These guys are adorable! They look cousins of the oystercatchers! They should hang out together! 🙂
I have noticed that several species of shorebirds that visit Long Island share similar features. American Oystercatchers, Black Skimmers, as well as a few of the Tern species all sport black and white plumages as well as orange and black bills.
As for hanging out together, well, they sort of do. While the Skimmers and Least Terns begin nesting a little later than the Oystercatchers and Common Terns, many of them use the same stretches of beach. The Terns and the Skimmers, which are fairly closely related, tend to nest close together, in colonies. Oystercatchers tend to nest apart from each other and “claim” sections of beach from others of their kind. However, it is not at all unusual to find Oystercatchers nesting near a Tern or Skimmer colony. JK.
David Attenborough should do a special there! 🙂
David Attenborough? We’ve already got Joe Kayaker on the job. 🙂 JK.
Well, yes, of course — but you don’t do video. And David Attenborough has such a soothing voice. 🙂
These guys are adorable! They look cousins of the oystercatchers! They should hang out together! 🙂
I have noticed that several species of shorebirds that visit Long Island share similar features. American Oystercatchers, Black Skimmers, as well as a few of the Tern species all sport black and white plumages as well as orange and black bills.
As for hanging out together, well, they sort of do. While the Skimmers and Least Terns begin nesting a little later than the Oystercatchers and Common Terns, many of them use the same stretches of beach. The Terns and the Skimmers, which are fairly closely related, tend to nest close together, in colonies. Oystercatchers tend to nest apart from each other and “claim” sections of beach from others of their kind. However, it is not at all unusual to find Oystercatchers nesting near a Tern or Skimmer colony. JK.
David Attenborough should do a special there! 🙂
David Attenborough? We’ve already got Joe Kayaker on the job. 🙂 JK.
Well, yes, of course — but you don’t do video. And David Attenborough has such a soothing voice. 🙂
Sigh. JK.
You’ll have to work on your British accent. 😉