Gobsmacked!

[Aaldtimer]

Tonight, just after midnight whilst travelling down Henderson St., we come across what I think were three Oystercatcher chicks in the middle of the road! They were completely alert and mobile, and scurried off into the back of Richard's Garage. Is this possible, an early hatch of birds, or a very late hatch?....Confused!

[nirofo]

Tonight, just after midnight whilst travelling down Henderson St., we come across what I think were three Oystercatcher chicks in the middle of the road! They were completely alert and mobile, and scurried off into the back of Richard's Garage. Is this possible, an early hatch of birds, or a very late hatch?....Confused!

I would say it's extremely unlikely, they were more likely some sort of small wader that thought the road looked like a good place to roost. Probably the most likely candidates would be Turnstones.

nirofo.

[Aaldtimer]

Definitely not Turnstones Nirofo.They were very young birds, you know the look, long red legs and wee bodies on top. Long pointed black bills.
Very like young Oystercatchers that I've seen plenty times before.
It was a very brief sighting as I was in a car, but the fact that they ran rather than flew away convinced me even more that they were chicks.

Stone cold sober btw! LOL

[Pterodroma]

They sound like Common Redshank - at night waders often run when disturbed rather than fly, particularly so if the disturbance is caused by a vehicle rather than a human.