“Ollie and Olivia” Oystercatchers of Little Whale Cove…

by | Mar 14, 2021

“Ollie and Olivia” Oystercatcher friends at Depoe Bay, Oregon… Photo by Cecil E. Kennedy
“Olivia” Photo by Cecil E. Kennedy

Black Oystercatcher ‘Haematopus bachmani’ in Depoe Bay, Oregon. There were at least 2 dozen of them twittering loudly. Photos taken February 17 2021, somewhat got carried away and took lots of pictures ??? Cecil E. Kennedy

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Oystercatcher/id

“Ollie and Olivia,” my Oystercatcher friends, live happily on the basalt cliffs of Little Whale Cove on rare days when seen. Both appear together watching their nest while the other searches for little morsals while the tide is low…

I love to watch Ollie and Olivia play and bathe in the tide pools on the balsalt cliffs near the sea. If we get too close, Ollie screams loudly at us while Olivia protects the nest near shore…

Hawks and Eagles stay clear, and so do we. Ollie and Olivia seem to play and bathe without fear…

Ollie and Olivia look black-and-white from a distance, with a bright orange-red bill. Their back and wings are brown, with a black head and breast, white underparts, red long beaks, and red eyes too…

I look for a white wingbar and white tail base when Ollie flys by. Olivia looks on with watchful eyes…

Ollie and Olivia probe sandy and stony areas for clams, oysters, and other delicious things. They open them by cutting or smashing with sharp long beaks.

Much of Ollie and Olivia’s day is spent resting in roosts during high tide on the cliffs near the shore. They are vigorous, and very loud, during courtship displays,

Territorial conflicts, and interactions with intruders keep both Ollie and Olivia busy all day. They keep their families safe from birds of prey…

When I walk by the cliffs near the sea, Ollie and Olivia are not always at play. I look each day for their beautiful long beaks and red eyes…

I love Ollie and Olivia, my Oystercatcher friends, who live in harmony by the sea… Both love me too as they see me walk by in peace and harmony with the sea…

Steve Sparks, Author, Blogger, Mental Health Advocate,..and aspiring artisan…

About the author

Steve Sparks is a retired information technology sales and marketing executive with over 35 years of industry experience, including a Bachelors’ in Management from St. Mary’s College. His creative outlet is as a non-fiction author, writing about his roots as a post-WWII US Navy military child growing up in the 1950s-1960s.
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