A pair of American Oystercatchers were standing on a dike between two brackish ponds, with no oysters in sight for their breakfast.
American Oystercatchers
They didn’t stay long, and is sometimes the case when photographing birds in flight, they were too close to cut one out of the picture, and too far apart to make a really pleasing composition. But it is birds in flight and you can see their eyes so I went with it.
American Oystercatchers In Flight
One of the birds was banded, a project of The American Oystercatcher Working Group (http://amoywg.org/).
American Oystercatcher In Flight
Bulls Island is an uninhabited 5000 acre barrier island off the coast of South Carolina with multiple ecosystems including maritime forest, fresh and brackish water impoundments and salt marsh.
There’s something about having sand between your toes that is satisfying.
Oyster Catcher Walking the Beach
Oystercatcher U5 was reported to the American Oystercatcher Working Group.
The American Oystercatcher Working Group seeks to develop, support and implement range-wide research and management efforts that promote the conservation of Atlantic coast American Oystercatchers and their habitats through individual and partnership-based initiatives guided by recommendations of the Working Group’s membership. http://amoywg.org/
The American Oystercatchers I featured in yesterday’s post, American Oystercatchers Flying In, landed fairly close to me but back lit by the just risen sun. I continued down the beach past them, then turned back to see what they were up to.
American Oystercatchers in ocean surf
They were strutting around in the low surf. True to their name, they mostly eat oysters or will probe for other food.
American Oystercatchers in ocean surf
There was no oyster bed here and these two didn’t seem interested in hunting. They soon took off.
American Oystercatchers tend to announce themselves in flight with a high pitched call which is good for the photographer wanting to capture flying action.
Pair of American Oystercatchers in Flight over ocean
Just after the sun came up on Sunday I heard these two coming and fortunately for me they were flying towards the sun.
American Oystercatchers in Flight
They flew out over the ocean, past part of the dead tree “boneyard” before touching down in the surf.