They Came
“Almost no birds,” I mused with the extreme low tide laid out before me. A gull here and there. There
Read moreThe minus 1.0 tide exposed acres of mudflats, and this Black Oystercatcher flew in and landed in the middle of
Read moreThere aren’t a lot of oysters in the waters around the park — that’s another story — so the Black
Read morePhotographer Sam Zuckerman, who last published in these pages in December 2020 with a photo of the rare Loggerhead Shrike,
Read moreWildlife photographer Rick Lewis’ work has graced the cover of magazines. His images excel in sharpness and clarity. He has
Read moreI was watching this solo Black Oystercatcher on a rock off the east side of the seasonal Burrowing Owl sanctuary.
Read moreWatching the Black Oystercatchers at work, I always admire their industry and their intelligence in using their beak. This hard
Read moreThis Black Oystercatcher has an enviable beak. It’s hard and sharp to cut through the muscle that lets shellfish keep
Read moreOysters can’t run, so why are these birds named “oystercatchers”? Here they’re at work demonstrating their technique for opening mussels.
Read moreThis Black Oystercatcher showed the same body dipping habit that the Spotted Sandpiper is famous for. The Willet does the
Read moreWhat does an Oystercatcher do in the absence of oysters? Why, mussels and clams will do just fine, thank you.
Read moreThis time I heard them before I saw them. It was low tide in the morning. I stepped slowly toward
Read moreThe Red-winged Blackbirds, their breeding done, departed about a week after Summer Solstice. They usually leave earlier, but then they
Read moreMy intent was to photograph the California Poppies. But when I got closer I saw a pair of Black Oystercatchers
Read moreI’d wondered what Black Oystercatchers actually eat. They’re stuck with a weird name. You don’t “catch” oysters, they can’t run.
Read moreThe North Basin is the body of water between Cesar Chavez Park and the Berkeley mainland. When I first started
Read moreThis Black Oystercatcher posed on a rock and ignored the Least Sandpipers busily pecking into the mud beneath it. But
Read moreThe big news in the park this past week was the rain. Soon those brown hills will be green. In
Read moreThe waterbird action late Tuesday afternoon lay on the south side of the North Basin, along the Virginia Street extension.
Read moreFor sweeping scenic views, the west side of the park is the place to be. But for bird life, the
Read moreClouds dark as a herd of buffalos rumbled across the sky today. Looking up from my observations in the Meadow,
Read moreBlack Oystercatchers are not a rare sight in the North Basin. Still, seeing and hearing five of them get together
Read moreSaw a pair of Black Oystercatchers this morning, in the shallow low tide waters of the North Basin at the
Read moreLow tide early this afternoon again exposed the mud bank on the east side of the park, and this time
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