An American Oystercatcher running lift offAn American Oystercatcher’s running lift off – Nikon D200, handheld, f5.6, 1/2000, ISO 320, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light

American Oystercatchers are one of my favorite shorebirds to photograph along the Gulf of Mexico because of their unusual appearance. Their pale pink legs with black toenails, the high contrast of their dark and white plumage, red-rimmed yellow eyes and their large red bill make them easy to spot and identify. I loved to photograph them so much I have even dreamed about them being in Utah which is extremely unlikely since they always stick to the shoreline of oceans.

When I photographed this American Oystercatcher at Fort De Soto County Park’s north beach in September of 2008 there were three oystercatchers in the vicinity, two adults and one juvenile, all of them were busy searching for prey where the waves met the shore or chasing each other up and down the beach. They are fun to observe and even more fun to photograph.

Life is good.

Mia