Black Skimmers

The Black Skimmers have been busy-busy this week! The Bay is so full of menhaden and small mullet that the birds can barely go a few feet without having their beaks filled with fish. The Black Skimmer is a large, black and white, tern-like bird that has a bright red bill and bright red feet! The bill is oddly shaped with the lower mandible being longer than the upper. This allows the bird to scoop up minnows and small fish as it "skims" the top of the water. It is the only bird in the United States that has this bill feature. Strangely enough, when the birds first hatch, both mandibles are the same length. Within just a few weeks however, there is a very noticeable difference in the length. Another unique feature of the bill is that the top mandible is hinged to allow the bird to lift it as it plows the bottom through the water. If a small enough fish is caught, the Black Skimmer can jostle it around and swallow it while still on the wing. It then will continue right on fishing as if there were no interruption in its flight.

Since the Black Skimmer's feeding method relies on touch instead of sight, it can forage for food day or night. This habit gives cause for a lot of the local fishermen to call them "Night Skimmers" instead of Black Skimmer. I find myself using this same name for them! It is actually more common to see them start their flights late in the evening simply because the water is much calmer then. This makes it easier for the bird to keep its flight pattern of right above the water. Usually hunting singly or in pairs, occasionally (like this evening) they will join up in large groups. Tonight's scoop (name for a group of Skimmers) was made up of six birds. They glided along the marsh edge until they were out of sight only to make the loop and start over again. Ezzy, the dog, and I sat on the pier for over an hour just watching them scoop up the menhaden. The birds just randomly choose a path and hope that a fish will be in the line of attack. They do not survey the water, they do not dive attack, they just fly along hoping for the best! Obviously, this method works as they do not seem to be starving!

For some reason even though I see these birds often, they never fail to enthrall me. I am always a tad bit excited when they make their appearance around the Bayou. I suppose there is a bit of me that wishes I could be out there like them..skimming across the water.