Eurasian Oystercatcher

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Haematopus ostralegus Tjaldur

Oystercatchers were first recorded on 12th March, and then in all surveys between 27th March and 7th August. The last records of Oystercatcher in the survey area was ten birds on 9th October. At least 200 birds were recorded during all surveys in April, with a peak count of 585 on 18th April. Numbers reduced considerably in May and remained at a low-level (c. 30 birds of less) throughout June, July and until 7th August. Oystercatchers nested throughout the Andakíll Ramsar site: on the fringes of the fjord and within the farmland and village (Tierney & Tierney 2020). While Oystercatchers were recorded in all subsites, they displayed a preference for Grjóteyrarklakkur (Est 1) and Kistufjörđur (Est 2) during low tides, and for Kistufjörđur (Est 2) during rising tides. As the available foraging area in Grjóteyrarklakkur (Est 1) was inundated on rising tides, the birds foraged in Kistufjörđur (Est 2), before roosting on the rocks at the north of the subsite.

Low-tide Rising-tide

Number of individuals 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Week number and month

Figure 3-62. Number of Haematopus ostralegus recorded during weekly low tide and rising tide estuarine surveys in the Andakíll Ramsar site between 12th March and 25th October 2017.

(a) Low tide (b) Rising tide

Figure 3-63. Relative abundance of Haematopus ostralegus during weekly (a) low tide and (b) rising tide estuarine surveys in the Andakíll Ramsar site between 12th March and 25th October 2017. Dots are randomly positioned within each subsite. While each dot refers to a single bird, it refers to the bird’s presence in that subsite only, and not the bird’s actual location.

(a) Spring (b) Autumn

Figure 3-64. Relative abundance during (a) spring and (b) autumn of Haematopus ostralegus counted on twice-weekly estuarine surveys in the Andakíll Ramsar site in 2017. Spring = 12th March - 7th June; Autumn = 12

th June - 25th

October. The number of dots in each subsite refers to the total number of birdrecords (from weekly low tide and rising tide surveys) in spring and autumn, adjusted for the length of the season, and reflects the species’ abundance in that season, not the specific location of birds.

Figure 3-65. Proportion of foraging and roosting Haematopus ostralegus during weekly (a) low tide and (b) rising tide estuarine surveys in six subsites in the Andakíll Ramsar site between 12th March and 25th October 2017.

(a) Low tide (b) Rising tide