Snowbirds Head for Florida — Some Shorebirds Enjoy Valentine's Day

ROYAL TERNS socialize, looking much like Manhattan Assistant DA's.

Photographs Courtesy © Dawn India (dawnindia@att.net), Notecards available.

BLACK SKIMMERS facing the wind on north Longboat Key, Florida, beach. Easily identified as the sturdy-looking businessmen with bad toups, Skimmers are notable for special beaks used for fishing at night. A Skimmer's upper beak is almost a third shorter than the lower mandible. This and a strong neck lets it hit a small fish by skimming the ocean surface and snapping up its catch.

Next -> Snowy Egret takes the inland sun, and an Osprey dries off.