13  Cannibalism in the cold
1 Kentish Plover> / 2 Hudsonian Whimbrel> / 3 Hudsonian Dunlin>  / 4 Interesting Wader> / 5 Knots>  / 6 Baltic Dunlin> / 7 Sanderlings Calidris alba in a storm> / 7A Sanderlings ready to fly home> / 8 Little Stint Calidris minuta> / 9 Eskimo Curlew Numenius borealis>  / 10 Dunlin Calidris alpina in juvenile plumage> / 11 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus> / 12 Golden Plover> / 13 Cannibalism in the cold> / 14 A plumage for all seasons> / 15 American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica> / 16 Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva> / 17 European Curlew Numenius a.arquata> / 18 Eastern or Russian Curlew Numenius a.orientalis> / 19 Steppe Curlews Numenius arquata suschkini> / 20a Wilson's Plover Charadrius wilsonia> / 20b Wilson's Plover Charadrius wilsonia> /  21 The Greenland ringed plover> / 22 The Ringed plover> /
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During the very cold spell this winter which started on Boxing Day 2008,
waders in the Dutch Rhine-Meuse delta began to perish after ten days of
severe frost with the lowest recorded temperature of -22C in the SE of the
country. As expected Oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus were the first
waders to die. On 11th January a very hungry Oystercatcher was
found while eating a frozen member of it's own species.

waders/starved Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus eating same species.jpg

Starved Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus eating from the same species corpse

11012009 262 Stellendam, The Netherlands

oog-pijl-up

       10 jun 2010