na: 



Black Skimmer 



A.O.U. NO. ^80 



(Rynchops nigra) 



DATE- June 24, 1936 



NO. - 2 



INCUBATION- 



Fresh 



SIZES- 



2.00 x 1.26 



^^^l^^^Mx 1.25 

 SITUATION- Toward the apatfrern end. of T af 



more island, Va., the blscfi slopes very ^r 

 ually down to the water. 

 of sand and sea shells a c'olo* 

 graceful birds chose y to nest/ is I a 

 down the beach, I notic^.* t ; h^hug# mimfP 

 birds on the sand. 7/hen :^.ha^^proache^ 

 in a hundred yards the wnole v coxony "tool 

 flight. 1 then realized hct^^mahy bird; 

 really we»e in that group., "As*-, I walked on and 

 ^finally, reached where the nearest of the^ bird 

 had been on the sand, I was astounds 

 number of nests. A conservative esti: 

 their number would be 800- the total col 

 covered about half a mile along the beach. 



The birds kept flying about scpjsc. 

 all the time- many of them acted as though 

 they were hurt in order to try and draw me 

 away from the nests. 



Practically all the' nests contain 

 eggs- a few Contained young about a week 

 There were no nesting materials at all- ^a 

 hollow in the sand constituting? the . ehipp 

 nest. 



There were two small colonies toi 

 the southern end of the i-st"a%% .' ' j& ^ * 



"there 



.lie 



ol 



: ost of the nests contained two egg£ 

 very few contained .four which .was : the gretesl 

 number in any nestj^£;-*fc^ 3%est§ whiph'ja<bn- ; , 

 tained young, the majority h^oniy two ybung^. 



Near Wachapraegue, Va. ^ 

 **( Rynchops niger) A.O.U. . Checklist 



