Oystercatcher in Flight

An oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) in flight over the Clyde. Oystercatchers are one of the most conspicuous of British shore birds, with their distinctive, bright plumage and piercing, high-pitched call. They are common around our coasts, and use their long bills to feed on invertebrates in soft sediments. While they were originally shore birds, more and more can be seen feeding in farmlands on worms and bugs disturbed after ploughing.