black skimmer

Description:

Black and white bird with distinctive sleek body and bright orange color at beak. The lower beak is much longer than the top beak.

Habitat:

Navarre Beach, Florida. Black skimmers seen nesting along the Navarre Beach causeway on a narrow beach parallel to the paved roadway. Least terns are also nesting there, and local citizens have posted signage and temporary fencing to protect the birds.

Notes:

I observed the black skimmers flattening their bodies low to cover their eggs in nests, which are indentions in the sand. There were very windy conditions and dangerous surf conditions, with double red flags on display to warn people away from the water. As a result, fewer people came near the nesting site. I observed one bird flying low over the water, skimming for food.