Clam Ticklers

[Shyanni]

In all the years I have been birdwatching I have never seen an Oyster Catcher eat an oyster. I've only ever seen them eat clams. My husband calls them Clam Ticklers, and that seems more appropriate to me. I took this series along the east coast of Vancouver Island this afternoon.








I watched this particular individual find and eat three clams within about 5 minutes. I have no idea how they 'shuck' the clams, but they do it quickly, seeming to just reach into the shell and pull the meat out with no apparent effort.

[armando_m]

wow, wonderful series!

pretty bird, nice light
and the sequence while eating is really great

thanks for sharing it

[paulnj]

very nice series of the black oystercatcher

[Chanticleer47]

I agree, nice series! I especially like the second photo, which seems to show the Oystercatcher sensing something - an afternoon snack, perhaps?

[Shyanni]

Thanks for commenting, everyone. These are my favorite kind of shots to get -- ones that show behavior. Unfortunately, like people, the birds usually tend to stop what they are doing when they see a camera pointed at them.