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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Probably a thick question about skuas (1 Viewer)

West End Birder

West End Birder

Well-known member
Something is puzzling me. Where do skuas roost when they are migrating in the spring? Do they roost on the sea? If so do they roost in groups? Maybe this applies to terns too.

The reason I ask is that generally (not definitely) the passage past e.g. Portland is more pronounced in the morning, and perhaps evening. Given that they are all heading to a common goal (some of them will no doubt be heading to a Common Gull too) and they are not all waking up in the same spot (assuming they are strung out along the coast) why is there not a constant procession of them at peak migration times throughout the day? Do they stop to rest/feed? Or do they migrate at night and in fact when we see them they are getting ready to stop?

Obviously weather plays a part but let's assume for 3 days the weather is identical and perfect for seeing skuas (SE or whatever is needed).

Thanks in advance!
 
(Wild speculation warning)

Skuas resting/roosting overnight will be pushed by the wind and tide. By morning they may well be near shore. They do not require shore to feed and once it is light will continue their flight and reorientate. Unless pushed onto shore by irresistible wind force they will usually opt to migrate away from shore.

For this reason they tend to be seen in the morning i.e. before they adjust their course to mid-channel.

This would also account for the undependable nature of the Western Isles spring skua migration. Given strong onshore winds numbers are immense, in light winds they are minimal.

John
 
Thanks for replying, either this was so trivial it was irrelevant or one of the most profound ornithological questions of recent times ;-) (Occam's Razor might have a solution to that) as there is only one reply.

And evening drifting back in perhaps as light fades?

But given strong winds, is there then a procession throughout the day off say Portland? (I have never witnessed one).

Curiouser and curiouser!
 
BD344 said:
Something is puzzling me. Where do skuas roost when they are migrating in the spring? Do they roost on the sea? If so do they roost in groups? Maybe this applies to terns too.

The reason I ask is that generally (not definitely) the passage past e.g. Portland is more pronounced in the morning, and perhaps evening. Given that they are all heading to a common goal (some of them will no doubt be heading to a Common Gull too) and they are not all waking up in the same spot (assuming they are strung out along the coast) why is there not a constant procession of them at peak migration times throughout the day? Do they stop to rest/feed? Or do they migrate at night and in fact when we see them they are getting ready to stop?

Obviously weather plays a part but let's assume for 3 days the weather is identical and perfect for seeing skuas (SE or whatever is needed).

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

A small but significant proportion of some skua species undertake long overland migration (Western Siberia to the Black Sea, thence over Turkey to Israel to the Red Sea and also the reverse; Eastern Siberia to the Yellow Sea, Sea of Okhotsk; Arabian Sea over the Empty Quarter to the Persian/Arabian Gulf, then north to Central Siberia via the Caspian; across Europe from the Baltic to the Adriatic [Swiss and Austrian records]; Western/Central Siberia up Arctic rivers then on to the Dnieper/Volga complexes to Black Sea/Caspian). Clearly, some rest/roost periods are needed, but food in the form of other migrant/resident birds is plentiful in most cases.
MJB
 
BD344 said:
Thanks for replying, either this was so trivial it was irrelevant or one of the most profound ornithological questions of recent times ;-) (Occam's Razor might have a solution to that) as there is only one reply.

And evening drifting back in perhaps as light fades?

But given strong winds, is there then a procession throughout the day off say Portland? (I have never witnessed one).

Curiouser and curiouser!
Click to expand...

I don't think there is at Portland, but evening passage is sometimes recorded at Dungeness IIRC. Of course the Channel is at its narrowest there and I guess birds are bound to be fairly close to one coast or the other.

John
 
Hmm still slightly puzzling, needs some satellite trackers methinks. MJB I see you are in Holt I am staying there soon are there some good pubs to go to? Hoping to bad a Barred Warbler or better.
 
BD344 said:
Hmm still slightly puzzling, needs some satellite trackers methinks. MJB I see you are in Holt I am staying there soon are there some good pubs to go to? Hoping to bad a Barred Warbler or better.
Click to expand...

PM me pronto, for I'll be involved in other things for a period!
MJB
 
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