Sea squirts Kilpatrick, anyone?
I went for a wade on this beautiful warm day, and saw what I thought was the gaping head of a flathead fish washing up in the surf, no doubt discarded by an angler. A closer examination showed that it was a large old oyster shell, remarkably well-hinged for what seemed to be the time it must have been washing around the shore.
I'm very fond of oysters, and although few will believe me, and I don't blame them, I've seen shells at Lake Conjola on the South Coast at least the size of saucers. I do have a witness, with whom I ate dozens of smaller, but still enormous, NSW rock oysters that day.
I suppose because oysters are one of my favourite delicacies, much scarcer around here than where I was living 12 months ago near the mouth of the Bellinger, I was thinking about them as I rounded what I call Cormorant Rock at the north end of Sandy, when I was surprisedto hear the "peep, peep" of three Sooty oyster-catchers (Haematopus fuliginosus). I thought someone was calling me!
"Peep, peep", not to be confused with the pipi (strange name) molluscs that are well known to Aussies, but rapidly becoming scarcer. I saw one of those on my flaneur today, too, a fine specimen half hanging out of its shell and drinking in the Pacific, as I was metaphorically.
Sooty oyster-catchers are usually found singly, or in pairs, so it was a delight to watch these three, even if the possibility that they might be a ménage à trois does seem a little ... permissive, even to someone as broadminded as I. I've known what nosy neighbours can be like so I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. Quite likely one of them is a cousin up from the city. Whatever, they might be respectable, but their red bills are longer than is seemly (especially those of the females), and they look a little silly as they sort of waddle through the shallows on the sand around the rocks.
Funny name for them, though. They don't even like oysters, which is a concept I don't understand. Their idea of a good chew is limpets, chitons, Cunjevoi (sea squirts) and mussels. Mussels are OK, especially those big green New Zealand guys, but give me a big doz of oysters any day. Make it three doz, raw and off the rocks. As for cunji, you can keep it. I wouldn't eat it with your mouth.
Nice picture
I'm very fond of oysters, and although few will believe me, and I don't blame them, I've seen shells at Lake Conjola on the South Coast at least the size of saucers. I do have a witness, with whom I ate dozens of smaller, but still enormous, NSW rock oysters that day.
I suppose because oysters are one of my favourite delicacies, much scarcer around here than where I was living 12 months ago near the mouth of the Bellinger, I was thinking about them as I rounded what I call Cormorant Rock at the north end of Sandy, when I was surprisedto hear the "peep, peep" of three Sooty oyster-catchers (Haematopus fuliginosus). I thought someone was calling me!
"Peep, peep", not to be confused with the pipi (strange name) molluscs that are well known to Aussies, but rapidly becoming scarcer. I saw one of those on my flaneur today, too, a fine specimen half hanging out of its shell and drinking in the Pacific, as I was metaphorically.
Sooty oyster-catchers are usually found singly, or in pairs, so it was a delight to watch these three, even if the possibility that they might be a ménage à trois does seem a little ... permissive, even to someone as broadminded as I. I've known what nosy neighbours can be like so I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. Quite likely one of them is a cousin up from the city. Whatever, they might be respectable, but their red bills are longer than is seemly (especially those of the females), and they look a little silly as they sort of waddle through the shallows on the sand around the rocks.
Funny name for them, though. They don't even like oysters, which is a concept I don't understand. Their idea of a good chew is limpets, chitons, Cunjevoi (sea squirts) and mussels. Mussels are OK, especially those big green New Zealand guys, but give me a big doz of oysters any day. Make it three doz, raw and off the rocks. As for cunji, you can keep it. I wouldn't eat it with your mouth.
Nice picture
Pip Wilson posted item above at 4:28 PM | Permalink
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