Baby Oystercatchers

With temperatures in the mid-80s, I decided to take a late day bike ride to Jacob Riis Park. While I'll have to wait another month before attempting a swim, there were some shorebirds basking in the summer-like conditions.

The beach was nearly empty of people, but there were lots of nesting American Oystercatchers spread out along the sand. I counted at least 9 nests in areas that were roped off and marked with signs to keep out humans. One adult was sitting with two chicks about 5 yards from the boardwalk. American Oystercatcher chicks are precocial, meaning that they are fairly independent as soon as they hatch and fun to observe. I watched the pair for a few minutes and, at times, found myself laughing out loud. The two chicks seemed content to stay close to their seated parent. Occasionally, they would play around-around-mommy, walking round and round. At one point, one of the tiny birds had a burst of energy and bolted towards the shore, giant feet flailing below the miniature body. It stopped short only a few yards away from its parent then slowly wander back to mommy. Before hordes of New Yorkers flood the beach, I recommend taking a trip to Riis Park just to enjoy the antics of these tiny shorebirds.