Yesterday's "WOW" moment was my first close up encounter with the wonderful Black Skimmer. I have always been amazed by them, they are fantastic birds, stunning in fact. I had done a bit of research on the net and noticed that someone had taken pictures of them recently at Pompano Beach. I casually mentioned to my lovely wife Jenny, that Pompano "was nice"! Eventually we managed to park and once on the beach, I could see some nice little flocks of birds which turned out to be Gulls and Royal Terns. Amongst them though were 5 Sandwhich Tern, a species that I am familiar with from back home. 

But back to the Skimmers. Later on in the afternoon, in fact after 5.30 I re-fed the parking meter and returned to the beach and I am so glad that I did because along the  beach now, at the surf-line, was a large flock of amazing, stunning Black Skimmers. They are a real picture with their contrasting black and white plumage and  ridiculously large red beaks. The beak is arranged with an extended lower mandible which is dipped in to the water as the bird "skims" along. When the beak comes in to contact with any  prey it snaps shut and traps the small fish which it feeds on.  I met a smashing couple, one a pro photographer who I knew from internet searches and it was a real coincidence to meet him. His name is Mike Wolf and he takes the kind of pictures that I am trying to achieve. Here is a link to his site. Mike Wolf.