The Oyster Catcher.



45



THE OYSTER CATCHER.


Hcematopus ostralegus (Linnaeus).


By H. WlLLFORD.


The Oyster Catcher—which my friend Dr. Heatherly has

rightly christened “the coastguard of bird-land”—is more or less

common all round our coasts both summer and winter alike. At all

times it is one of the most wary birds I have met with in my many

attempts at bird-photography, for as soon as one gets near its haunts

off it flies with its piercing warning call.


The nest, if it can be called such, is merely a sci-ape or hollow,

sometimes without any other material than the bare earth, and at

others just a few bents of dried grass, amongst which are deposited

two or more, often three, greenish yellow eggs, plentifully spotted

with black.


The nesting site varies. I have found the eggs laid within

a few feet of high-water mark, and at various heights among bare

rocks, also in the shade of Mallows and amidst the beautiful wealth

of sea-pinks [Thrift].


Both male and female take their turns at incubating, although

it is generally supposed that this is carried on by the female alone.

The particular pair of birds, to which most of my observations refer,

nested on a shelf of rock some ten feet from high-water mark, and

about three feet above the beach. The sitting birds were protected

from the north-east by the rocks at the back. Two eggs were laid,

and when found had most likely been incubated over a week. The

first thing to do on finding a nest with eggs is to test the eggs by

looking through them to see if they are newly-laid or if incubation

is well advanced. If the latter, one need have little fear of the birds

deserting, providing care is taken in fixing up the hide. This is best

done at dusk, as it gives the birds a better chance to get accustomed

to it during the night, and then, by the following morning, most of

their fear will have vanished.


Sea-birds sit very little during hot sunny days, and can leave

their eggs day after day for seven or eight hours at a stretch without

harm ; this I have proved, for the day after I had fixed up the hide

I landed on the island and found that the eggs were warm. Having



