From Iceland — Eurasian Oystercatcher Returns To Iceland

Eurasian Oystercatcher Returns To Iceland

Published April 16, 2020

Sam O'Donnell
Photo by
Bjørn Christian Tørrissen/Wikimedia Commons

When the plover returns, spring is on its way. When the Eurasian oystercatcher returns, spring is officially here.

The noisy bird was spotted in Sandvík on Sunday morning, which means that winter is out and spring is in. What a marvelous Easter present.

Since that first sighting, several oystercatchers have been spotted along the beach. Birdwatchers eagerly await the arrival of this intelligent bird every year, and since 2007, the date of their arrival has been recorded. In recent years, their arrival has been somewhat delayed, often not landing until well into April.

Bird life in Sandvík has been fairly active otherwise. Many varieties of geese have shown up, as well as the aforementioned plover, snipe, and the common redshank. These and many other birds have made their home in Iceland again, which hopefully means warm weather is just around the corner.

Note: Due to the effect the Coronavirus is having on tourism in Iceland, it’s become increasingly difficult for the Grapevine to survive. If you enjoy our content and want to help the Grapevine’s journalists do things like eat and pay rent, please consider joining our High Five Club.

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