Eye-catching Oystercatcher

Oystercatcher at rest

I love these birds. Their distinctive black and white plumage coupled with an orange-red bill, red eyelids and orange-pink legs make them easy to distinguish among the rock pools and shingle banks. They also have a unique call which is quite unlike other wading or water birds; sometimes you can hear them a while before you see them. Sometimes you hear them without seeing them at all.

This Oystercatcher was resting on Keiss beach, perfectly framed by assorted rocks of gneiss, marble and sandstones. The sea was a near perfect shade of cerulean frost and the crashing waves sent brilliant white spray shooting up in the background like a hundred pearls set free from an expensive necklace. The Oystercatcher knew I was there, camera in hand, edging close enough to capture the contrasts between its smooth feathers, the unyielding rocks and the ever changing sea. The only question was which of us would lose our nerve first. Thankfully neither of us did, the Oystercatcher remained still while I moved slowly and very quietly across the beach.  This photo is the result 🙂

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