Tuesday, September 07, 2010

Nap time

A special treat of late summer in Cape May is the flock of Black Skimmers and Royal Terns that rest and spend the daylight hours half asleep, crowded beside each other on the beach near the 2nd Ave. jetty.

They present a curious site to beach-goers, I imagine, and always make me chuckle at just how relaxed a posture many take. How often do we get to see birds sleeping, after all?

: )

3 comments:

MevetS said...

The skimmer's pose reminded me of your Flemish giant sprawled out on your living room floor, relaxed and secure.

I wonder what makes them feel so safe there? Have they, as apparently some other birds have, come to associate the presence of humans with a lack of predators?

Other than the occasional curious child or errant frisbee, and of course we paparazzi, they've little to be concerned about there on the beach.

Curious.

And I love the tern pic, with it's bill in the sand.

LauraHinNJ said...

Yes.... the bunnies do that same feet extended behind them thing!

: )

In most places, you find skimmers on sand bars... or in the middle of river channels... curious that they find their resting place in the middle of so much hustle and bustle on a summer beach.

And even tho they look like they're sleeping... I think that's a ruse as the slightest interest in them or move towards them causes everyone (mostly) to come to their feet and then take to wing, barking.

That pic of the tern cracked me up too!

LauraHinNJ said...

Do you have pics of the one skimmer with the fishing lure? I have a couple and wonder at your different perspective?

(sad)