A barn swallow about to end a sand fly.

A semipalmated sandpiper resting, and partially buried in the sand at Breezy Point.

A piping plover digging in the sand at Breezy Point.

A black-bellied plover flying at Breezy Point.

A piping plover in full aggressive mode. This week seems to have had a lot of bird drama in the Rockaways area. The piping plovers, American oystercatchers, and tree swallows were all visibly fighting over nesting spots.

Some harlequin ducks preening in the ocean. I especially like the right-hand duck which has rolled onto its back to preen its belly.

A semipalmated sandpiper on an algae covered jetty at Breezy Point.

An American Oystercatcher landing at Breezy Point.

A sequence of a gannet diving off Breezy Point. These graceful birds hunt by plunging into the water and then swimming after the selected fish.

Some piping plover drama. These little shore birds have largely paired off and can be aggressive with each other.

A piping plover leaving footprints in wet sand. These are tiny, endangered birds that breed on some of the beaches around NYC.

A least tern (Sternula antillarum) waiting for it's parents to drop off some fish. On the beach near Breezy Point.

A black skimmer chick mimicking it's parent on the beach near Breezy Point.

Willets (Tringa semipalmata) running from the surf on the beach near Breezy Point.

A black skimmer (Rynchops niger) flying above the beach near Breezy Point.

A common tern (Sterna hirundo) returning with a fish to a small colony near Breeze Point on Rockaway Beach. The seagulls would run into the colony and try to steal the fish from the returning parents.