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Wednesday, December 25, 2024

VERY LARGE COLONY OF BLACK SKIMMERS, LAUGHING GULLS, ROYAL TERNS, ETC. AT BEACH & SANDBAR, PELICAN BAY, NORTH NAPLES, FLORIDA, 12/16/2024

      Black Skimmers, gulls and terns are social and can form colonies that range in size from a few pairs to thousands of pairs.   We estimate that this colony, which includes the beach and the sandbar, is over approximately 2,500 birds in size.  The majority of birds in this colony are Laughing Gulls and Black Skimmers, with a sizable amount of Royal Terns.  Scattered among these birds are: Sandwich Terns, Herring Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, Brown Pelicans, Sanderlings, Ruddy Turnstones and Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
      The first six photos show the various birds on the beach and sandbar.  The last six photos show many of these birds in flight after being spooked by something.  This occurred twice during approximately 2 hours we were viewing and photographing them.  We do not know what spooked them.



 














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