American Oystercatcher

American Oystercatchers are one of my favorite birds. They are so very exotic looking with their long red beaks, it’s hard not to notice them on the beach. I knew of one pair of American Oystercatchers that lives on Caladesi Island State Park, and the day that I went out to shoot it was my goal to get a few new shots of them. Much to my surprise, there was not one, but two pair on the beach that day! One pair was quietly resting on the beach, not really wanting to pose for many photos while a little further north, this pair was walking along the shoreline while feeding.

After my first encounter with these magnificent birds a few years ago, I learned that they mate for life. While many birds mate for life, what always strikes me with American Oystercatchers is that I rarely see one without it’s mate. They are usually very close to each other, very conscious of the other, and seem to be rather devoted to each other. I loved this photo because to looked to me like these two were on a “date” having a nice stroll along the beach, talking about whatever it is American Oystercatchers talk about these days.

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