Yesterday I took a great trip out to Cedar Key with my Mom and brother. Both my brother and I are avid birders, so of course, we had to check out some birding spots. Although the birds weren’t as plentiful as they often are, we did still see quite a few. Among them was a large flock of black skimmers (Rynchops niger). When we first saw them they were resting quietly on an offshore sandbar along with a few laughing gulls and some willets. At one point, all the skimmers suddenly lifted off the sandbar in one massive group and took to the air. They circled the area several times and just as suddenly all landed on the sandbar again. I have seen this behavior many times before in these very social birds, but it always impresses me how in tune they are with each other and how well they all move together.