Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani)

Rain, rain, rain for the last three or four days, mostly that Pacific Coast specialty we call drizzle. However, it let up yesterday afternoon long enough to encourage me out for a walk along the West Bay Walkway. There I was happy to find a pair of Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani), one of which is pictured above. I suspect these birds are monogamous since they almost always seem to move around in pairs. I was particularly happy to get the photo above because I have just started a new project - collecting photos for my Birdwatchers Life List. Enthusiastic birders compile such lists where all the species they have seen are named. Of course I have seen Black Oystercatchers before this; they are quite common here. But this is the first photo I've taken of them that meets my criteria for my Life List. I still have several hundred species to go before I have even covered local birds....