my memories
Saturday, June 9, 2007
With their whole ecological niche so totally modified, we began wondering where the oystercatchers, once largely the inhabitors of the braided rivers inland, could possibly find safety for the night in proximity to a city. A dusk, the problem was solved, about 70-80 black and pied Oystercatchers descended onto the rooves of two boatsheds at MacAndrew Bay. Not perhaps so comfortable but safe from cat's, dogs, rats, or weasels! The Pied Oystercatcher seems to be quite uniform in coloration, unlike his cousin, the Stilt. In the polluted harbour waters, live shellfish are rare, but they seem to find enough. At Hoopers inlet we saw about 20 stilts, a hundred black swan, and loads of Oystercatchers. They fed, bathed, preened and ignored us until a bus came labelled "Eco-Tours". Whereupon with a thunder of wings, 200 Oystercatchers decided to try the catching at Sandymount and departed. Maybe they can read! What is the long term effect of this constant harrassment? The environment is minimal as a road now follows the beach, and the salt marshes at the bay heads have been fenced off and churned to mud by stock. All the coastal forest has gone, only short grass remains.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
i'm in this peaceful world.