It is fun to watch Black Skimmers working in pairs. While we were at the Brigantine Division of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge we noticed this pair of Black Skimmers working this area along the Wildlife Drive. They kept flying across the main channel of water along the Drive, then turning into a perpendicular channel flying away from us. Then they would return and repeat their flight path, skimming along the water as they flew by. It is fun to photograph them when you have fairly smooth water to see their paths behind them to visually see the arcing paths they take while fishing in tandem.
Black Skimmers banking to return for another pass
Black Skimmers @ 600mm
Returning Skimmers crossing paths
Black Skimmers changing direction
I love how you captured the fluidity of their motions across the water~!
Thanks! The wake showing their streaking through the water is one of the cool parts of photographing them! Plus many times they really concentrate on one area working it for quite a while. These were out quite a ways so even @ 600mm the birds were smaller, but their wake in the water was included, showing their movement patterns.
Great captures of this!
Awesome shots, Reed! Seeing the water trails they leave is cool!
Thanks Donna! They are fun to photograph! It is also nice when you are lucky to get pairs fishing side by side.
Lovely series Reed!
Thanks Belinda! They are interesting birds to photograph! I was lucky that they were working that channel for about 20 minutes. Another pair came and only stayed a few minutes.