The black skimmer is a rare find in the Chesapeake region

Black skimmer dips its lower bill into the water to catch a fish. — The black skimmer's lower bill is longer than its upper bill, which helps the bird scoop fish out of the water. (Photo courtesy of Juan Rodolfo Lillo Lobos/iNaturalist CC BY-NC, cropped and toned)

Black skimmer's unique foraging technique allows them to get fish in low-light conditions like dusk or dawn. (Photo courtesy of Alan Wells/iNaturalist CC BY-NC, cropped and toned)

A black skimmer flies above barges placed as nesting habitat at Fort Wool near the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel in Hampton, Virginia. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)

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Black Skimmers are making a colony on Ft. Monroe Beach. Have observed for 4 days, laying eggs. Appear healthy

My family use to camp on Smith Island in the early 70s and there were black skimmers in the hundreds. That was at a time when you could see the bottom of the Bay in 20 feet of water.

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The black skimmer is a rare find in the Chesapeake region

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