SGI OUTSIDE

Its name is misleading—it seldom eats oysters—preferring intertidal macroinvertebrates like mussels, limpets, and barnacles sourced from the rocky surf zone (read Uncovering SGI intertidal life). So, as a shoreline birder, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that, of the nearly two hundred resident and part-time bird species in the Southern Gulf Islands, the Black Oystercatcher is one of my Five Finest Feathered Friends.

Perhaps the most recognizable and magnificent bird of the islands is “Baldy,” easily making my list of Five Finest Feathered Friends (Great Blue Heron • Bald Eagle • Turkey Vulture • Cormorants • Black Oystercatcher). Of the nearly two hundred resident and part-time bird species in the Southern Gulf Islands, those that spend much of their time along the ocean shorelines, with their eyes on a meal, are the ones I enjoy seeing most.

Orcas, seals, sea lions, and two types of porpoises are seen swimming around the Southern Gulf Islands.