Hi, everyone —
Great news! The oystercatchers on Indian Island have successfully hatched ALL THREE eggs! The babes have grown fast and are already flying around with their parents. Look for a flock of 5 flying loosely together around the island — making a wonderful chip/cheep racket. The young are still dependent on the parents for food, so if you see the birds foraging, the parents are actively poking at / piercing / digging up prey and the young are close by just walking around.
We still need to work with the public to stay off the green areas (top) of the island. The birds are loyal (and quite territorial ) to the nest site, so the presence of a human can cause a lot of disturbance. Apparently, the birds don’t mind looking DOWN on humans, so look up from the rocks on the southwest shore and you can sometimes see them peering over the edge of their cliff.
We can all be proud — not only along with the proud parents, but also for our much smaller role in making Indian Island a good place to nest.
Happy summer!
Barbara Bentley for the Indian Island Beachwatchers
