Wednesday 12 September 2012

Wild Bird Wednesday 09 - Sooty Oystercatcher

These rather smart looking birds are Sooty Oystercatchers.  There are two races of this bird in Australia - and this is the one known as 'fuliginosus' and it has a longer bill and a smaller eye ring than the other type which is found in Northern Australia (Note to self: book flight to Darwin)

I often see these birds on the open, ocean beaches of Wilsons Prom.  And this is exactly where I found these birds.

If you look closely at the birds you can see that there are droplets of water on their backs - and the pale lines sweeping across the image are not some weird  photoshop effect.  You may have guessed by now, but it was raining when I took these shots!  I really like these birds and in better weather I have been known to watch them for a very long time - they are always so busy and they have a comical plumpness that makes them very watchable.






By the time this post hits the web I will be deeply into a very busy week - so please click on the link below to join in with WBW - but don't hold your breath on my reply!  Sunday is looking good for this, but I could be alseep!

33 comments:

  1. i like their dark charcoal gray with such bright red accessories. :)

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  2. Nice photoa! I have never seen this bird nor taken phots of it!

    Take care! Greetings Pia

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  3. Cool looking Oystercatcher! That would be a lifer for me!

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  4. Their bill and eye really stand out in the drizzly weather. Despite the rain conditions the shots are lovely Stewart!
    Try not to work too hard. :)

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  5. Wish I were in your shoes! I love watching both the sooty and pied oystercatchers. You can always be sure to see some along the beach between Goolwa and the Murray Mouth.
    Even when it rains, The Prom is a glorious place.

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  6. I like how their eyes, bills, and legs stand out from the dark plumage! The water on their backs is fantastic! Really nice shots, Stewart!

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  7. They look great. Bet you never saw them in Somerset. from Findlay

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  8. Love those Oystercatchers. Sorry it's taken so long for me to get back to World Bird Wednesday so thanks for hosting.

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  9. I like these...compared to the ones here in TEXAS ---we have only seen the American Oystercatcher [white and black]

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  10. Nice and little funny oystercatchers :)
    And from me: second shot of very photogenic blackbird hen :)

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  11. Super shots of a cool looking species.

    Stewart .. Thanks for the invite to WBW. Sorry it's taken me so long to sort out some relevant posts. Cheers FAB.

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  12. Great oystercatchers photos!
    Unusual colour...

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  13. you did get some sweet shots of these delightful waterbirds Stewart, regardless of the weather. It's a matter of catching what you can get 'on the day' and enjoy whatever each one has to share with us...

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  14. The Sooty Oystercatcher looks a like like Black Oystercatcher seem here in the US. The are neat looking birds, I love their eyes and the colorful beak. Great shots, thanks for hosting. Have a great week!

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  15. They show up very well against that light-coloured sand. Hope your week is a bit more relaxing than you are anticipating.

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  16. Not a bird I get to see very much! love their bright beak :)

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  17. I love your bird photos, they are sweet and lovely. I probably won't post a bird photo this week (I don't have that many of them), but you left a very kind comment on my fawn sketch and I wanted to reply to you here as well. I think photography is very much an art.
    To see something beautiful and take that moment and hold it forever, that's more than something just mechanical. It takes an eye for beauty to see it and a steady hand combined with timing to capture it. For me photography is generally a means to an end, but a piece of art is more than just the media, it is the vision and I applaud you and other artist photographers for sharing your beauty with the world.

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  18. Great looking bird, love the big bright eyes.

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  19. Photos in the rain are always special - they are not easy to take IMO! We see these birds only occasionally out at Inskip - I don't remember ever seeing them around the bay although the Pied O. are quite common.

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  20. Nice pictures, Stewart! Oystercatchers are one of my favorite class of birds. They are so handsome!

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  21. What great looking birds Stewart, and you got some very nice images!!!

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  22. Great shots with the raindrops beading on their backs!

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  23. Cool birds. Love their red eyes. Have a great week, and don't work too hard.

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  24. They are so cute, these birds:)
    Don't work too much!

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  25. Love their eyes,big feet & bill,they are amusing to see,thanks for sharing.Have a great rest of the week!phyllis

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  26. Ilove your little funny birds ... they look comical and I bet you got a big kick out of watching them. I have posted on WBW, but your link isn't working for me. I will have to come back and try later. Have a wonderful busy week, Stewart.

    Andrea @ From the Sol

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  27. Such an interesting bird! Well photographed, Stewart. I have never seen one here in the States. Hope you don't work too hard and get your rest on Sunday!

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  28. I love those Oystercatchers Stewart. So unusual in Black. Lovely shots.

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  29. They are very much like them we have here on our summer ,they are white and black ,i have some on my blog from the begining of summer ,,nice photos ,Nette

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  30. Thank you for hosting even when you're so busy! We have oystercatchers on the Oregon coast, but I didn't know there was more than one kind...I'll have to pay more attention next time I see some. They are comical to watch!

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  31. I love these birds- such pretty beaks! I saw them down in Florida a few years ago - and had to look them up b/c I wasn't sure what they were. We don't get them up here at the NJ shore. They are kind of comical to watch - you'e right!

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