They are unique, beautiful and found in the Overberg.
Colin and Myrna Cook have been keeping a daily log of the African oystercatchers between Betty’s Bay’s main beach rocks and Sandbaai since 2019.
In March, two eggs successfully hatched and a number of nature lovers watched with bated breath as the parents struggled to protect the twin chicks from predators, visitors and unleashed dogs. Sadly one of them finally succumbed over the Easter long weekend.
“We were all therefore really excited to see that the remaining chick is stretching its wings as this will provide a bit more protection,” the Betty’s Bay Conservancy stated.
Two days ago they witnessed this youngster flap its wings and fly a metre or two and plop into the water. The parent was on a rock quite a bit away from shore and this was obviously the motivation. So the brave baba hopped onto a rock, spread its wings and flapped a few more metres to the patiently (nervously, I’m sure!) waiting parent.
They hope this young oystercatcher manages to fully mature and continue to live and breed on their beach. The Cooks’ stats show that of the 24 eggs laid this season only nine got to hatch, and of those only four chicks were fledged.
As they so rightly state: “Being an oystercatcher egg and an oystercatcher chick is a hazardous business, and being an oystercatcher parent is hard work.”