Black skimmer chick

A colony of black skimmers nests along Wrightsville Beach NC. At the time this photo was taken, most of the black skimmer babies had fledged and were learning to fly and hunt on their own. However a couple younger chicks were still present among the other birds in the colony. This young black skimmer chick was left to fend for itself while the parents hunted for fish.

Begging for Fish

A colony of black skimmers resides on Wrightsville Beach, NC, and I was fortunate to spend many hours observing them while on vacation. The parents were continuously collecting fish and delivering them to the hungry fledglings, who were incredibly demanding. Although many of the youngsters were capable of flying, they still relied on the parents to be fed.