The last time a black skimmer chick hatched on Sanibel Causeway it was roughly the same year the Hubble Space Telescope was sent into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.
It took all that time, from the early 1990s until late spring of this year, to happen again.
The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation's volunteer shorebird team found the nest and photographed a chick poking out from under the black-and-white bird with the distinctive orange beak.
"In an exciting milestone, the first black skimmer chick has hatched at the Causeway since the early 1990s — the first successful nesting record we have been able to confirm in more than three decades," Audrey Albrecht, a SCCF shorebird biologist, said. "Each season brings new challenges, but the dedication of our staff and volunteers allows us to protect these vulnerable birds across a wide and ever-changing landscape."
In an exciting milestone, the first black skimmer chick has hatched at the Causeway since the early 1990s” - Audrey Albrecht, a SCCF shorebird biologist
A black skimmer is best known for its majesty when searching for food, gliding on a cushion of air trapped beneath its wings, its blade-like bill just touching the surface collecting fish.
Sanibel Causeway has become a critical shorebird refuge, with 81 least tern and 15 black skimmer nests found so far this season.
On Sanibel, snowy plovers have successfully hatched four nests and fledged four chicks, with additional nests still active despite challenges from predators, storms, and other natural pressures.
Least terns and black skimmers have faced especially challenging conditions at several Sanibel colonies, where repeated plundering by coyotes have reduced nesting success and caused birds to shift to the causeway and islands around it.
Environmental reporting for WGCU is funded in part by VoLo Foundation, a nonprofit with a mission to accelerate change and global impact by supporting science-based climate solutions, enhancing education, and improving health.
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