Oystercatcher On Railway Line

Around a year ago we took Birdboy for a ride on the Heatherslaw Light Railway. It's a 15" gauge railway which runs from Heatherslaw Mill to Etal Village nearby in north Northumberland. The track is about two miles long and the return journey takes a total of about 45 minutes.

Along the track is a passing loop, allowing two trains to run simultaneously. At this passing place, in between the rail tracks, was a nesting Oystercatcher sitting on eggs. This piece of track wasn't used as a result - allowing the bird to continue incubating her eggs. Instead, twice every hour, a train full off people passed by the Oystercatcher - who just sat there oblivious.

We went there again last Monday, almost exactly a year later, and again that Oystercatcher was sat on her nest (just a hollow in the dirt) in exactly the same place. No eggs just yet, though. This time the track was being used, so each time the train ran on this part of the track she got up, walked to the side, waited for the train to pass, and then sat down again.

Once the eggs appear I'm certain they will stop using the passing place and she'll be left to incubate.

No pics, so I've pinched one from Google of the train!