Sooty Oystercatchers, Victor Harbor
Sooty Oystercatchers, Victor Harbor, South Australia
Seeing oystercatchers always delights me. In Australia we have two main species of this family of birds: the Sooty Oystercatcher shown here and the Pied Oystercatcher. There is a third much rarer species, the South Island Pied Oystercatcher, an occasional vagrant from New Zealand. This is one for the experts; I don’t have the skills to pick the difference.
Both species of oystercatchers are found around the entire coast line of Australia where there is suitable habitat. They prefer undisturbed sandy or pebble beaches, estuaries, mudflats and the like. They tend to be found only in small numbers; single birds, pairs or small loose flocks up to about 20 birds. They tend to be wary and not easily approached.
They make a nest on the ground, a shallow hollow in the sand or in in seaweed. I am not sure whether the bird shown below was nesting or just resting and sheltering from the cold wind. Like many oystercatchers they probably nest on the islands a short distance from this point on Encounter Bay, Victor Harbor.
Pied Oystercatchers are more common than their Sooty cousins in Australia.
Sooty Oystercatchers, Victor Harbor, South Australia
Sooty Oystercatchers, Victor Harbor, South Australia
A photographic study of Silver Gulls part 7
Silver Gulls, Victor Harbor, South Australia
These Silver Gulls posed in a wonderful way for my camera two weekends ago. I was on the beach at Encounter Bay at Victor Harbor on the south coast of South Australia. It was late in the afternoon, about an hour before sunset. I think this one is worth printing and mounting in a frame. I just love the clean colours of mature birds like this.
A photographic study of Silver Gulls part 6
Silver Gull, Victor Harbor, South Australia
These photos of a small group Silver Gulls were taken recently on the beach of Encounter Bay near the Yilki store in Victor Harbor on the south coast of South Australia.
You can see more photos of Silver Gulls posted here on this blog in recent days.
Silver Gulls, Victor Harbor, South Australia
A photographic study of Silver Gulls part 5
Silver Gull, Victor Harbor, South Australia
I took these photos from the beach at Yilki on Encounter Bay, Victor Harbor, South Australia a few weeks ago. What delighted me was the colour of the water in the photo above. It was late afternoon (about an hour before sunset) which seemed to enhance the depth of the blue.
Click on the photos to enlarge the image.
Silver Gull, Victor Harbor, South Australia
A photographic study of Silver Gulls 3
Silver Gull, Victor Harbor, South Australia
This photo of Silver Gulls was taken recently on the beach at Yilki, Encounter Bay, Victor Harbor.