Skimmers at the Ted Hickey Bridge

This morning at around 9 am, I stopped by the Ted Hickey Bridge (where Leon C. Simon crosses the Industrial Canal).  As usual with a north wind, the breakwaters were bare- splashed heavily by waves.

In the sandy cove, 29 Black Skimmers were hunkered down, and allowed close viewing from the road.  This is probably the best place in metro New Orleans (South Shore) to find them in the winter, but they are often absent.

Otherwise, there were the usual numbers of both Ring-billed and Laughing Gulls, and a few Herring Gulls (mostly birds in their first winter- fully brown).  One adult Bonaparte's Gull was sitting with them on docks.

Surprisingly, no terns or pelicans at all, and only one cormorant.

A group of about 50 American Coots was bobbing up and down in the waves between the breakwaters- sea duck wannabes.

In the lawn area more or less across Lakeshore Drive from the base of the breakwaters, there were a handful of Killdeer, a small shorebird (most likely Least Sandpiper), and a flock of 35 or so American Pipits.

Good birding, Peter

For a copy of Birding Made Easy-New Orleans, email me at birding.made.easy.new.orleans@gmail.com, or look for it at area book stores.  It is now available at
Uptown:  Garden District Book Shop, Maple Street Book Shop, Octavia Books
French Quarter and Marigny:  Peach Records, Fauborg Marigny Art Books Music, Librairie Book Shop, Beckham's Bookshop, Arcadian Books and Prints, the Crabnet
Mid City:  City Park Botanical Garden, Community Book Center

Metairie:  Double M Feed on W. Esplanade

Harahan:  Double M Feed on Jefferson Hwy
North Shore:  Mandeville Chiropractic