If you want to see birds in California, you should head to the ocean. A scene like the one below can actually contain hundreds of well-camoflauged birds.
As you get closer you see different types of birds flying across the water. If they have orange beaks, they’re likely to be Black Oystercatchers.
Here’s a picture of one relaxing in the aviary in the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I thought that he was objecting to his captivity because the whole time, he kept saying “Eee…eee.” But the ones outside make the same noise constantly, so it must be part of their nature.
Below is the typical area where the birds forage for food. If the oystercatchers didn’t have orange beaks and eyes, they would blend very well with the surroundings.
Their beaks are designed for probing and cracking open shells. The oystercatchers walk around poking at the ground for food.
Here, the oystercatcher is telling me to leave. heh
shoo. shoo!
They co-habitate with the seals.
I love the oyster catchers. We see them in winter in Florida and yes, they are always noisy. There’s usually three or four of them hanging with a big crowd of other species on a high spot at low tide – white pelicans, skimmers, cormorants… and the OCs make racket in the midst of them too. The OCs are always on the edge of the crowd – I imagine it’s because the other species move as far away from them on the little high spot they’re sitting on to get away from their chatter…