Birding

Social distancing on the beach

April 26, 2020 by Clare M No Comments

Last weekend we had completed our 14 days of self-isolation. It is a long time to not leave your property at all, but at least we do have a garden. We were very keen to get back on our bikes and to go and walk along a beach. We were in much more of a rush to get to the beach than the supermarket! I did not get to write last week, because there have been issues with the website and even now it is having a few problems, so I will keep this brief.

One of our Pied Oystercatcher pairs were at their usual location north of the rocks on Cable Beach. Their young from last year have now moved on. They will be with a large flock of non-breeding Pied Oystercatchers to the north or south of Broome. At this time of year the pair are together, but like all of us they are being physically distant. In a few weeks’ time they will be into their breeding season and there will be a moment of close contact.

Pied Oystercatchers keeping physically distant

They were also busy eating very small bivalves and their hunting was proving to be very successful.

Bivalves are one of the most common food eaten by Pied Oystercatchers around Broome.

It is so good to have a little bit of normality in our world even if it is something as simple as being able to have a walk on the beach.

Written by Clare M

Clare and her husband, Grant, have lived permanently in Broome, Western Australia since 1999 after living in various outback locations around Western Australia and Darwin. She has lived in the Middle East and the United States and traveled extensively in Europe. She monitors Pied Oystercatchers breeding along a 23km stretch of Broome's coastline by bicycle and on foot. She chooses not to participate in social media, but rather wander off into the bush for peace and tranquility. Thankfully she can write posts in advance and get away from technology!