On the Beach With Black Skimmers

I saw my first black skimmers (Rynchops niger) on October 31 at the beach at Wolfe's Pond on Staten Island. I was mesmerized, and was able to watch them again on November 4. The longer lower bill is fascinating, as the birds use it while skimming the water to pull up small fish.

Black skimmer, the beach at Wolfe's Pond, Staten Island, November 4, 2017

Black skimmers, October 31, 2017. Note the bands on two of the birds.

The first Filming the Feathers video is very short, featuring the shorebirds on October 31. The second video, from November 4, is more extensive, with more time spent with these birds flying, skimming and resting on the beach. I was particularly taken with how much these birds seem to enjoy the company of other skimmers, and how their flight is so synchronized.

These photos of the skimmers in flight were pulled from the October 31 video.

These photos were taken October 31 and November 4.

A Rare Visitor on the Watch List

Hudsonian godwits (Limosa haemastica) breed in remote areas of the Arctic and spend the winter in South America, and thus are not seen all that often even when they are migrating. When a Hudsonian godwit visited Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in early October, it was a great opportunity to film this long-billed, long-legged shorebird. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, "Hudsonian Godwit is on the 2016 State of North America's Birds' Watch List, which includes bird species that are most at risk of extinction without significant conservation actions to reverse declines and reduce threats." 

Hudsonian godwit, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, October 11

I was able to watch this shorebird forage for insects with that long bill and run around the mudflats on the East Pond on October 7 and 11. The music is by Mozart, arranged for recorders and performed by Papalin.

The upturned bill and the red at the base of the bill distinguish this shorebird from the numerous greater yellowlegs I have seen at Jamaica Bay (I will post more shorebirds soon). The photos below were all taken on October 11. The last photo, next to a Canada goose, gives you an idea of the size of this godwit.

A Little (Not) Blue Heron

When they are youngsters, little blue herons (Egretta caerulea) look a lot like egrets. When I saw this bird at Staten Island's Mount Loretto Unique Area in August, at first I thought the bird might be a great egret or a snowy egret. But the leg color wasn't right, nor was the bill color. Fortunately, some birders at the pond told me it was a little blue heron. Who could guess that this white-feathered youngster will sport blue-gray plumage when the bird becomes an adult. I understand that this is the only heron species that undergoes such a drastic change.

Juvenile little blue heron, Mount Loretto Unique Area, August 27

Juvenile little blue heron, August 11

The Filming the Feathers video was shot August 11, 20, 27 and September 1, and features the little heron eating fish, insects and a big frog. I set it to guitar waltzes by Agustin Barrios Mangore, performed by Christian Silva Gonçalves and Tariq Harb, and obtained from MusOpen.org, a royalty-free music source.

I went to Staten Island a few times after September 1, but didn't see the young little blue heron again. These photos are from August 11, 27 and September 1. You can see more photos on the Little Blue Heron page.