Homer and Bart

by Paul Rebmann

Title

Homer and Bart

Artist

Paul Rebmann

Medium

Photograph - Photograph

Description

A photograph of an adult black skimmer standing on the beach with a juvenile skimmer standing aside. Both birds have their heads turned around and their beaks tucked behind them. The image is called 'Homer and Bart' because the adults nested in a construction site along Daytona Beach and the worker that found the nest named the adults Homer and Marge and the chicks Bart and Lisa. It was the first receded nesting of Black Skimmers in this part of the state in decades.

This image has been featured in the following groups:
A Birding Group - Wings,
All Stars 1 a week of your best
& Artists Best Five Artwork Group ABFA Group

Black skimmers are the only North American bird with a lower mandible longer than the upper. Found primarily in coastal areas of Central and North America, as far north as the Salton Sea near San Diego on the west coast and Massachusetts on the east coast in the summer. The range also includes much of South America except in the Andes mountain range. Most of the North American breeding occurs along the gulf coast.
Black skimmers are easily identified by the distinctive beak, their bodies are white underneath and dark on top. The black crown continues down the back of the neck when in breeding plumage (Mar.-Sep.). This area is white during the non-breeding season (Sep.-Mar.).
These birds are graceful flyers, with wingbeats mostly above the body and the head held lower than the tail. They glides just above the water with the lower mandible dipped in the water. When the skimmer encounters a fish, it tucks the head down to grab it. Often rests on the ground completely prone with the head stretched forward.
(Subject description from the artist's Wild Florida Photo website www.wildflphoto.com)

Uploaded

June 17th, 2014

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