Black Oystercatchers

As soon as I say that Black Oystercatcher monitoring season is over for the year, I prove myself wrong. I just could not resist one more trip to Short Beach, between Oceanside and Cape Meares, to see if any fledglings came to bathe in the fresh water that flows down from a reservoir above. This is a favorite gathering spot for gulls and BLOY (Black Oystercatchers). As many as 28 were seen there last month.

However, on Friday, Oct. 25, there was only one. It happened to be a fledgling. This was exciting because we know that no chicks fledged from the Cape Meares or Short Beach nests, which means this bird almost certainly came from the Oceanside rocks, where we have yet to find nesting BLOY, although we're rather sure they must nest there. When this fledgling left the bathing area, it flew toward those rocks.

As soon as I get one site figured out... http://lindafink.blogspot.com/2013/10/black-oystercatcher-season-finale.html  ...another enigma arises.

Here is the fledgling... so timid around the gulls that he ended up taking his bath in the ocean instead of the fresh water.

In juveniles, the bill starts out short and dark and gradually lengthens and develops the bright red-orange color of the adult. Also, the eye develops its red ring gradually.

Somewhere in these rocks off Oceanside (photo taken from Short Beach), this bird was hatched... Another mystery to solve in another nesting season...