Tjaldur

 

 

Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus), or tjaldur in Icelandic, along the shoreline of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in Iceland.  It's been fun hearing them during our travels, both reminding of us home (Black Oystercatchers) but also teaching us about oystercatchers in new landscapes.

Wee one

  

New oystercatcher chick with mom, 27 June 2025

[You can click on the photo for a larger version.  Note that the chick has a short, brownish bill and mostly gray feathers.] 

Nestled among the granite

  

Black Oystercatcher nest, 12 June 2025

(Photo taken with a zoom lens from a distance and then cropped.) 

Coastal view

  

Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) with Sea Palms (Postelsia palmaeformis) in the background, 31 May 2025. 

Avian miscellany

 

 

I didn't have much time to focus on bird photos during our Iceland trip, but here are a few incidental sightings.  Above, a White Wagtail (Motacilla alba).

 

 

Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)

 

 

 

  Redwing (Turdus iliacus)

 

 

  Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)

 

 

 

  Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus)

 

 

 

 Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)

Break in the storm

 

 

There were 20-30 foot swells at the coast today.  It's always hard to judge scale when looking at wave photos.  Can you find the two gulls in the photo above?  [You can click on the image for a larger version.]

 

And here's a different view:

 

 

 

 

Those are large waves!  While documenting some storm impacts, I came across a group of Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani) huddled together on the upper beach.  It looked like they were just trying to get some rest:

 

 

 

Although there's more rain on the way, when I returned to Cotati there was a break in the clouds and a rainbow spreading across the sky to the east:

 

 

 

Take care during these stormy conditions.  💗

In a wilderness of stones

  

On our way out to a field site recently we came across a Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) nest.  We moved on so as not to disturb the birds, but I took a quick photo with my telephoto lens.  It is such a beautifully constructed nest!  Hundreds of rock chips gathered to produce a shallow bowl.

Later I was reading a short story by A.S. Byatt and was struck by the phrase "in a wilderness of stones."  She was writing about "moor birds" (perhaps grouse in Great Britain?), but my mind went immediately to this oystercatcher nest.  Looking at the photo we were struck by the number of stones used to make this nest, and the phrasing seemed just right, describing both the eggs surrounded by stones as well as the world of Black Oystercatchers.

With thanks to A.S. Byatt, the oystercatchers, and the stones, and the elements that shape them.

At home

  

Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) and California Mussels (Mytilus californianus).  Photographed at sunset on 17 January 2022.

Family resemblance

  

After field work in Mendocino County today (15 July 2021), we had a nice view of a couple of juvenile Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani) with their parents.  

Note the shorter bill with a black tip, the tawny edges on many of the feathers, and the pale pink legs. 

 

 

 

 Below is an adult for comparison:

 

 

 

Lunch and a nap

 

 

An adult Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) bringing food to two young chicks.

And now that you've seen the chicks, can you find one resting in the picture below?

 

The chick is in the upper right corner, sitting down, and partially tucked underneath a shady ledge.  It looks slightly darker (and softer) than the rocks in that part of the photo.  If you have trouble finding the chick, it's just above the arrow in the next picture:

 

Keeping an eye out

I've been sitting outside tonight and just listening, so I haven't had much time to think about a post.  But here's a recent Black Oystercatcher photo.  I liked the morning light on the high intertidal seaweeds.  [You can click on the image for a larger version.]

 

Please keep an eye out for each other.

Granite-matching

 

Hidden among stone, the granite-matching eggs of a Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani).

 

The Emperor

We had to make a run down to the post office today, and since word had been passed along that an Emperor Goose (Anser canagicus) had been spotted on the offshore rocks just off the Bodega Head parking lot, we swung by to take a quick look.  Luckily, it was still there!

Emperor Geese are more often associated with arctic and sub-arctic Alaska (and Russia).  It sounds like there are four prior records in Sonoma County (in 1978, 1994-1995, 1996-1997, and 2001).

Here are a few photos from different perspectives.

Sitting:

 

Watching the waves:

 

 

With Black Oystercatchers: 

 

Searching for food and eating some green algae:

 

 

Profile view:

 

Many thanks to Scott for spotting this goose and to Dea for passing along the sighting. 

P.S.  I was curious about the species name.  Apparently "canagicus" refers to the island of Kanaga or Kyktak (in the Aleutian Islands).

Tucked in

 

Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani), 7 August 2019

 

Resting among the rocks

 

Recently I was checking on some Black Oystercatchers to see if they might be nesting this year.  

Can you spot the small oystercatcher chick in the photo above?

The chick looks just like the surrounding rock, so check carefully.

If you need some help, I've circled the chick in the image below.  It has a short, dark bill and its head is facing left.

 

P.S.  I took this photo with a large lens from far away so as not to disturb the birds.  The original image has been heavily cropped.

Uni for breakfast?

On our way to an intertidal field site this morning, we encountered several sea urchins that looked like this:

Can you guess who was responsible for scavenging these urchins?

Here's some additional evidence:

 

Aha!  Black Oystercatcher tracks! 

Not sure how much the oystercatchers were finding inside the urchins, but they were definitely interested.  Perhaps they encountered some sea urchin roe (uni)?  Here's another example:

 

The Force

 

Black Oystercatchers prying mussels off the rocks at sunset.

May the Force be with you!

During the storm

 

Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani) taking shelter on the beach during the storm, 25 October 2016.

Fluffy, like granite

A few years ago, I posted a series of pictures documenting the development of 'Summersalt,' a juvenile Black Oystercatcher.  To review that story, see the post from 17 August 2012.

Today, while returning from a different type of survey, I accidentally passed by a young Black Oystercatcher being guarded by its parent.  I was a good distance away, but luckily I had my long lens on the camera.  So I took a few quick photos and then moved on.  I cropped this photo substantially to focus on the chick.

 

It's amazing how well it blends in with the surrounding rocks.  If the adult oystercatcher hadn't given an alarm call, I don't think I would have seen the chick.

We're lucky to have these beautiful shorebirds nesting along our coast!

Lookout

 

Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani), Bodega Head, 12 June 2015