The Skimmers and the Mermaid

From Otter Lake, we went on to Panacea, a small waterside village that specializes in seafood. The town Christmas tree was still up. It was decorated with full-sized lanterns, nets, plywood anchors, and other items.

Atop was no angel, but, appropriately enough, a mermaid instead. Or maybe a merangel. These Panaceans are clever folks.

It had  been some time since we had driven out to Mashes Sands, which is a little county park beach-- so we decided to explore out there.

We were so glad we did.

It was cold. The wind went right through everything, but there were a few folks out enjoying the sun and birds.

I was excited when I saw these guys, hunkered down and facing the wind on this little sand bar. They are black skimmers, along with a couple of ring-billed gulls and there was a herring gull or two.

I would have loved to see them feeding as they soar just above the water and skim for fish with their longer lower mandible open. I also love their colors. B says the red-orange stripe around its beak serves as its waterline mark, that shows it just how far to puts its beak in the water so as not to get too much drag! He made that up, but it sounds good, doesn't it?