Black Skimmer Babies!

Posted 3 Comments

Rich and I spent a pleasant evening at a Black Skimmer colony in mid-June. I tried to time the visit with the hatching of the babies, but I was off by about a week. The colony was full of blond fuzzballs running around, begging for fish. I sprawled on the sand and enjoyed every minute with them! :)

Black Skimmer Baby
Black Skimmer Baby

The baby above was one of the youngest that I saw at the colony that evening. He was so cute! All evening I watched for little guys of this size. Most of the other chicks were a few days older. Older chicks are more active, but a little less cute….

Baby Black Skimmer Feeding
Baby Black Skimmer Feeding

This slightly older chick was happy to accept a needlefish from Dad. Dad stood watching for a few seconds as the baby maneuvered the fish into his mouth. It didn’t take long for the fish to disappear in a single gulp!

Black Skimmer Tug of War
Black Skimmer Tug of War

Nearby, another adult handed off a needlefish. But the second baby wasn’t so adept at swallowing. The baby kept dropping the fish, and the adult kept picking it back up and handing it back the baby. At times it looked like they were playing tug-of-war. The baby finally won.

Black Skimmer Feeding Baby
Black Skimmer Feeding Baby

Feeding time is a big part of living in a skimmer colony. Babies who are hungry will bite at Mom’s beak to beg for food. The parents are very patient.

Black Skimmer with Fish
Black Skimmer with Fish

The adults sometimes forget their target audience. They bring in adult-size fish and wonder why the babies won’t eat them. The perplexed look on their faces is priceless.

Black Skimmer Chick with Fish in his Mouth
Black Skimmer Chick with Fish in his Mouth

This juvenile accepted a big fish and then struggled to swallow it. He paraded it right in front of my lens!

Black Skimmer with Chicks
Black Skimmer with Chicks

This particular nest was my favorite one of the evening. There were four chicks that kept Mom very busy. The biggest chick bulled the younger ones, especially the baby. Mom patiently sat on them when they got too rowdy.

Black Skimmer with Chicks
Black Skimmer with Chicks

As the sun crept low on the horizon, the colony was bathed in golden light. The babies were most active as the breeze picked up and the parents brought in the last meals of the evening. This mom sat quietly with her two chicks. It was a great end to a great evening!

Want to learn more about nature photography at Black Skimmer Colonies?

Check out my Black Skimmer Colonies page with more information about the location, map, website, photography tips, etc. It is archived by date so you can see my images from previous visits. Maybe you'll be inspired for your own trip!

Planning a trip to Florida? Don't miss my Central Florida Bird Photography Locations reference guide!

3 thoughts on “Black Skimmer Babies!

Comments are closed.