Oystercatcher nestsite

For the last three years a pair of oystercatchers have raised young on a wall in the staff car park of a doctor’s surgery at the side of the A6 south of Carlisle. The surgery moved to this site some three years ago and there is some evidence that a pair nested on the wall at the other side of the A6 prior to that. The female lays three eggs and each year two hatch. The birds seem unconcerned when the staff arrive in the morning although the parking area is modified during the nesting period to provide at least 5m distance from the nest to the nearest car. Patients walking to the surgery usually cause the birds to go into alarm behaviour but cars arriving seem to cause no disturbance. Reception staff pay particular attention to the birds when the young are about to leave the nest as they seem to have a strong desire to cross the A6. No fatalities so far.

Ivor Davies