A good skimmer chick story to end the work week. Margie writes: The original three chicks are growing tails and starting to try out their flight skills. I watched one this morning take a couple of experimental flights, more hopping than flying, but coming along. (Click on photo to enlarge)The second wave of nests has been hatching steadily for about a week now. This morning I counted at least five, but I think seven tiny chicks moving around in the posted area. Still more birds sitting on nests. And still more pairs mating.
When those first eggs showed up in June, I'd never have believed all this would happen. Those birds are tougher than I gave them credit for!
Margie had copied A. J. Hutson, Assistant City Manager for Cocoa Beach, on the above email, and A. J. summed up the feelings of a lot of folks with this reply: The photos just crack me up! They are really cute. I feel like lighting up a cigar!
I look at this photo and see "the look" - that mother skimmer is saying "you're not too big to spank!"
As always, our thanks to Margie for the photos and updates, and to Phyllis for her vigilence that contributed so significantly to this success story.
1 comment:
Good to see them having nesting success. Now if we could just move all those condos and motels back from the beach ...
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