{"id":25438,"date":"2015-06-09T05:20:05","date_gmt":"2015-06-09T11:20:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=25438"},"modified":"2025-08-24T15:43:49","modified_gmt":"2025-08-24T20:43:49","slug":"an-american-oystercatchers-running-lift-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/06\/09\/an-american-oystercatchers-running-lift-off\/","title":{"rendered":"An American Oystercatcher’s Running Lift Off"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AmericanAn American Oystercatcher’s running lift off – Nikon D200, handheld, f5.6, 1\/2000, ISO 320, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

American Oystercatchers are one of my favorite shorebirds to photograph along the Gulf of Mexico because of their unusual appearance.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my American Oystercatcher photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

American Oystercatchers are one of my favorite shorebirds to photograph along the Gulf of Mexico because of their unusual appearance. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":153400,"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":[19,27,25,704,2000],"tags":[4004,3974,4077,22,4282,5988,3816,4148,4891,274,3996,4119],"class_list":["post-25438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-oystercatchers","category-avian","category-florida","category-fort-de-soto-county-park","category-pinellas-county-florida","tag-adult","tag-american-oystercatcher","tag-gulf-of-mexico","tag-haematopus-palliatus","tag-lift-off","tag-oystercatcher","tag-oystercatchers","tag-running","tag-shore","tag-shorebirds-2","tag-water","tag-waves"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-running-mia-mcpherson-0778.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-6Ci","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":35054,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/01\/21\/a-juvenile-american-oystercatcher-on-the-shore-of-the-gulf\/","url_meta":{"origin":25438,"position":0},"title":"Juvenile American Oystercatcher On The Shore Of The Gulf","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 21, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I watched this juvenile American Oystercatcher on the shore of the Gulf grow up in 2008 at Fort De Soto County Park's north beach.","rel":"","context":"In "American Oystercatchers"","block_context":{"text":"American Oystercatchers","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/shorebirds\/american-oystercatchers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Juvenile American Oystercatcher on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico, Fort De Soto County Park in Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/american-oystercatcher-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-7811.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-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-7811.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/american-oystercatcher-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-7811.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/american-oystercatcher-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-7811.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2497,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/06\/14\/american-oystercatchers\/","url_meta":{"origin":25438,"position":1},"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":8068,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/04\/10\/american-oystercatcher-with-prey\/","url_meta":{"origin":25438,"position":2},"title":"American Oystercatcher With Prey","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 10, 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, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-mia-mcpherson-1300.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-mia-mcpherson-1300.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40117,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/06\/23\/dreaming-of-oystercatchers\/","url_meta":{"origin":25438,"position":3},"title":"Dreaming of Oystercatchers","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 23, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Last night I spent some time dreaming of oystercatchers. I could hear them in my dream and see them scurrying along the waves.","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 on a sandy flat at the north beach of Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-preening-mia-mcpherson-6962.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-preening-mia-mcpherson-6962.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-preening-mia-mcpherson-6962.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I was laying down in the wet sand with my lens about an inch from the surface of the beach when I photographed these shorebirds, one needs to watch out for those rogue waves because they don't only wash away the bird's prey... they can soak your lens & camera\u2026","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 Pen shell, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/american-oystercatcher-shell-mia-mcpherson-6248.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-shell-mia-mcpherson-6248.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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