'Mios ro gach ràith a choltas'
A month before each season, its appearance comes

 

The Oyster Catcher (Haematopus Ostralegus) is easy to spot on the shores although in recent years many have been seen inland. Oyster Catchers make a distictive whistling sound which once heard will not easily be forgotten and can be used in future to signal their presence long before seeing them.
Watching them dib in the wet sand and mud and moving things around with the long orange beak is fascinating and the little 'clockwork' walk they do between forages is quite comical. You can see Oyster Catchers all year on Islay and on most beaches and muddy tidal areas.