We left Cape Town in 2012. Even then, we stopped going to the beach because it became too sad to watch the last two Oystercatchers struggling to remain on their nest while beach goers and their dogs walk over the dunes.
During the breeding season, even the male could not go to the rocks to get food, because continuous interruption from passers by kept them alert. When the chicks were born, it was even worse because every one and his dog wanted to go and photograph them. They were driven further and further into the bushes, just to be driven out again by dogs or other predators.
I was glad in a way that we left before we see one of the birds, after so many years surviving under the most difficult conditions, dead on the beach. Mauled by dogs, or watch a lone bird looking for his mate.
We recorded the last days of the oystercatchers and plovers on Bigbay beach, in a hope that it would shake the conservation department of Rietvlei Cape or The BCA to arrange and monitor volunteer teams to protect the birds during breeding season.
Secondly, the fate of these birds will soon be the fate of all the birds along the coast from Melkbos to Bigbay, as this is becoming a popular sunbathing and beach-walking strip.
Have you ever compared the footprint of a human to that of an animal? Humans cause so much damage to nature.
A new era of Oyster-catcher blogging is to start on these pages.
The Oyster-catchers of the most southern point of Africa. Here the birds can still live as nature intended. Happy birds!
The black Oyster-catcher reminds me of the many black children in South Africa who cannot grow up in safety, have enough food to eat or the education love and support that is the birthright of all children.
There is so much suffering among animals and birds by the hands of humans: Canned lion hunting, cruel farming practices, rhino poaching, canned lion hunting, intolerance and misunderstanding when baboons clashes with people who made their homes of their territory and much more ....
Therefore, for the remainder of this blog we will write happy Oyster-catcher posts.
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