatchers come home. A small miracle don't ya think.
ReplyDeleteYou got some really nice shots of the beach and the water today, looks beautiful.
Kel
Yes, a small miracle of Nature, that these not so tiny birds can travel so far and return safely.
DeleteIt's funny how they come every year on the same day!
ReplyDeleteThey must have really good calendars in their heads!! And good time management during their flights! Glad to see them arrive, hope they find good spots for nests where any storm tides don't flood them.
ReplyDeleteWe had snow today, snowed HARD with big flakes but luckily it didn't stick...! I really didn't want to deal with snow.
Hi! Snow for me tonite. It often snows around the equinox, or so my mother always taught me. I remember quite a few snow filled Easter breaks when we lived in Illinois.
DeleteThe oyestercatchers will lay their eggs as close as possible to twhere they always nest. Nest being a misnomer as they just lay their eggs in the sand. If a dune has formed--or washed away, they still lay their eggs in that exact spot. This year I fear the worst as the beach is much lower and the water at high tide is flooding the sand. I ll be watching!
Yay! for your birds. I know how you feel, we have Ospreys that return each year to a nest, East of town. The female arrives first and then the male takes his sweet old time and arrives about 2 weeks later. We are lucky and they have a camera installed, so we can watch the little couple have their family. I have watched for 4 years now. Should be any time now. :) Kit
ReplyDeleteHi Kit! Oh I ve been watching our ospreys' nest! It s way out in the marsh, no camera but I can tell when the mama arrives by the nest rebuilding. Soon!
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