My Favorite Shorebird
This past weekend, I decided to trek closer to home and check out my own beach. It was a good decision, because I hit the wildlife jackpot. I headed northeast into Similk Bay . There wasn't much to see for the first half mile or so. Even Mount Baker was dressed demurely in an early spring haze. Then I spotted a pair of Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani) , one of the rarer Washington state shorebirds. They were busy foraging along the water's edge and appeared oblivious to my presence. According to Birdweb , the state is host to only about 400 of these birds. Today's breakfast was Nuttall's Cockle (Clinocardium nuttalli) . The Oystercatcher's bill is a specialized tool for opening mussels and clam shells. The job still required effort to get the shell open. This included some interesting foot action. The reward was a delicious shellfish meal. Rocky shorelines are the favorite habitat. ...