The Eurasian oystercatcher is a migratory bird in the wader family. They migrate up here to breed and for the last few years I'm in a battle with a pair of them who insist on building their nest in the middle of an inhospitable school yard, rocky and dusty aside from kids running around. Last year they laid about 5 eggs in a row before giving up, god knows they ever made a new nest.
I figured last year that I'm making a faux breeding couple before they get here this year. I made a nesting decoy and a vinyl version (of course I remembered too late so it's the quick & dirty version)
The nesting bird has a chicken wire body wrapped in black duct tape with white adhesive sticker for markings and sticker eyes colored with orange sharpie
They make nests just like that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_oystercatcher
I did not expect what happened next
So things were cool for a few days, the oystercathers did a few loud flyovers letting you know they weren't very happy with this shit, but that was the point.
One afternoon we heard knocking, but there was nobody at the door. We all heard it but couldn't figure it out... until I stepped out on the porch finding the oystercatchers pecking at the faux tape bird, specifically the eyes!
A couple of days ago I took puppy for an evening walk.
I heard them again, but different this time. I saw them (or a couple resembling them) getting it on like
I hope it was them because that's a better neighborhood to start a family
~~~~ The Story ~~~~
Just walked out and sat on the front lawn, blue sky, with scattered clouds,
looking out at the Clouds, thinking, those are not right, an intense bright flash came from the
middle of one.
I'd never seen that before, bright day, slight breeze, yet Clouds and one with a strobe?
I don't now, nor have I ever, lived in a Normal World, so at times when the unusual occurs,
My mind will register it, but not allow it to cause a panic within me, I just simply turn my
attention away from the aspects of it, and think on to other conditions around me.
Nothing bothers me in the same way that others are affected in strange situations,
it's by Rote, conditioned through all the constant strangeness that I've encountered over my lifetime.
But, for once, that flash did have an effect, not a bad effect, an attention grabber effect.
like, Pay attention little One, this is important, you have a need to know this.
So I maintained eye contact with the spot in the Cloud where the flash had come,
some thoughts began to come into mind, none that I created, thoughts from outside me.
There were people I knew and some I didn't, whom had created an Organization to Harass my life.
Names came, future Situations followed, incidents and abnormalities stretched along the stream of thoughts.
The messages ended with the Cackle of a Crow in the Distance, a Crow from one of the scenes in the Stream.
I opened my eyes again, looked again to the Cloud, in a second, the Flash, and after, from the exact same spot in the Cloud,,
a Crow flew out heading West over the Ocean.
This was 58 years ago,
and I swear, as hard as I have attempted to deny it, every once in a while when Danger to me has been close,
a Crow will land nearby and caw at me.
At which, my Radar kicks in, Head on a swivel, and sure as Sugar causes Skin to Stretch out over Fat Cells,,,
a Near miss happens.
The Crow still comes, it must be the same on from 58 years ago,
it landed on my Vehicle last night and Cawed at me.
Today, I caught a Stalker.
true that.
so who Won the Bird Fight?
the Mating Pair, or the Sock Puppet Birdie?
We just heard them outside, they want me to know that they know where I live
ewww gang stalking Oystercatchers are a new thing I guess.
world sure is seeing some changes of late.
I got this Piggy over in New Mexico that always comes out at night and visits.
It's known as a Javalina, a Wild Piggy, this one is huge, they are dangerous too but he just seems to want to sniff
on my stuff.
I never see him with other piggies (Pack?) which is weird, maybe he's lonely, and I seem cool to hang with.
at first, the first night I saw him, he walked right to me, had me trapped in my Pathfinder.
I couldn't shoo him away, I thought he might be a member of a Piggy Gang Stalking Team.
one night He walked 4 miles to me from his little Cave that he calls home, Blew my mind, he really does have something for me.
Last time I saw him, I had left overs to leave him, He loves Sloppy Joe's, with lots of Cheese.
But he's picky about his Pepsi,,, won't drink it ice cold.
so I gave him Chocolate Milk. He burped anyway, how do you burp on Milk?
ain't possible is it?
What a claim to fame.
"Hi, I'm an eagle. I rule the air. What kid of bird are you?"
"Hi, I'm an oyster catcher."
" Oyster catcher? Do you mean those shellfish that attach to rocks and never move?"
"Yes!"
Let's use the Oystercatcher as our national bird... said no one ever.
Thankfully the Whooper Swan is our national bird
https://www.arcticcentre.org/EN/arcticregion/Flying-Arctic/Whooper-Swan
The oystercatcher is however the national bird of Faroe Islands.
Are they aggressive?
This oystercatcher, of the family Haematopodidae, is a fairly loud bird, as seen by its behavior, which ranges between contact calls and calls that follow various displays. It's frequently repeated throughout the breeding season, and is employed in hostile behavior among neighbors and territorial defense.
Would they make a good pet?
No!
https://kidadl.com/animal-facts/eurasian-oystercatchers-facts
They're loud too!
don't play that with Ear Buds in if Ear Wax Matters.
Jeebus!
Burst a Temporal Vein it did.