Wednesday, 2 July 2014

Wild Bird Wednesday 103 - Sooty Oystercatchers

This will be a rather briefer than normal WBW this week - rather busy with life and such like.

Like most osystercatchers this is a bird I associate with sea-shores and waves, and salt air.  We have two species of oystercatcher in Australia - The Pied and the Sooty.  The sooty - Haematopus fuliginosus - is a lover of all things rocky and sharp.  Its habitat is normally rocky shores and wave cut platforms.  While I have seen them on sandy shores, it is always something to comment upon.

The two pictures here of this bird walking on sand are a but deceptive, as these were just small areas of beach on an otherwise rocky shore.




Now its over to you for WBW 103.  Click on the link below and off you go.
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48 comments:

  1. TexWisGirl2 July 2014 at 02:01

    they're just COOL birds! sharp looking things!

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  2. Gail Dixon2 July 2014 at 02:09

    They are beautiful and your photographs are awesome!

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  3. Mary Howell Cromer2 July 2014 at 02:12

    Well yours is brief and mine is long...5 year anniversary for me this week. Oyster Catchers are always quite neat to see and their leg colouring is really cool, and hey anything that hangs out with Sea Horses, that is pretty cool!

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  4. Revrunner2 July 2014 at 02:21

    For a minute there, I thought this was some kind of synchronized feeding. :-)

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  5. Sylvia K2 July 2014 at 02:27

    Sharp looking birds indeed and great captures for the day as always, Stewart! Hope your week is off to a great start!!

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  6. Optimistic Existentialist2 July 2014 at 02:33

    I love the way their bright orange beaks stand out due to their black plumage. Beautiful birds!

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  7. Margaret Birding For Pleasure2 July 2014 at 03:04

    hi Stewart. I cannot link my post in as my laptop is away for a few days. Can you PLEASE LINK ME IN to your meme. love the shots of these oystercatchers. thanks for hosting.

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  8. Karen2 July 2014 at 03:14

    I love them strolling along the beach!

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  9. Bas.2 July 2014 at 03:16

    geweldig ze stappen behoorlijk door.

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  10. Nette Cecilia2 July 2014 at 03:18

    Its nice to see the black one .wee dont have them here nette

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  11. Adam Jones2 July 2014 at 03:19

    I love the Sooty Oystercatcher. Wish we had them here for comparison.

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  12. Margaret Birding For Pleasure2 July 2014 at 03:26

    Thanks for lining me in. it is not easy looking at the posts on a mini ipad but. I am getting there.

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  13. Andrea @ From The Sol2 July 2014 at 03:31

    How fashionable ... matching eyes and beak with an accent of pinkish feet. If God isn't a woman, then there is something amiss ... don't you think? Well, these are the coolest birds ever. I have never seen an oystercatcher, let alone a Sooty one ... I am not even sure if we have them in the US, but surely not in the midwest. I love your Australian birds, Stewart. They all seem to be exceptional. I guess I'll cut this short so you can get back to being busy with life ... which is an awesome way to be:)

    Andrea @ From The Sol

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  14. Findlay Wilde2 July 2014 at 03:32

    They really are striking birds with that jet black and bright orange. From Findlay

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  15. Coloring Outside the Lines2 July 2014 at 03:55

    Nice captures Stewart- the beach looks lovely too!

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  16. Phil Slade2 July 2014 at 04:02

    Those first two look very business -like. It's as if they're rushing up the beach to see of some intruder on their patch.

    So much like the Eurasian Oyk but for the All Blacks.

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  17. Phil Slade2 July 2014 at 04:04

    Sorry, Forgot to say. I've been having a run of early morning Barn Owls as it's the height of the breeding season for them. Plus we have three or four hours of daylight before most folk are up and about.

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  18. Sharon Wagner2 July 2014 at 04:06

    Short and sweet. Love those red bills.

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  19. mick2 July 2014 at 04:29

    I love those Sooties!As you say they are seldom seen on sand but I have seen them occasionally at Inskip Point.

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  20. Hootin Anni2 July 2014 at 04:36

    I love these...we only have the black & white here. Enjoy your busy time...hope it's all fun time!!!

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  21. Breathtaking2 July 2014 at 05:50

    Awsome captures of these smart looking birds, with their red eyes and beaks. Especially love the last photo!

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  22. eileeninmd2 July 2014 at 06:46

    Love the Oystercatchers, Stewart. Their colors are the only difference compared to our American Oystercatcher. Wonderful shots, thanks for sharing and hosting WBW. Enjoy your week!

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  23. FAB2 July 2014 at 06:57

    Super views of the 'carrot bills' stalking the beach.

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  24. Anonymous2 July 2014 at 07:02

    They are striking birds, with those red eyes and bill.

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  25. Brian King2 July 2014 at 07:10

    Love the deep black plumage with the colorful eyes and bill!

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  26. Author R. Mac Wheeler2 July 2014 at 07:26

    cool looking birds

    don't have any of these guys in Florida

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  27. Carole M.2 July 2014 at 08:37

    they look so industrious; busy with their day and getting on with life. Neat photos of the oysercatchers Stewart.

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  28. Anonymous2 July 2014 at 10:11

    Very sharp birds, great photos Stewart. I like how you have a photo with just one, and one with two, and another with three of them. That strikes my fancy for some reason.

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  29. Maude Lynn2 July 2014 at 10:15

    I LOVE that first shot!

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  30. Sallie (FullTime-Life)2 July 2014 at 11:43

    I do love these birds and took a bunch of pictures of them on the boat trip I posted today, but they blended in so well with the black rocky shore that all I could see was a red bill (pretty much). Yours are all great ... all three. I think they are the same kind exactly (we have them in Oregon too) ... at least they look exactly like yours ... we have always just called them 'oystercatchers' didn't know there were more than the one kin.

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  31. Roan2 July 2014 at 12:52

    Beautiful with their orange beaks.

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  32. Spare Parts and Pics2 July 2014 at 13:35

    Beautiful photos... I like those orange eyes!

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  33. Anonymous2 July 2014 at 14:57

    I like how their beaks and eyes match. Nice shots. Thanks for hosting, Stewart.

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  34. A Colorful World2 July 2014 at 15:39

    Love his coloring! Beautiful water birds!

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  35. Small City Scenes2 July 2014 at 16:07

    I do like the orange beak and eye. A Halloween bird. MB

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  36. Pat Tillett2 July 2014 at 17:02

    I love these guys. They are kind of whimsical and cool looking. Nice photos...

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  37. Irma2 July 2014 at 17:35

    Beautiful waterbirds!
    Beautiful colored beak.
    The first picture is my favorite.

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  38. Christian Perrin2 July 2014 at 21:26

    Brilliant photos Stewart! I saw my first Sooty Oystercatchers for the year at Burleigh Heads the other week, and my photos are left in the shade by these! :)

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  39. Judi Gray2 July 2014 at 22:13

    Love these photos. I haven't ever seen the Sooty Oystercatchers, only the Pied Oystercatchers - their colours are so vibrant. Great images thankyou

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  40. i stora drag2 July 2014 at 23:59

    Nice pictures, it looks like Summer to me seing those!
    Greetings Pia

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  41. Kenneth Cole Schneider3 July 2014 at 00:02

    Great shots of the Oystercatchers. Saw one in Alaska this past week. Am working from iPhone and like you have been very busy with travel, family and friends. Also unexpectedly asked to host visiting students from Spain for the next two weeks! Hope to be able to post a blog without a PC.

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  42. Gillian Olson3 July 2014 at 01:40

    Great looking birds, don't get them here, so a treat to see.

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  43. jp@A Green Ridge3 July 2014 at 04:41

    Oh, Stewart these birds are so cute with those long orange bills and hunched appearance!...:)JP

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  44. Ida3 July 2014 at 08:58

    These are really neat looking birds. I love the red eyes and feet, it stands out so well against the black. Loving the sand/water as well.

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  45. Ela4 July 2014 at 03:05

    They are beautiful ! Great shots !

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  46. Wally Jones4 July 2014 at 08:36

    Superb photographs, Stewart! Quite different in appearance than our American Oystercatcher, but no doubt they are related!

    Totally understand about life and such getting in the way of more important things, such as birding!

    Have a great weekend!

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  47. Unknown4 July 2014 at 21:18

    I love the first photo. Those two look like they have somewhere important to go.

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  48. Ana Mínguez Corella7 July 2014 at 00:56

    Fantastic pictures.. .. Congratulations and greetings.

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