The first time I saw one of these birds I thought I was going a little crazy. I mean, it’s hard to see how there’s a need for a bird to look like this. But I’m really glad they do.
I visited Fort De Soto last weekend, and you’re almost guaranteed to see them at North Beach there, and on Saturday I saw 6 – four at North Beach and two at the boat ramp.
The birds at the boat ramp were far more cooperative, so that’s where these photos came from. Unfortunately, these birds were standing on solid concrete.
That was almost enough for me to skip photographing them. However, I normally crouch down as low as I can, and I thought if I did, I might be able to minimize the how man-made the ground looked.
There was some debris near the birds as well, and I thought that might add to a more natural feel.
One of these birds has an eye issue. It looks to have a blown out eye. I don’t know to what extent oystercatchers are affected by this condition–perhaps none at all, but it has aroused my curiosity. If any of you know about this, feel free to let me know.
Scott Simmons
Scott Simmons, based in Florida, is a lover of nature, landscape, and wildlife photography. Scott became interested in photography in 2001 when he was given his first SLR camera. When he acquired a telephoto lens, he became progressively more interested in birds and other wildlife. Scott enjoys learning about bird habitats and behavior, striving always to take images that are both beautiful and interpretive. Scott believes photography is a great vehicle to help others to appreciate the wonder for the stuff of earth.
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