Black skimmers nite out 7/7 + a "phantom" Raccoon; today's brief sightings

In the highest total seen since the 6 flyovers seen June  17, 2005 ( on a BBC bat walk led by Paul Keim),  three different flyby's of BLACK SKIMMER making up 6 birds were seen by Eric and Stephen Addinall and myself ( catching the last 5) between 7:30 and 8:30 in the evening. 3 swung low over the Lake surface, feeding for a moment before departing northwest; about a minute later , 2 more higher up went the same direction.

The all time record is 16, seen in a single line low flyby along the west shore of the lake  during the evening ( obs.PD,JL) on May 4th, 1997.

Other night sightings: BC Night Heron, Grackle,Barn Swallow, Chimney Swift

and for some humor:

When I was leaving the park after the Skimmer flyshow, I noted a white plastic bag being lifted out of a trash can near West Island..It was sort of ghostly  looking until I realized that a "shadowly" Raccoon had the bag in its teeth.When it saw me, it promtly dropped the bag as the Raccooon tediously perched on the fence...funny animals, yaknow?

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This morning:  an immature Red tailed hawk on the
ground by the Pine Grove  ( Long Meadow east / 
water fountain)(PD obs)

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from Janet Schumacher:

I saw the Peregrine fly into the BBG tower from the

north this morning at 7:15 am Probably hoping for a 

grab-and-go pigeon pickup from Wendy's.