Skimmer Baby Leaning against Parents Beak – ©Thomas C – NatlGeog – Pinterest
“If I say, “My foot slips,” Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up. In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.” (Psalms 94:18-19 NKJV)
A Black Skimmer chick holding on to it’s parent. Adorable!
What verse(s) would you use for this photo?
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Tern with Skimmer Friends at MacDill AFB Shore 2015 by Lee
And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. (Matthew 13:2 KJV)
But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. (John 21:4 KJV)
There are only two rules for this challenge:
1. On 5 consecutive days, create a post using either a past or recent photo in B&W.
2. Each day invite another blog friend to join in the fun.
My fourth nomination is B is for Blessed, “Receive God’s Grace Every Day,” because Lilkah is a Christian who likes to encourage others with her photos, verses and enjoyable stories.
Again, I was nominated by Our Rumbling Ocean, and I nominated AussieBirder and Sukanya Ramanujan, Through Open Lens and now B is for Blessed. Please check out all of these fine sites.
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My photos so far for this challenge:
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Dan and Black Skimmers
Today, Dan and I had to run over to Tampa for a couple of errands. We stopped by the MacDill AF Base to see how the birds were faring out on their beach on Tampa Bay. When we were there a month or so ago, there were lots of shorebirds. Since there have been many of reports lately from the Listing Service of migrants passing through the state, we thought we would take a look. Tampa is about 45 miles to the west of us and closer to the Gulf of Mexico. We didn’t have the time to go on over to the gulf.
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Our biggest surprise, and the only one, was a pair of Yellow-crowned Night Herons along one of the canals. Down at the beach, we only found the usual Skimmers, Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls, two kinds of Terns; Royal and Sandwich, Turnstones, Willet, White Ibises, and the proverbial Brown Pelicans flying by in formation. A little disappointing, but enjoyable none the less. Even when I only see one bird, I enjoy my birdwatching adventures. I assume most of the birds have already passed by or they were not in much of a beach mood today.
Ruddy Turnstone
Even though few species seen today, aren’t they all amazing to watch? I am always amazed at the variety of birds that we get the pleasures of watching.
Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number. (Job 9:10 KJV)
White Ibis
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Some of the birds at the beach Laughing Gulls, Royal Terns and Black Skimmers
I also shot a video of some of the birds at the shore. There are Black Skimmers, which I think are cute walking around, Royal Terns, Sandwich Tern and Laughing Gulls relaxing together.
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One other bird spotted out my back window a few days ago was this House Finch. All winter the normal House Finches and some orange variant ones visited the feeders. This one seems to have combined the two together. Thought it was rather different and wanted to share it. It was shot through the window and screen, so not the best shot.
Interesting House Finch at feeder
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The Black Skimmer – The Graceful Flier… ~ by a j mithra
Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger) by J Fenton
The Black Skimmer, Rynchops niger, is a tern-like seabird, one of three very similar birds species in the skimmer family. It breeds in North and South America.
Northern populations winter in the warmer waters of the Caribbean and the tropical and subtropical Pacific coasts, but the South American races make only shorter movements in response to annual floods which extend their feeding areas in the river shallows.
The Black Skimmer breeds in loose groups and its referred habitats include sandy or gravelly bars and beaches, shallow bays, estuaries, and salt marsh pools. The remarkable bill of the Black Skimmer sets it apart from all other American birds.
The Black Skimmer is the only American representative of the skimmer family. The other two, rather similar, species are the African Skimmer and the Indian Skimmer (by Nikhil). All use the same unusual feeding method.
Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger) by Quy Tran
The Black Skimmer is the only bird species in the United States that has a larger lower mandible than upper mandible. The large red and black bill is knife-thin and the lower mandible is longer than the upper. The bird drags the lower bill through the water as it flies along, hoping to catch small fish. At hatching, the two mandibles are equal in length, but by fledging at four weeks, the lower mandible is already nearly 1 cm longer than the upper. Its use of touch to catch fish lets it be successful in low light or darkness.
Do you feel that your looks are not as good as the others? Do you feel that God could have created you a bit taller or fairer?
If these birds had equal mandible, they would’ve perished, for they would not have known how to fish…
You are unique and God did not create any one like you and He is faithful to finish the work He had started in you…
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Philippians 1:6)
Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger) by AestheticPhotos
Skimmers have a light graceful flight, with steady beats of their long wings. They feed usually in large flocks, flying low over the water surface with the lower mandible skimming the water (in order of importance) for small fish, insects, crustaceans and molluscs caught by touch by day or especially at night. They spend much time loafing gregariously on sandbars in the rivers, coasts and lagoons they frequent. Although the Black Skimmer is active throughout the day, it is largely crepuscular (active in the dawn and dusk) and even nocturnal….
These birds seem to know that fish come to the surface of the water in large numbers during night…
That is the reason, they leave alone their younger ones at night, and forage during the night, flying low, skimming the water with their lower mandibles..
It is good to start the day reading the word of God.. But, how many of us read the Bible before going to bed? Do we carry the lamp during the day, or during the night? When darkness surrounds you and you have lost your way. Just read the Bible..
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105)
Do you know that night prayers are more powerful? That is the reason God asks us to watch and pray…
Jesus Himself had set an example of praying all through the night before He chose His twelve disciples….
And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; (Luke 6:12,13)
Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger) by Ian
Are you in the midst of decision making, which you think may change your life? Just do what Jesus did…
Pray all night, without ceasing…
Have a blessed day!
Your’s in YESHUA,
a j mithra
Please visit us at: Crosstree
Lee’s Addition:
The Skimmers are in the Laridae Family of Gulls, Terns & Skimmers. They are part of the Charadriiformes Order.
When you watch skimmers, it is neat to watch the trail or path they leave in the water. That brings to mind several passages about paths:
Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; (Isaiah 43:16 KJV)
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psalms 16:11 KJV)
Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. (Psalms 27:11 KJV)
Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. (Psalms 119:35 KJV)
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalms 119:105 KJV)
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. (Proverbs 4:14 KJV)
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. (Proverbs 4:26 KJV)
Keith made a video of a Black Skimmer flying about and dipping its beak. Its head pulls downward as it grabs a fish.
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Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus 