Stephen Dunstan
Registered User
When everyone has agreed on how to pronounce Sabine let me know, as my eldest daughter has a vested interest ...
-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Skua ID confirmation please. (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter CJW
- Start date
Edward Sabine (he of the gull) was Irish so I don't expect there's much point in promoting a French pronunciation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Sabine
OTOH, I ain't a clue how the surname's usually pronounced in Ireland! Most everyone I know says "Say-bighnz", but there are still people who say it with a short a: "sabb-ighnz".
OTOH, I ain't a clue how the surname's usually pronounced in Ireland! Most everyone I know says "Say-bighnz", but there are still people who say it with a short a: "sabb-ighnz".
David Bryant
Registered User
John Cantelo
Well-known member
It took me years to persuade myself to tick Long-tailed Skua; so many 'probables/possibles' until I was convinced and so many near misses too. The nadir came years back when I returned home from a fruitless seawatch to find that my daughters had, aided and abetted by my wife, decorated the house with meat skewers trailing long bits of string behind them. These "long-tailed skewers" were as near as I got for years. The amazing thing is I'm still talking to all three of 'em, but then I have seen Long-tailed Skuas since then! It's odd just how regularly I've seen them since - a mix of better understanding of ID features, getting my eye in, a greater awareness of the potential of seawatching sites nearby and of the best conditions in which to do so.
These days, though, I'm inclined to think that skua watchers go through three phases:-
Phase 1 - Skuas are unidentifiable. The damn things all look kinda brown above, they all have wing flashes and that those that are pale below may be one of three species doesn't exactly get you very far. Then that distant imm. gulls catches you out just when you think you're making progress.
Phase 2 - What is your problem? The big blighters are Bonxies (aka Great Skuas). As for the 'small skuas' - the beefy ones are Poms, the middling ones are Arctics and the anorexics are Long-tails. Get your eye in and the all fly different too.
Phase 3 - If only it were that simple! OK, most of 'em can be safely identified at a 'reasonable' range and in good conditions - sometimes they really can be 'obvious', but every now and again you come a cropper. Was that a small ill marked Bonxie … or a large Pom? And that distant quartet of skuas - were they three biggish Arctics and a Long-tail or three Poms and an Arctic? The bird trailing of those obvious Arctics is clearly smaller and slimmer - and must be a Long-tailed until it veers closer transforms itself into another Arctic. Now that the wind's got up and the drizzle has returned the problem has been compounded. Yes, those dots on the horizon probably are Arctics, but ……. Personally, I'm dubious when I see a long list of skuas being tallied and not one put down as 'Skua sp'. As for South Polar Skua/Brown Skua …. why did I leave that nice, secure padded cell?
Of course there may be a 'Phase 4' when all skuas are identifiable with 100% accuracy. Perhaps, I've simply not reached this level of competence but I'm relieved that authors of 'The Flight Identification of European Seabirds' don't seem to have done so either - ".. not even the most skilled skua watcher can rely on identifying all of the skuas he or she sees". So don't despair if you can't identify all of 'em and if that guy next to you claims he can then its only because he's still at Phase Two and you've tipped over into Phase Three!
John
These days, though, I'm inclined to think that skua watchers go through three phases:-
Phase 1 - Skuas are unidentifiable. The damn things all look kinda brown above, they all have wing flashes and that those that are pale below may be one of three species doesn't exactly get you very far. Then that distant imm. gulls catches you out just when you think you're making progress.
Phase 2 - What is your problem? The big blighters are Bonxies (aka Great Skuas). As for the 'small skuas' - the beefy ones are Poms, the middling ones are Arctics and the anorexics are Long-tails. Get your eye in and the all fly different too.
Phase 3 - If only it were that simple! OK, most of 'em can be safely identified at a 'reasonable' range and in good conditions - sometimes they really can be 'obvious', but every now and again you come a cropper. Was that a small ill marked Bonxie … or a large Pom? And that distant quartet of skuas - were they three biggish Arctics and a Long-tail or three Poms and an Arctic? The bird trailing of those obvious Arctics is clearly smaller and slimmer - and must be a Long-tailed until it veers closer transforms itself into another Arctic. Now that the wind's got up and the drizzle has returned the problem has been compounded. Yes, those dots on the horizon probably are Arctics, but ……. Personally, I'm dubious when I see a long list of skuas being tallied and not one put down as 'Skua sp'. As for South Polar Skua/Brown Skua …. why did I leave that nice, secure padded cell?
Of course there may be a 'Phase 4' when all skuas are identifiable with 100% accuracy. Perhaps, I've simply not reached this level of competence but I'm relieved that authors of 'The Flight Identification of European Seabirds' don't seem to have done so either - ".. not even the most skilled skua watcher can rely on identifying all of the skuas he or she sees". So don't despair if you can't identify all of 'em and if that guy next to you claims he can then its only because he's still at Phase Two and you've tipped over into Phase Three!
John
Edward woodwood
Member
no more than 70% max identifiable in UK for me John!
Alastair Rae
London birder
Don't tell: you also have two sons one called Franklin and the other Bonepart?Stephen Dunstan said:
Jane Turner
Well-known member
I must admit to reducing all distant skuas that aren't obvious Bonxies or Arctics to skua spp.. and am wildly uncertain about any long-tails that aren't calssic white-headed juvvies. Now when they are in the garden.. thats another matter
mountain man
Guest
A very interesting Long-tailed Skua was present on Staines Reservoir yesterday. The full account of it can be read on "surreybirds" yahoo group (you have to subscribe to read it). Not sure if I could copy the text into here without the authors permission, but for anyone interested in Skuas it is essential reading.
Despite views on the water and prolonged views in flight it almost stumped both Britains' top twitcher and Britains' top rarity finder.
Despite views on the water and prolonged views in flight it almost stumped both Britains' top twitcher and Britains' top rarity finder.
Edward woodwood
Member
Chris Heard and Ron Johns?
mountain man
Guest
Okay, change that to Britains' most well known twitcher!
Jane Turner
Well-known member
Last edited:
