Pie-Eyed

After a very frustrating visit to the planning office of Maldon Council I went for a walk at Heybridge Basin.

I could hear a very loud, argumentative sounding song coming from scrub behind the sea-wall and spent a pleasant time photographing a sedge warbler. Singing its heart out, it flew into the air and parachuted back into its three favourite wild rose bushes in turn. Lovely but a 'little brown job' so I've decided to post a pair of colourful oystercatchers instead.

I noticed that one has what photographers would call a 'blown eye.' It either has an extra large pupil or dark specks in the iris. I was fascinated to discover that iris specks are a female trait in oystercatchers. Males and females are otherwise identical.

We named our little yacht that we sailed on the Crouch and beyond after the local name for the oystercatcher. We had a sea-pie painted on the transom.