This afternoon I finally walked up the beach to the Black Skimmer nesting area.  On the way there I saw a Cormorant standing on a buoy drying out his wings.

The Cormorant's feathers are less water-repellent than other birds, which enables him to dive deep under water to catch fish.  But this means his feathers get wetter, so every now and then he has to dry them out a bit.

The Black Skimmer nesting area had been cordoned off, to keep people from disturbing the nesting birds.  There were also some little open boxes at one end of the enclosure, which I did not notice being there last year.  They are, I am guessing, for providing shade for the young skimmers, and perhaps shelter from the rain as well.

These baby skimmers are enjoying the shade provided by this shelter.

The adult skimmers periodically arrive with offerings of fish, which the baby skimmers seem very eager to receive, though sometimes the fish seems almost as big as the chick.

Where's my fish?

This pair has a nest-full!