I just spent a great weekend on San Juan Island in the Puget Sound (State of Washington) with my youngest son and his family. Along with my 8th and youngest grandchild, we rented a VRBO (beautiful rental with amazing gardens and a private pond) and enjoyed the serenity of the San Juans. On the final afternoon before our ferry ride back to the mainland we stopped at Lime Kiln Lighthouse State Park.

While the park was not overly birdy, the actual lighthouse point provided a cool sighting of Black Oystercatchers … the second time ever in my life (and first time since 2017). These funky shorebirds hang out between the high and low tide marks devouring oysters, thus their name), off the rocks. Given I rarely hang out on rocky coasts of northern Pacific Islands, their preferred habitat, it’s not surprising this was a rare treat for me.

Black Oystercatchers at Lime Kiln Lighthouse (video link for email subscribers)

First … the lighthouse!

Now the funky birds … the color of their beaks is real!

The Movie!