Friday's Foto

The Black Skimmer is one of three species of tern-like birds in the skimmer family. It can be seen around NYC's coastline in the summer. Characterized by a lower mandible which is longer than the upper mandible, they forage by flying low over the water with their lower bill skimming through the surface, snapping shut on any prey they encounter. A large breeding flock found annually at Breezy Point, in Queens, heads south in the late-fall. Over the years I've noticed many birds flying low over the Brooklyn Cyclone's stadium at night, presumably to feed in the adjacent Coney Island Creek or Gravesend Bay. I hope they can dodge fly balls.