Aberdeen is famous for its roof-nesting oystercatchers. We have been putting Darvics on chicks since 1997. The rings are white (a few yellow) with a unique combination of a letter and two digits reading down the leg (see picture). We have had a lot of sightings in the autumn and winter. Some locally but most from other estuaries round the UK including Musselburgh, the Wash, the Exe, north Wales, north-west England and Dublin. Keep them coming in. Had our first bird from Arbroath recently. However, what we really want more of are sightings of birds during the breeding season. We have heaps of birds out there with Darvics on and we need more sightings. Can observers please look carefully at any oystercatchers during the breeding season and check if they have a Darvic on the left leg. The birds will not necessarily be on roofs. We have had birds bred on roofs nesting on the ground and vice versa.
A prize of a bottle of whisky is offered to anyone who finds one particular bird – N87!
Any sightings contact Alistair Duncan on alistair@cairncry.freeserve.co.uk
.jpg)
S65, sighted at Foryd Bay, Caernarfon, North Wales on 21/01/12 (Emyr Evans)
Posts
I've at least one - photo through the skylight - which I think is trying to nest on my roof. I live in Aberdeen. The bird is slightly bigger than a pigeon but smaller than a herring gull. It has two leg rings on I can't seem to find any info on it. Back again visiting today and taps the window with it's beck almost like a woodpecker.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rspb.org.uk/community/wildlife/f/902/t/111481.aspx
ReplyDelete