Oldervik Oystercatcher
Oldervik is a little fishing village, 40 minutes drive north-east of Tromsø. It is a dead-end, tucked away behind the Lyngen Alps.
Oldervik may not be the most spectacular place in the world (and there are no shops, no activities and no attractions) but it does have a great view and, I must say, the wildlife have some pretty bizarre habits.
This bird is a Tjeld (an ‘oystercatcher’ in English). But they don’t actually eat oysters that much – they use their long beaks for getting worms out of the rocks and opening mussels. It is actually the national bird of the Faroe Islands.
This particular little oystercatcher at Oldervik didn’t seem to be too wise to the ways of the world. Nursing its eggs in a box is quite normal, but in the middle of a car park? Not only that, every time I tried to get closer to take a picture of it, the bird would fly away squawking, leaving its eggs for the taking. So I would hide behind the cars to allow the bird space to come back to its box. Each time I would sneak around the cars, crouching down (more like a duck than a tiger), to get a closer shot. But every time the bird saw me it would fly away, leaving its eggs.
Moose was enjoying the show. After a while I sat beside him, bewildered at the bird’s carelessness. Moose said the bird was protecting its eggs. I didn’t believe him – how could flying away be protecting the eggs? ‘The bird wants you to follow. If you were a dog or a cat you would be motivated by the thought of having a nice little oystercatcher bird for supper. The bird would tease you, flying here and there, to keep your interest, all the while luring you away from its eggs.’
How clever! If I was a cat or a dog I would definitely fall for that one. Although, come to think of it, the bird had me all along. When the bird was at the box I would come closer to the eggs – so the bird would fly away and I’d retreat again. And who thinks they are the most intelligent creatures on earth?
Hm. On a sad note: It might be smart hanging a dead bird to protect the drying fish from other birds but not all smart things are right. I’m still not used to country life. What is normal for the country can seem barbaric to a city girl like me.
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You are certainly getting an education in country life. Being a city girl myself, I would also have lots to learn. The pictures are so good, particularly the fishing boats with the snowy mountains in the background. You are going to be giving my dad the inspiration he needs to paint!
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from Moose:
I certainly get a feel for Aussie life every now and then too. Whenever we are out walking in the woods, L-Jay keeps asking me “Are there snakes in here? Are these berries poisonous?” I always have to say “Relax, there are no snakes in Norway (well, none that could kill you) – and all berries can be eaten (but not all taste too nice). Only thing you need to watch out for is the mushrooms. They can put you in a world of hurt…!”