Avocets, Stilts and Oystercatchers

The images of avocets and stilts were all taken in southern California, where these elegant shorebirds wade gracefully through shallow wetlands. Oystercatchers are perfectly named—their large, powerful bills are designed to pry open clams, molluscs, and oysters. I’ve photographed Black Oystercatchers both near my home in Vancouver and along much of the Pacific coast. The American Oystercatcher, by contrast, is mostly an East Coast species, though you’ll see several photos of a rare encounter I had with one near Malibu, California.