Sea Pies - Red Eyes

I'm sure these two oystercatchers are a couple. One landed on the concrete block and called plaintively, shortly afterwards the other arrived. They left together and landed side by side on a wreck. My mother used to say that Valentine's Day is when the birds get married. :)

It was great to see the sun today, I had a lovely but very bracing walk along the sea wall at Heybridge. I got pics of lots of waders including godwits, redshanks and avocets. Plenty of ducks and geese about too.

I made three detours on the way home. The first was to capture a sundog and that took me through Loves Green, how appropriate for today. :) 

PS I photographed a pair of oystercatchers in the same place on 1st Feb 2013. I've added the pic to extras. I'm convinced that they are the same pair. The one that I think is the female has the same few white feathers amongst the black in its neck. I have read that these birds  are monogamous and that they are territorial during the breeding season (with a few species defending territories year round). There is strong mate and site fidelity in the species that have been studied, with one record of a pair defending the same site for 20 years. Beautifully apt for Valentine's Day. <3