Pomarine Skua? from Calais-Dover ferry (1 Viewer)

[rubatroid]

Hi all, I took these distant photos today from the Calais-Dover ferry. Photos rather grainy due to distance (or lens not long enough!) so some of the finer details not clear, but I'm leaning towards Pom rather than Arctic due to broad wings and overall 'bulky' feel. However I'm not at all experienced with skuas in the field (or at sea!) so would welcome feedback! Thanks in advance

Reuben

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Looks more like a juvenile Great Skua to me.

 

[rubatroid]

Looks more like a juvenile Great Skua to me.

Aha, you’re right! D’oh! That explains why the wings were so broad! I did say I wasn’t experienced with skua ID! 🤣🤣🤣 In hindsight I don’t know why I didn’t consider Great more carefully. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Aha, you’re right! D’oh! That explains why the wings were so broad! I did say I wasn’t experienced with skua ID! 🤣🤣🤣 In hindsight I don’t know why I didn’t consider Great more carefully. Thanks for the feedback!

Juveniles often look a bit less obvious than adults because the plumage is a bit plainer and the white in the wing less extensive. It's a pitfall for juvenile Pomarine Skua.

 

[rubatroid]

Juveniles often look a bit less obvious than adults because the plumage is a bit plainer and the white in the wing less extensive. It's a pitfall for juvenile Pomarine Skua.

Thanks for that! I’ve not seen juv Great Skua before and had already subconsciously ruled Great out without considering/checking properly. A good learning experience!