THE OYSTER CATCHER 245 



they indulge in what appears to be a game. With their 

 heads bent low and their handsome red bills almost 

 touching the ground, the birds follow a leader quickly 

 over the shingle, giving utterance all the while to sharp 

 whistling cries. Sometimes after a burst of calling the 

 birds rise in a body and fly off, still whistling to each other. 

 At their summer haunts the food of the Oyster Catcher 

 consists largely of worms, the birds visiting the fields 

 near their nesting site, especially after rain. The young 

 would appear to be fed on worms also, for I have seen an 

 Oyster Catcher making its way rapidly to its nesting 

 ground, and bearing in its bill a worm of great size, which 

 dangled earthwards for all the world like a small snake. 

 Though most demonstrative of birds when the safety of its 

 young is concerned, the Oyster Catcher rarely attacks 

 other birds venturing near its nest : a passing Hoodie or 

 Gull is left in peace, though, should a solitary Green 

 Plover be nesting anywhere near, she dashes out with no 

 hesitation and swoops repeatedly at the stranger, which 

 was ignored by the Mussel Picker, driving it determinedly 

 far beyond her nesting-ground. It is July before the young 

 Oyster Catchers are strong on the wing, and by August 

 the majority of the birds, young and old, take their de- 

 parture from their nesting-grounds, appearing about this 

 time on the river estuaries along the coasts. It is 

 doubtful, however, whether the individuals which pass 

 the autumn and winter months with us are the birds 

 which have nested along the rivers of the same district, 

 for it is probable that a south migration, even if only of 

 a few score of miles, takes place at the fall of the year. 



During the winter months the Oyster Catcher is one 

 of the most prominent of our shore-feeding birds. Im- 

 mediately the tide has receded sufficiently to leave 

 exposed the highest lying of the mudflats. Mussel Pickers 

 appear on the scene, and at once commence to search for 



