Black Oystercatcher, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska – Image 2019

The black oystercatcher, with its clown face and beach antics, is one of my favorite birds. This close-up of the oystercatcher face was taken after I had played cat and mouse with the bird for about half an hour. Oystercatchers are well known for their broken wing routine and fake nesting behavior – all leading you away from their nest. Once I found the nest this bird came right up to me to protest. I blasted off six frames on the motordrive and then left the nest and bird alone. Shot with a Nikon F5 camera body with a 300mm Nikor lens on Velvia film.-Mark Kelley