Our resident family of four Eurasian Oyster Catchers has been the ultimate talking point on the school grounds recently!

For several years, Risedale has played host to a nesting pair of these wonderful birds. Because Oyster Catchers mate for life, live for decades, and love returning to the exact same spot, it's highly likely we are welcoming back the same Mum and Dad every summer.

This season's journey has been an absolute delight. It feels like just yesterday the two chicks looked like fluffy miniature T-Rexes perched on the sports hall roof, waiting to fledge. Now, they are nearly the size of their parents! You can still tell them apart, though, as the youngsters haven't quite grown into their signature long, bright orange beaks yet.

The car park and front lawn have become a daily training ground. The family is full of personality and incredibly vocal—their distinctive cries regularly draw the eyes of fascinated pupils right from their desks during lessons! Pupils have loved watching the two parents give a daily masterclass, demonstrating exactly how to prod and poke the ground for food while their shorter-beaked twins do their best to copy them.

🌱 Putting Our Climate Action Plan Into Practice

Their arrival links perfectly with a recent assembly on climate change led by Mr Sherwood (Head of Geography and the Humanities Faculty). He highlighted how Risedale is actively fighting for the environment on our own doorstep—spearheaded by our Site Manager, Mr Fox, Senior Science Technician, Mrs Newall, and the Eco Club, who are busy creating more designated wildlife areas across the school grounds.

This hands-on work goes hand in hand with our commitment to sustainability. You can read more about how Risedale is leading the way with our brand-new Climate Action Plan here: Risedale Leads the Way with New Climate Action Plan 

Thank you to all our pupils for being so respectful of their space as our favourite feathery neighbours learn the ropes, and to the Climate Action Team for making our school grounds a truly welcoming home for local nature!

🪶 Oyster Catcher Fun Facts!

• Partners for Life: These birds are incredibly loyal. They choose a partner for life and return to the exact same nesting spot year after year. Because of this, it is highly likely that we are welcoming back the exact same Mum and Dad to Risedale every single summer!
• Older Than the Pupils? While the average lifespan of an Oyster Catcher is around 12 years, they can live much longer. In fact, the oldest recorded ringed Oyster Catcher in the UK lived to be over 40 years old!
• Beak Transformers: The chicks are born with shorter beaks so they can easily fit inside the egg before hatching. It takes time for them to grow those long, bright orange "tweezers" they use to probe the grass for worms.
• The Eyes Have It: Take a close look at our photos! You can actually spot the difference between the generations by looking into their eyes. The chicks are born with dark, muddy-brown eyes to help them stay camouflaged. It takes about three years of growing up before their irises transition into the striking, bright crimson-red eyes of their parents.

#TeamRisedale 💙💜🧡❤️ #BEST

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