Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)

The oystercatcher is a large, stocky, black and white wading bird. It has a long, orange-red bill and reddish-pink legs. In flight, it shows a wide white wing-stripe, a black tail, and a white rump that extends as a ‘V’ between the wings. Because it eats cockles, the population is vulnerable if cockle beds are overexploited. Breeds on almost all UK coasts; over the last 50 years, more birds have started breeding inland. Most UK birds spend the winter on the coast; where they are joined on the east coast by birds from Norway.

This bird was one of a pair who bred in a disused sand quarry in Co. Durham. The pair were inseparable and could always be heard before they could be seen. I liked the pose of this bird as it patrolled the vicinity of the nest while its partner incubated the eggs. I was pleased to see that the birds hatched all four of their eggs, all birds stayed within the quarry for a number of weeks after hatching.