Monday, June 3, 2020,
This is an Oystercatcher nest and those are two Oystercatcher eggs. They are fairly easy to spot here but this is a zoomed in photo and the eggs are in the center of image. If you were to try to spot these eggs on a beach, you would need some very sharp eyes. I knew where this nest was, having spotted it the previous day, but it still took me almost ten minutes to find it again when I returned. As you can see, Oystercatchers do not build intricate nests. Like most other shorebirds, they merely make a shallow scrape in the sand.
This is Mama Oystercatcher who has come to sit on her eggs. She spends most of her time on or near the nest but she does leave it occasionally. While I was taking this series of photos, she only left the nest twice. Once to dance with her mate, and another time to scold a Tern that was perched on a nearby pole. That’s how I managed to get the photo of the uncovered eggs in the first pic. After giving me the once over – I was seated some distance away – she settled back down to incubate her eggs. JK
JK
Oh, these are SUPER DUPER!!! I hope you will be a regular visitor and come to know the whole family! What handsome, cartoonish, cuddly, beautiful birds all rolled into one! THANK YOU!!! 🙂
Michele, I had a feeling you might enjoy these. I have visited this family twice since these pics, including when the two hatchlings were less than a day old. Cuteness abounds. I shall endeavor to keep tabs on this family but, as neither parent has been banded, this may become difficult. So far, they have been keeping to the same basic territory but that may change as the chicks get older. JK.
I love this series! She certainly makes pretty eggs.
Yes! Yes! DO! Go and visit and take wonderful pictures of them! I love those orange beaks and those eyes! They are great birds!
I love this! I cant wait to see the family! Thanks Joe!
Hi Jane. She does make pretty eggs. I have also had the chance to photograph Common Tern eggs as well as Piping Plover eggs. All of them are variations on a theme, with the only major differences being size. As all three species nest in the same habitat and make very simple nests, this makes sense as those eggs become almost invisible on a beach. JK.
Hi Donna. Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed these photos. I’ve got pics of the less-than-a-day old chicks and at three days old. I’ll be posting them. JK.
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