Oystercatcher
A13, my usual birthday gift at Ameland, the Dutch island
It’s
mid-November, and my hubby has all the plans in hands for this usual gift, that
is a trip. We go every year to Ameland, – taking a ferry with the car to stay
for a few days in one of the cozy and then almost empty hotels of this island,
actually one of the most visited by tourists from all over the country. But we
are not just the tourists; we have a great birding task, which is altogether part
of the gift: to find the black-and-white bird, the Oystercatcher, that carries
a very special individual plastic ring, among hundreds of similar ones. “My” Oystercatcher,
that is the regular visitor to the Dutch island of Ameland in the non-breeding
season, and that flies every year to breed at the White Sea, just above the
Polar Circle, in the north-west of Russia. To fly the distance of about 3000
kilometers, the birds need only a few days with good weather and proper wind
condition; and they fly it each year, most successful survivors reaching the
age of 30 years or more, coming late in spring to the breeding islands, and
flying back to the Wadden Sea as early as in August. Getting prepared to this
November trip I remember every chance I had to see that particular bird. I
ringed it myself in 2002 – and it was then already adult and breeding… It’s a long
story to tell, not now in this abstract.
It’s almost
high tide, and hundreds and thousands of shorebirds gather to so called roosts,
usually rather high places along the coastline where they can safely stay, -
resting, sleeping, or preening, - in
dense often mixed species groups. From the dike, where we first drive by car, I
observe the little cape, already familiar in all these years. The birds,
staying along the waterline in compact flock, remain so far a bit restless.
More and more new piping Oystercatchers arrive, joining the group, managing to find a spot for themselves after
one or two flaps of wings or quick negotiations with the neighbors. Sitting in
the car, we can come much closer without any sign that we disturb the birds.
Now I use the telescope, which is mounted on the car window, otherwise I cannot
really read the rings on the still far away birds. Looking from the car window,
I check every bird in the flock, trying to spot the rings. Sure, first I see
those that are “not mine”. Read the
rings anyway – it is easy to find later who rings those in other places of the
world. It is two hours since we’ve started. My hubby has screened all his
newspapers, and patiently switched to the book. He is also a birder, but he has
no patience for reading the color rings. And it is my birthday gift anyway!
Yes, now I see it, my beloved shorebird! The yellow ring with black A13, –
surprisingly still in a very good quality after so many years in use on this
very Oystercatcher, - can not only be recognized, but even photographed! The bird survived another year, and another migration,
so I am very happy indeed.
P.S. Tried
to describe the real story – regretfully in November 2012 we did not see it… Hope my colleagues spot it now at the White Sea,
in the nature reserve.
Actually, to add more - here is the photo of this very bird, Oystercatcher A13 (photo taken by myself also on Ameland in November 2009):
Enjoy it!
