November 20, 2021
I was sunbathing at the beach with a couple of friends this past Labor Day and noticed a flock of distinctly black-and-white birds standing on the shore. After realizing they were Black Skimmers, I was overcome with panic because I didn’t have my camera or binoculars with me. I told myself to relax and enjoy the moment; I would come back another time. Let me just say, this flock has haunted my thoughts ever since. I returned to the same place a couple of times but never saw any skimmers. Weeks later, the time had finally come.
Black Skimmer beaks are one of the absolute coolest. Their lower mandible is about a centimeter longer than the top, allowing them to hunt by skimming along the water with their beak submerged. Flocks turn through the air in unison, their black backs and white breasts flashing all at once. “Stunning” feels like an understatement.
Several Black Skimmers entered the water to bathe, extending their wings and splashing around periodically. As if their appearance wasn’t already dramatic, their spectacular wingspan adds yet another layer of awe.
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Gone Birdin' 