Craig Tooley photographed a Black Oystercatcher feeding her chick. Can you see the tiny, well-camouflaged chick? Follow the mother's beak down to the chick's tiny beak. There is a second chick on the left side of Craig's photo.

Black Oystercatchers are so distinctive with their long orange-red beak and pink legs! They nest in rocky areas above high tide. They are being studied to see how they cope with sea level rise.

They are talkative birds. One contributor to my column described them as "chattery." You can hear their call at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's great website, allaboutbirds.org. Here's the link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black_Oystercatcher/sounds

Here is one of my favorite Oystercatcher photos, which was taken by Craig, a "dancing" Black Oystercatcher.

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: www.ruffimage.com