Our post last week about the new birds at the pond got quite a bit of interest, so we thought we’d see what you thought of another one!
After that previous post, a resident (who I now definitely owe a beer when all this is over) contacted us to say that we also get oystercatchers in the fields to the east of the village in spring, and that you can often hear them before you see them. They’ve got a high pitched sort of whistling sound that carries quite far.
No way, we thought. But he was not wrong! The next day we went to have a look, and amazingly we heard and saw a couple and managed to get a picture. Very lucky.
They are a coastal bird that typically would be combing a beach for muscles and other snacks like that, so we wouldn’t have expected to see one on our doorstep. Apparently they can come inland to feed on worms that they can get to in the soil with their long beak.
Ok, what on earth is an Oystercatcher??
Well, here’s what one looks like in Yelverton near the solar panels:
And here’s a couple of photos that are actually good:
And here’s some more info if you really want to geek up on it, and also to hear what they sound like:
Oystercatcher info from the RSPB SITESo next time you’re walking round that footpath that goes from the back of avenue farm, north across the fields, coming out at the top of Dranes Lane, keep your ears open for that sound and you might spot one.
What else might I see?
Find out what other wildlife you can see around the village on our wildlife page
our wildlife page
Alpington and Yelverton 