This is something not seen very often. Black Skimmers together on a nesting site, a sand bar.
One of the fastest and most agile birds that photographers love to shoot. However we rarely see where they rest, and ultimately raise young. Skimmers are thought of as a barometer for when a shoreline is healthy. One of the first birds that return to nesting areas after being damaged is the Black Skimmer. This sandy Key is in good shape again for shore birds.
A Black Skimmer, one of those birds that keeps photographers humble.
These shots were taken on my third opportunity. I went through the afternoon’s images and see where the first two fly by’s were pretty much a miss. It’s a good thing these birds repeat their cycle while fishing.
Whatever shutter speed I start with, it’s always too slow. 😂
A few photographs, of different birds, shot at the end of the day.
These were taken in the Merritt Island salt marshes as we were leaving the area. Basically I looked at the last images on that date and found we had a great ending.
Below are Black Skimmers working the shallows. There were several skimming back and forth but most times were a little far for the amount of light we had.
A Great Blue Heron settling in for the night. This is a small lagoon where we have seen Reddish and large schools of fish. Once you spot that it’s impossible to go by without stopping for a look.
And last is the Reddish Egret. On this day he was traveling with a group of Godwit’s.
Merritt Island, Florida.
Photographing Skimmers fishing keeps you humble.
I don’t know how many shots I missed, were out of focus, or just plain bad. It’s a Skimmer so getting any is a big plus.
Black Skimmers are known for their rocket fast acrobatics along the waters surface. I caught a new side of these birds.
Below a Skimmer flew in fast, and suddenly came to almost a complete halt. He flew slowly in and around a small flock Greater Yellowlegs. The small birds continued feeding paying no attention to the larger bird.
Of course after a while the Skimmer turned back to turbo and blew out of there.
If the Skimmers are fishing there’s a good chance you will also find a wildlife photographer. They are one of the biggest challenges we find.
Black Skimmers are like a large Swallow, they twist and turn at incredible speeds.
Their bottom mandible is longer than the top. Flying fast they lightly break the waters surface to catch small fish. If they feel one the bill snaps shut.
No matter how good the camera, or photographer, the number of clean shots is very low. Which is why it’s so much fun to find them.
Watching the bird fish and their flight path will show a pattern. Even in big open water they will circle and repeat the same route. We always wait even if they have passed by and out of sight.
Black Skimmer fishing at Merritt Island, Florida.
The other morning we had good timing arriving at a large open marsh area. While things were at a distance, the other side of the water, we did manage to catch some nice activity.
This scene included ;
Merritt Island, Florida.
Back to one of my favorite subjects to photograph, the Black Skimmer. A fast and frustrating critter to shoot, but so satisfying when it comes together.
This Skimmer was captured off the newly rehabilitated Crab Bank rookery. I think 2024 was the first year they have nested here in years.
