Oyster Catchers

During our visit to Scotland, another lady and myself were surprised to find Oyster Catchers searching for food when it was late afternoon after the sun had gone down and the sky was dark. We commented on this to a local, who incidentally works as a Park Ranger, and she explained that Oyster Catchers and other wading birds, unlike other birds, do not feed according to the time of day and in daylight but need to eat when the tide is out. (Quite logical when you think about it!) They watch the movement of the tide and live their lives accordingly.

Earlier, one of the team had mentioned how she had only once managed to see the tide actually turn. At that moment the sea stood still before then beginning to recede. It would have been so easy to get tired of watching for the moment, become distracted and then miss the all-important moment after all the waiting. The Oyster Catchers reminded us that we need to be constantly watching the signs of the times to make sure we don't miss what is happening around us.