Quite Uncommon Shore Birds Poem by Francis Duggan

Their soft piping notes have a beautiful ring
And above the beach as they fly they do sing
With orange coloured bills and as dark as a crow
Their beauty goes with them to where-ever they go.

Sooty oystercatchers for them is their common name
And to look different to pied oystercatchers is their claim to fame
Not often seen shore birds one might even say rare
On beaches and mudflats not seen everywhere.

I've seen them a few times but not for some time
And they never do seem to inspire poets to rhyme
Of human beings to say the least they seem quite shy
And they fly away when people are nearby.

So pretty to look at and lovely to hear
Of us humans they do have quite a healthy fear
I do not see them often though their beauty i recall
Quite uncommon shore birds their numbers are small.