{"id":20901,"date":"2015-03-10T05:00:30","date_gmt":"2015-03-10T11:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=20901"},"modified":"2025-08-24T15:27:04","modified_gmt":"2025-08-24T20:27:04","slug":"american-oystercatcher-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/03\/10\/american-oystercatcher-family\/","title":{"rendered":"American Oystercatcher Family"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AmericanAmerican Oystercatcher family – Nikon D200, handheld, f8, 1\/250, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

It has been five and a half years since I photographed American Oystercatchers at Fort De Soto County Park in Florida and oddly enough I still dream about these shorebirds.<\/p>\n

At one point in time they were a nemesis for me, I couldn’t get the light right, the birds took off just as I got focused or they were too far away.<\/p>\n

Then one day I got wonderful, frame filling shots and after that they were a nemesis no more.<\/p>\n

I followed this family of American Oystercatchers from June of 2008 until October or November of that year.<\/p>\n

I may have seen the juvenile (on the left) the next year but once it molted to its adult plumage I wouldn’t have recognized it.<\/p>\n

American Oystercatcher<\/span><\/a> chicks seem to spend a longer time with their parents than other shorebirds I have observed.<\/p>\n

I miss these fascinating shorebirds but I still see (and hear<\/a><\/span>) them in my dreams.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a><\/span> to see more of my American Oystercatcher photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I am wandering some where in the desert, please feel free to share this post.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It has been five and a half years since I photographed American Oystercatchers at Fort De Soto County Park in Florida and oddly enough I still dream about these shorebirds. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":153396,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,27,25,704],"tags":[4004,3974,5689,4136,4077,22,4071,5988,3816,4891,274,4188,3996,4119],"class_list":["post-20901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-oystercatchers","category-avian","category-florida","category-fort-de-soto-county-park","tag-adult","tag-american-oystercatcher","tag-family","tag-foraging","tag-gulf-of-mexico","tag-haematopus-palliatus","tag-juvenile","tag-oystercatcher","tag-oystercatchers","tag-shore","tag-shorebirds-2","tag-shoreline","tag-water","tag-waves"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-family-mia-mcpherson-8101.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-5r7","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2497,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/06\/14\/american-oystercatchers\/","url_meta":{"origin":20901,"position":0},"title":"American Oystercatchers","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 14, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"American Oystercatchers are fascinating birds to photograph, They can strike unusual poses and their plumage is spectacular in flight. I enjoyed watching them pry open bivalves with their long bill","rel":"","context":"In "American Oystercatchers"","block_context":{"text":"American Oystercatchers","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/shorebirds\/american-oystercatchers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Strolling Oystercatcher at Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-adult-florida-mia-mcpherson-0345.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-adult-florida-mia-mcpherson-0345.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-adult-florida-mia-mcpherson-0345.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-adult-florida-mia-mcpherson-0345.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":142,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2010\/08\/14\/nesting-american-oystercatchers\/","url_meta":{"origin":20901,"position":1},"title":"Nesting American Oystercatchers","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 14, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Nesting American Oystercatchers create simple scrapes on coastal beaches, dunes and salt marshes to lay their eggs in. They usually lay between 2-3 eggs around April to May.","rel":"","context":"In "American Oystercatchers"","block_context":{"text":"American Oystercatchers","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/shorebirds\/american-oystercatchers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"One Oystercatcher leaving the nest at Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/american-oystercatcher-nesting-florida-mia-mcpherson-2138.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/american-oystercatcher-nesting-florida-mia-mcpherson-2138.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/american-oystercatcher-nesting-florida-mia-mcpherson-2138.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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2013","format":false,"excerpt":"American Oystercatchers were among my favorite shorebirds to photograph at Fort De Soto County Park's north beach when I lived in Florida.","rel":"","context":"In "American Oystercatchers"","block_context":{"text":"American Oystercatchers","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/shorebirds\/american-oystercatchers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Oystercatcher with prey, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-mia-mcpherson-1300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-mia-mcpherson-1300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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